Learn & Explore

Simulating Solar System Formation

Simulations reveal that our planetary system had a violent past, when giant planets changed their orbits.

Our spacecraft have visited rocky asteroids and icy comets to collect invaluable data about the origin of the Solar System. And the orbits of Kuiper Belt Objects—tiny worlds far from the Sun—reveal that our planetary system had a terrifically violent past, when giant planets changed their orbits, wreaking gravitational havoc. Visualizations from the Academy’s award-winning planetarium show Incoming! tell the story of this ancient interplanetary transformation.