Curiosities
6 incredible discoveries about our Solar System made in 2023
Advertisement
1. **Jupiter's New Moon:** Astronomers have discovered a new moon orbiting Jupiter. This moon, provisionally named “Jupiter LXXI,” was detected through advanced telescopic observations and analysis of data from space probes.
2. **Oceans on icy moons:** New evidence suggests the presence of liquid oceans beneath the surface of several icy moons in the Solar System, including Europa (Jupiter's moon), Enceladus (Saturn's moon) and Titan (another moon of Saturn). These oceans raise the potential for the existence of extraterrestrial microbial life.
3. **Volcanic activity on Venus:** Detailed observations of the surface of Venus have revealed evidence of recent volcanic activity. This challenges the previous view that Venus was geologically inactive and raises questions about its past and its potential for future volcanic activity.
4. **Origin of Saturn's Ring:** Further study of the origin of Saturn's ring system suggests that they may have formed much more recently than previously thought. Computer models indicate that the rings could have originated from the breakup of a large moon.
5. **Mars' Magnetosphere:** New measurements taken by space missions in orbit around Mars have revealed surprising details about the Red Planet's magnetosphere. These findings help to better understand how Mars' atmosphere interacts with the solar wind and could have implications for future manned missions.
6. **Interstellar Comets:** For the first time, the presence of an interstellar comet visiting our Solar System has been confirmed. Detailed observations have revealed that this comet, named “C/2023 S1 (Leonov)”, came from outside our Solar System and is on a highly inclined trajectory with respect to the plane of the planets.