Episode
NOVA: Solar System: Wandering Worlds
Overview
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.
Details
- Series
- NOVA
- Season
- Season 51
- Episode
- Episode 13
- Air date
- 2024-10-30
- Runtime
- 54 min
Episode context
Solar System: Wandering Worlds is Episode 13 in Season 51 of NOVA. It aired on 2024-10-30. The runtime is 54 min.
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Episode 12: Solar System: Icy Worlds
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.
Episode 14: Decoding the Universe: Quantum
When we look at the world at the tiniest scales in the subatomic realm, things get weird – very weird. Welcome to the quantum universe, where particles can spin in two directions at once, observing something changes it, and something on one side of the galaxy can instantly affect something on the other, as if the space between them didn’t exist. Buckle up for a wild ride through the discoveries that proved all of this to be true and paved the way for the digital technologies we enjoy today – and the powerful quantum sensors and computers of tomorrow.
More episodes from this season
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Episode 15: Building Stuff: Boost It!
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Episode 10: Solar System: Strange Worlds
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Episode 16: Building Stuff: Reach It!
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Episode 17: Building Stuff: Change It!
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Episode 8: Decoding the Universe: Cosmos
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Episode 18: Lost Tombs of Notre Dame
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Episode 7: Secrets in Your Data
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Episode 6: Great American Eclipse
Explore the spectacular cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. In April 2024, the Moon's shadow is sweeping from Texas to Maine, as the U.S. witnesses its last total eclipse until 2044, and scientists scramble to unlock the secrets of our Sun.