This new device generates light with help from the darkness of space

Solar panels are great for powering devices during the day. But they don’t work after the sun goes down. Now, a new technology that takes advantage of the cold darkness of space may do the trick.

Researchers used a thermoelectric device that relies on a temperature difference in two faces of an electrically conducting material to push electrons through from one side to the other and create a small electrical current. Thermoelectrics have been around for decades. Most are placed next to high heat sources such as car engines to generate the needed temperature difference.