Solar System

Our solar system holds countless mysteries about the formation and migration both of large planets and of smaller bodies, such as asteroids and comets. By tackling fundamental questions about our celestial neighborhood, we can better understand how planetary systems evolve over billions of years. How did planets originally form, and have they changed over time? What makes our solar system unique compared to other exoplanetary systems? And using this information, how can we protect Earth from extraterrestrial threats?

UMD astronomers employ both ground-based and space telescopes to study numerous phenomena, such as outgassing and its role in the creation of cometary jets and planetary atmospheres. Through simulations, they investigate changes in the orbit and composition of planets and small bodies to trace back their origins, mapping out the complex history of our solar system. As a key contributor to major NASA missions including Deep Impact, Rosetta, Dawn, NEOWISE, NEO Surveyor, Lunar-VISE, and Lucy, UMD leads the way in understanding small bodies, impact dynamics, and lunar water. With missions such as Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), UMD is also at the forefront of detecting and defending against asteroids that could hit Earth.