NOVA

Out in the solar system, the weather gets wacky – with globe-spanning dust storms, monsoons of liquid methane, and lightning 10 times stronger than here on Earth. Discover the forces driving the dramatic weather on neighboring planets and moons.

Discover the dramatic forces creating spectacular weather on neighboring planets and moons.

Solar System: Storm Worlds Preview

NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers exceeded their expected lifespan on Mars. Unique Martian weather conditions may have played a role in restoring their energy levels.

Martian dust devils may have helped NASA’s rovers restore power during mission.

How the Martian Atmosphere Helped Nasa’s Rovers Restore Energy

Solar System: Storm Worlds

The surface of Venus is comparable to the bottom of Earth’s oceans with one major difference: Venus has the hottest planetary surface in the solar system.

This is what it would be like to walk on the surface of Venus.

Venus: The Planet With Battery Acid Clouds

Carlisle Companies

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Across the solar system, wild storms are raging. From globe-spanning dust storms, to monsoons of liquid methane, to monstrous storms with lightning bolts ten times more energetic than anything on Earth – our solar system is full of weird and wonderful weather. Explore the forces that create the truly awesome and extreme conditions found on our neighboring planets and moons. (Premiered October 2, 2024)

Discover the dramatic forces creating spectacular weather on neighboring planets and moons.

Space & Flight

From a dwarf planet that looks like a deflated football, to a tiny moon with cliffs taller than Mt. Everest, to the spectacular rings of Saturn, discover how the effects of gravity produce the amazing variety of weird worlds in our solar system.

What are the weirdest worlds in our solar system, and how did they come to be?

Solar System: Strange Worlds

Solar System: Strange Worlds Preview

Shaped by gravitational forces over millions of years, Saturn's rings are incredibly complex. A tiny moon named Pan, just 17 miles wide, has notably influenced their structure by creating the Encke Gap.

For millions of years, a tiny moon has made a significant impact on the structure of Saturn’s rings.

How a Walnut-Shaped Moon Help Shape Saturn’s Rings

Haumea is one of the fastest rotating large objects in our solar system. A single day on the dwarf planet is only about 4 Earth hours long.

Most objects with a radius over 200 miles are spherical, but Haumea is an exception.

Why is Haumea Shaped Like an Egg?

From a dwarf planet that looks like a deflated football, to a tiny moon with cliffs taller than Mt. Everest, to the spectacular rings of Saturn, discover how the effects of gravity produce the amazing variety of weird worlds in our solar system. Premiered October 9, 2024 at 9 pm on PBS.

Planetary Scientist, JPL

Physicist, Imperial College London

What are the weirdest worlds in our solar system, and how did they come to be?

Around our solar system, violent eruptions are shaping distant worlds. Discover the explosive forces that helped create some of the most dynamic worlds in our cosmic neighborhood – and what makes the volcanoes right here on Earth so special.

Discover the powerful volcanic eruptions that have shaped worlds across our solar system.

Solar System: Volcano Worlds Preview

Jupiter’s small moon Io is the most volcanically active body in our solar system, with constant eruptions reshaping its surface daily.

Io’s intense volcanic activity defies all expectations.

This Tiny Moon Is a Volcanic Powerhouse

Enceladus erupts over 660 pounds of water per second, with jets reaching up to 6,000 miles into space. These massive plumes far exceed the size of the moon itself.

Enceladus’ small size and icy surface is no limitation to its extreme volcanism.

Enceladus: A Frozen Moon With Explosive Eruptions

Enceladus has jets rich in phosphates and likely hydrothermal vents in its ocean. With the key ingredients for life on its surface, the moon may serve as an incubator for life.

Hydrothermal vents in Enceladus’ ocean may hold the promise of life.

Could This Icy Moon’s Ocean Support Life?

Solar System: Volcano Worlds

All around our solar system, volcanoes are powerful shapers of worlds. Next door on Mars is Olympus Mons, a giant volcanic mountain more than twice the size of Mt. Everest. And closer to the Sun, thousands of volcanoes produce the toxic atmosphere that keeps Venus boiling. Then there’s Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active world in the entire solar system, and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, where clues in its watery eruptions hint at the possibility of life. Discover the explosive forces that molded each of these worlds – and what makes the volcanoes right here on Earth so special. Premiering October 16, 2024 at 9 pm on PBS.

Discover the powerful volcanic eruptions that have shaped worlds across our solar system.

Out in the solar system, ice can get bizarre. Visit strange, frozen worlds – from Uranus’s ultra-hot superionic ice, to glaciers of nitrogen ice on Pluto, to carbon dioxide snow on Mars – and discover why the ice here on Earth is so unique.

Visit strange, frozen worlds to discover the bizarre ice that forms beyond Earth.

Solar System: Icy Worlds Preview

Worlds that exist close to the warmth of the sun, like the rocky worlds of Mars, Earth and our moon, have relatively little ice, because they lie inside what is known as the ice line.

As comets cross the invisible boundary known as the ice line, their ice starts turning into gas.

Why Do Comets Have Tails?

Solar System: Icy Worlds

Europa is such a strong candidate for life that NASA launched a mission to explore the moon.

The ocean beneath Europa’s icy shell might be an ideal environment for life.

This Moon May Have the Ingredients for Life

Ice might seem familiar to us on Earth, but out in the solar system, it can get quite exotic. From Uranus’s ultra hot superionic ice, to glaciers of nitrogen ice on Pluto, to carbon dioxide snow on Mars, ice is a fundamental building block throughout our cosmic neighborhood. Visit some of the strange, frozen worlds of our solar system to discover why the ice here on Earth so special – and why we wouldn’t be here without it. Premiered October 23, 2024 at 9 pm on PBS.

Visit strange, frozen worlds to discover the bizarre ice that forms beyond Earth.

From meteorites that impact Earth, to a moon that orbits backwards, to an imposter lurking in the asteroid belt, a variety of strange, wandering worlds are rewriting what we know – and even how we think about – our solar system.

Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.

Solar System: Wandering Worlds

In 2021, cameras recorded the fall of the Winchcombe meteorite, allowing scientists to trace its cosmic origin.

Some large meteorites survive their descent through our atmosphere and land on Earth.

Cameras Capture Earthbound Meteorite

Phobos, one of Mars' moons, has an uncertain origin, but its surface grooves show that tidal forces are pulling it apart. In time, Mars' gravity will shatter it entirely, creating a ring of debris around the planet.

The moon Phobos has a mysterious origin but a certain expiration date.

Could Mars Have a Ring Around It One Day?

Solar System: Wandering Worlds Preview

Colorful lights above a rocky planet surface

The classic view of our solar system contains eight orderly planets, some with moons in neat orbits – but when we look closer, we discover a bunch of stuff missing from this simple, clockwork model. Wandering worlds that seem out of place, found in the gaps between and beyond the planets, offer clues that our cosmic neighborhood is far more dynamic than we once thought. From the meteorites that impact Earth, to a moon that orbits backwards, to an imposter lurking in the asteroid belt, these wandering worlds are rewriting what we know – and even how we think about – our solar system. Premiering October 30 at 9 pm on PBS.

Astronomer, MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.

Icy mountain planet with large moons and planets in the distance

All across the solar system, volcanoes are erupting, storms are raging, and ice is acting in strange ways. And surprises like these aren’t limited to planets: Our solar system is home to a myriad of fascinating smaller bodies, including moons, asteroids, and comets. In recent decades, space missions have brought these neighboring worlds into sharp focus. Now, using the latest scientific imagery and stunningly realistic animations, planetary scientists take us on a journey across the solar system to uncover new revelations about our celestial neighborhood – and illuminate how Earth may be the oddest world of all. A five-part series premiering October 2, 2024 at 9 pm on PBS.

New discoveries and stunning animations reveal the bizarre worlds in our cosmic neighborhood.

New discoveries and stunning animations reveal the bizarre worlds in our cosmic neighborhood.

Solar System Episodes

Solar System: Storm Worlds

Solar System: Strange Worlds

Solar System: Volcano Worlds

Solar System: Icy Worlds

Solar System: Wandering Worlds