Solar System

Our solar system is filled with planets, asteroids, comets, the sun and more, making it a wealth of discoveries waiting to be found. See the latest discoveries from across our solar system here. 

Explore the planets in our solar system: Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Related topics: asteroids, Pluto, the moon, comets

Latest Updates

a diagram of a space capsule parachuting to Earth

Watch NASA's OSIRIS-REx's asteroid sample-return capsule land on Earth in this free livestream on Sept. 24

By Elizabeth Howell published

The return capsule of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to touch down in Utah on Sept. 24, bearing samples of asteroid Bennu. Here's how to watch the event live.

An enhanced view of Neptune's largest moon, Triton.

Why is Neptune's moon Triton so weird?

By Paul Sutter published

The outer solar system contains a striking crime scene with a big mystery: How did Neptune get a moon like Triton?

a red-hued planet is shaded into a crescent against a purple and black backdrop of space.

Could an 'Earth-like' planet be hiding in our solar system's outer reaches?

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A hypothetical Kuiper Belt Planet adds to the list of possibly undiscovered worlds in our solar system. Also on that list? Planet Nine.

Venus as a razor-thin crescent as it nears inferior conjunction with the sun.

Why Venus is now a slim crescent and will disappear from the evening sky this weekend

By Jamie Carter published

Venus is approaching 'inferior conjunction' as it swaps from being the 'Evening Star' to the 'Morning Star,' passing between Earth and the sun in the meantime.

A book leans against a tree against the background of a house in the distance and a dark grassy yard. The night sky is filled with the streaks of stars, traced through the sky through long exposure photos.

New book 'Stargazing: Contemplating the Cosmos to Find Inner Peace' teaches meditation to bring stargazing down to Earth

By Josh Dinner published

Swapna Krishna, author of the new book "Stargazing: Contemplating the Cosmos to Find Inner Peace," writes a guide to getting the most out of the night sky wherever you are.

green comet visible against a backdrop of stars

Watch 1 month in the life of a green comet during its journey past Earth (video)

By Miguel Claro published

Comet C/2022 E3 made a close pass by our planet in January, and a new video captures its incredible journey in 4K resolution.

a flat rock backlit by the distant sun

Where did the interstellar object 'Oumuamua come from? Its speed could tell us

By Keith Cooper published

The velocity of interstellar objects passing through our solar system, like 'Oumuamua, can be correlated to their chemistry and the type of star they came from.

telescopic image of the sun showing a big tornado erupting

Stunning solar tornado swings into space above the glowing sun (video)

By Miguel Claro published

A new video shows off the sun's incredible power. A 'solar tornado' erupted from the surface in April, and you can watch it in 4K resolution.

Solar meteors discovered in the images by the European Solar Orbiter spacecraft.

'Shooting stars' seen raining down on the sun for the 1st time (images)

By Robert Lea published

New observations of the sun have revealed never-before-seen meteor-like fireballs raining down as shooting stars on the surface of the sun.

artist's illustration showing a supernova explosion being blocked by a molecular cloud

Our infant solar system may have survived a nearby supernova explosion

By Robert Lea published

A supernova that erupted when a massive star died could have destroyed our infant solar system — if it weren't protected by a cocoon of molecular gas.

A close-up illustration of a bland, icy exoplanet on a black background. It looks vaguely menacing.

A 'captured' alien planet may be hiding at the edge of our solar system — and it's not 'Planet X'

By Joanna Thompson published

The cold and mysterious Oort cloud at the edge of our solar system may be hiding a rogue exoplanet, new research suggests.

jupiter's moon europa, its icy surface criscrossed by dark reddish-brown lines, against the blackness of space

Surprise! Jupiter's ocean moon Europa may not have a fully formed core

By Charles Q. Choi published

The core of Jupiter's ocean moon Europa might have formed billions of years after the rest of it did, if indeed it has formed at all, a new study finds.

This Hubble Space Telescope image of Saturn, captured in June 2018, shows six of the planet’s 145 known moons. The visible satellites are (from left to right) Dione, Enceladus, Tethys, Janus, Epimetheus and Mimas.

Saturn reclaims 'moon king' title with 62 newfound satellites, bringing total to 145

By Robert Lea published

Saturn is once again the solar system's "moon king," snatching the crown back from Jupiter after the discovery of 62 new moons. Saturn now has a whopping 145 known satellites.

Artist’s impression of a dying sun-like star engulfing an exoplanet. 

Scientists catch real-life Death Star devouring a planet in 1st-of-its-kind discovery

By Charles Q. Choi published

The action 12,000 light-years away may presage what happens to Earth about 5 billion years from now.

Ceres will be at opposition on March 21, 2023, though you'll still need a telescope to see the dwarf planet.

Spot dwarf planet Ceres during the new moon tonight

By Robert Lea published

The dark skies of the new moon will offer skywatchers the chance to spot Ceres tonight (March 21), as the dwarf planet reaches opposition.

photograph of several women in the 1870s. the women all wear black dresses. some are sitting at tables. some are standing. maria mitchell is near the middle of the picture beside a long telescope. behind is a building with window shades open

New children's book celebrates pioneering astronomer Maria Mitchell

By Elizabeth Howell published

Pioneering American astronomer Maria Mitchell is the star of a children's book using an ancient language she happened to know: Latin.

The luminous, hot star Wolf-Rayet 124 (WR 124), which lies about 15,000 light-years from Earth, is prominent at the center of this James Webb Space Telescope composite image, which combines near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths of light from Webb's Near-Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument. NASA released this image on March 14, 2023.

Exoplanets, dark matter and more: Big discoveries coming from James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers say

By Keith Cooper published

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has dazzled us plenty already, but the best is yet to come from the observatory, mission team members say.

A view of Jupiter's moon Europa captured by NASA's Juno mission during its Sept. 29, 2022, close flyby at the moon. The spacecraft was 945 miles (1,500 kilometers) above the moon's surface when the image was taken.

Jupiter moon Europa's buried ocean may alter rotation of its icy shell

By Andrew Jones published

The vast, swirling ocean within Jupiter's moon Europa may be affecting the rotation of its icy crust, scientists say.

an illustration of Earth beside a much larger blue-and-green planet

Here's the devastating impact a super-Earth would have on our solar system

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

A study simulated what would happen if a super-Earth orbited in the middle of our solar system, and the results are chaotic.

an illustration of a bright disk of material in space. the disk is white on its outer edges and yellow and red in its center

'Missing link' protostar may prove solar system's water is older than the sun

By Robert Lea published

A planet-forming disk around a distant star has revealed an abundance of water that may indicate the solar system's water is older than the sun.