This past summer, an airplane called Solar Impulse 2 soared into the record books. It became the first plane to fly around the world powered only by the sun!
Most planes get their energy by burning jet fuel. Small explosions inside the engines move a motor that powers the planes. But this also creates air pollution.
Solar Impulse 2 uses no fuel. It’s covered with solar panels, devices that convert sunlight into electricity. The electricity is stored in batteries that power the plane day and night.
The aircraft’s 43,000-kilometer (27,000-mile) trip took 16 months to complete. The pilots stopped in 17 cities, letting people around the world see the pollution-free plane.