What did we learn about the Solar System in 2023?

From shrinking planets and new moons to an icy supervolcano and mysterious spots, here are the 10 wildest things we learned about the solar system in 2023. "Wrinkles" on Mercury's surface suggest it has been shrinking for most of its lifetime.

Did astronomers discover a rare in-sync Solar System?

Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand cosmic orchestra, untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago. The find, announced Wednesday, can help explain how solar systems across the Milky Way galaxy came to be.

How many exoplanets were discovered in 2022?

In March 2022, NASA passed 5,000 confirmed exoplanets. Tis data sonification allows us to hear the pace of the discovery of those worlds. In this animation, exoplanets are represented by musical notes played across decades of discovery.

Are there moons in 2021 & 2022?

The moons were discovered in 2021 and 2022 but were just confirmed this year by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. This year, NASA's Juno spacecraft also discovered organic compounds on the surface of Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede.

Why are we building a more accurate picture of our Solar System?

As new data cascades in, we are building an ever more accurate picture of our solar system. Rovers on Mars are exploring ancient lake beds, two new missions to Jupiter’s ice moons aim to probe their oceans for life, and the New Horizons spacecraft has forced us to contemplate biology beneath the frigid nitrogen glaciers of Pluto.