Plot Synopsis

In this five-part documentary series, planetary scientists unveil new revelations with scientific imagery and animations while revealing why our cosmic neighborhood is so full of surprises. New discoveries are proving it -- our solar system is a weird place, filled with bizarre worlds shaped by extreme forces unimaginable here on Earth. NOVA: SOLAR SYSTEM debuted on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings) with a new episode debuting weekly on Wednesdays through October 30:

"Storm Worlds" (Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 9pm): 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.

"Strange Worlds" (Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 9pm): 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.

"Volcano Worlds" (Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 9pm): 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.

"Icy Worlds" (Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 9pm): 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.

"Wandering Worlds" (Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 9pm): 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.