Buzz
Space is so unimaginably vast that it's easy to think of our solar system as something as familiar as our backyard: ordinary, close by, and lacking in many of the rarer cosmic wonders like black holes.
Yet the reality is much stranger. There are numerous unusual occurrences within the Sun's orbit that remain a mystery to astronomers. Here are 10 of the most puzzling unexplained phenomena in our solar system.
10. Jupiter's Storms Resemble Beehives
Cyclones are found on nearly every planet with an atmosphere and moisture beneath the clouds, including our very own Earth. These storms go by many names, depending on where you live—you might know them as “hurricanes” or “typhoons.” On Earth, cyclones typically have a rounded shape with a distinct central “eye.”
However, this isn’t the case for the storms on certain gas giants. A peculiar discovery was made about the cyclones on Jupiter: These storms often form hexagonal shapes, creating a honeycomb-like pattern around both of the planet’s poles.
Jupiter is not the only gas giant where storms appear to adopt a six-sided, angular formation. In 1988, scientists found a massive hexagonal cyclone on one of Saturn’s poles.
The honeycomb-like pattern on Jupiter is quite unique. Various theories have been put forward to explain these strangely angular storms, but they remain largely a mystery.
9. Saturn’s Moon Iapetus Has A Walnut-Like Shape
Imagine if Earth’s tallest mountain peaks weren’t spread across different regions, but instead formed one vast, continuous chain stretching along the equator. This is exactly what we see on Iapetus. The immense mountain ridge here reaches a peak altitude of 20 kilometers (12 miles), more than twice the height of Mount Everest. This chain of mountains contributes to the moon’s distinctive and puzzling “walnut” shape.
Scientists are still unsure why this ridge exists. One theory suggests it could be the remnants of a ring, similar to Saturn’s, that eventually collapsed onto the surface. Another possibility is that it’s made of debris from a lost moon.
What is certain, however, is that combined with Iapetus’s unusual half-dark, half-light surface (which itself was a mystery until recently), this moon stands out as one of the most perplexing objects in the solar system.
8. The ‘Frankenstein’ Moon Known as Miranda
Among the most peculiar moons in the solar system is the oddly shaped Miranda, which orbits Uranus. The moon’s surface is uneven, covered in craters and deep canyons, giving it the appearance of a “patchwork” moon.
Several theories try to explain why Miranda resembles something that a mad scientist might have pieced together in haste. One possibility is that Miranda endured a series of catastrophic impacts, leaving permanent scars. Since Uranus likely faced several collisions, resulting in its tilted orbit, this theory seems plausible.
Another theory is that Miranda’s unusual bumpy surface is the result of volcanic activity triggered by the gravitational pull of Uranus, turning what would have been a smooth moon into its current form.
7. Neptune Emits More Heat Than It Absorbs
When a planet is positioned far from the Sun, you’d expect it to be a frozen wasteland. Take Pluto, for example: The warmest spot on Pluto is about -223 degrees Celsius (-369 °F), and scientists believe the dwarf planet once had rivers of liquid nitrogen flowing across its surface.
Neptune holds the title of being the farthest planet from the Sun. While it’s certainly not a tropical haven—surface temperatures rarely exceed -200 degrees Celsius (-328 °F)—astronomers believe Neptune isn’t as cold as it should be. This is because Neptune emits more than twice the energy it receives from the Sun.
The reason for this remains unclear. One of the more intriguing theories suggests it might be due to diamond rains. According to this hypothesis, Neptune’s high atmospheric pressure compresses methane into diamonds, which then fall, generating heat through friction as they descend in the dense atmosphere. This could explain why Neptune radiates more energy than expected.
6. Pluto Appears to Have an Endless Supply of Nitrogen
Pluto is so tiny that it struggles to maintain the gravity needed to retain its atmosphere. Consequently, Pluto is continuously shedding hundreds of tons of its primarily nitrogen atmosphere as it orbits the Sun.
Given this, you may wonder why Pluto hasn’t completely run out of nitrogen. Scientists are curious about this too. Their leading theory is that some hidden geological process is replenishing the nitrogen, though the exact nature of this process remains elusive.
5. There Could Be A Ninth Planet On The Outer Edge Of The Solar System
If certain astronomers are correct, there could be a ninth planet in our solar system. Unfortunately, it’s not Pluto. These astronomers have detected unusual gravitational patterns in objects within the Kuiper Belt (a vast asteroid field beyond Neptune’s orbit). These gravitational anomalies may be explained by the presence of a large, unseen planet.
For now, it’s been dubbed “Planet Nine.” Proving its existence will be challenging because it would reside in the outer reaches of the solar system, making it difficult for even the most advanced telescopes to spot. If it does exist, astronomers estimate it would be an icy planet roughly three times the size of Earth.
4. Methane Found on Mars
While methane has been detected on many planets, astronomers still get excited whenever it’s discovered. This is because methane is often a byproduct of life. (For instance, methane is a key component of cow farts.) However, methane can also form through nonbiological processes, so its presence doesn’t necessarily indicate life.
Mars doesn’t have methane in the same quantities as Earth, but the small traces found there are intriguing due to their frequent fluctuations. Even more curious is the fact that these variations appear to follow the seasonal cycles on the planet.
There are several hypotheses regarding the cause of these methane changes. One possibility is that the methane is absorbed by Martian rocks and then released depending on the time of year. However, the more captivating theory suggests that life, likely bacteria beneath the surface, could be the driving force behind these fluctuations.
3. The Enigmatic Ashen Light of Venus
The Ashen Light of Venus, first spotted in 1643, is a mysterious phenomenon that illuminates the planet’s dark side, making it visible to those observing through telescopes. However, unlike the other phenomena on this list, the very existence of the Ashen Light remains a topic of scientific debate.
This phenomenon has been likened to 'earthshine,' a phenomenon where sunlight reflected off the Earth illuminates the dark side of the Moon. This explanation works for moons like ours, as they are close enough to a large planet, allowing sunlight to reach them through indirect paths via the planet they orbit.
Yet, this explanation doesn’t apply to Venus, as it lacks any significant orbiting body nearby. Astronomers have attempted to capture images of the Ashen Light, but it remains so rare and unpredictable that every attempt to photograph it has been unsuccessful.
Many have abandoned the search for evidence of this phenomenon. However, numerous reports of the Ashen Light persist—from modern stargazers to 17th-century astronomer Giovanni Battista Riccioli. The elusive glow has become so enigmatic that it's often referred to as the 'Loch Ness of Venus.'
2. Our Solar System Might Be Stranger Than Most Star Systems
Our solar system might be an outlier in the cosmic sense. Unlike other star systems where planets of similar sizes are evenly spaced, our solar system lacks this uniformity in planetary sizes and distances.
Take the comparison between our largest and smallest planets: Jupiter's diameter is over 28 times that of Mercury. In terms of volume, you could fit more than 24,000 Mercurys inside Jupiter.
Moreover, the distances between planets in our system don’t align with the uniformity seen in other star systems. Astronomers are uncertain about why our solar system behaves so differently, with some speculating that the powerful gravitational forces of Jupiter and Saturn could play a role.
1. The Sun’s Upper Atmosphere Is Far Hotter Than Its Surface
The surface of the Sun, which is the part that’s visible to the naked eye and can cause blindness when stared at directly, is incredibly hot, sitting at about 5,500 degrees Celsius (9,900 °F). However, the Sun’s atmosphere above the surface, known as the corona, reaches a scorching temperature that’s several times hotter—ranging from 1 to 10 million degrees Celsius (1.7 to 17 million °F).
The Sun’s corona is nearly invisible except during a solar eclipse. So why does it burn much hotter than the Sun’s bright surface?
Scientists are still uncertain. One possible explanation is that it’s due to millions of tiny solar flares occurring every second on the Sun’s surface, transferring energy from the surface to the corona above.
