TVDB

The Solar System

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Episodes

The Sun

1 - The Sun

Birth, life and death of the Sun. Interior dynamics, exterior fireworks. Sunspots, corona, solar wind - all about our local star.

Mercury

2 - Mercury

The most comprehensive portrait ever of this scorched little planet. Takes a look at double sunrises, craters, cracks and, incongruously, maybe polar ice.

Venus

3 - Venus

Looking at the planetary hell beneath the clouds, the poisonous, crushing atmosphere, seating heats, volcanoes and a runaway greenhouse effect.

Earth

4 - Earth

The evolution of the earth and of life, its internal structure, continental drift, day length, seasons, oceans, climate, weather and El Nino.

Moon (aka Luna)

5 - Moon (aka Luna)

The story of the Moon and its birth from collisions, its influence on Earth, Apollo landings and the recent discovery of water.

Mars

6 - Mars

Could cold arid Mars be the next place we land? Looking at polar caps, volcanoes, the biggest canyon ever seen and the possibility that Mars once had oceans.

Jupiter

7 - Jupiter

Bigger than the other planets combined, Jupiter is a turbulent gas giant with 16 moons. We take a voyage through this mini Solar System.

Saturn

8 - Saturn

Exploring the many rings and moons of this exotic gas cloud and a preview of a landing on Titan, a moon like primitive Earth.

Uranus and Neptune

9 - Uranus and Neptune

The outer giants. Uranus has a crazy tilt and a chaotic moon called Miranda and Neptune with tempests and a moon spurting geysers.

Realm of the Comets

10 - Realm of the Comets

Looking at comets and where they originate, the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt and the possibility that Pluto isn't a planet at all (recently declassified).

Earth Patrol

11 - Earth Patrol

Launched into Earth orbit, these are the satellites that monitor the health of our planet. Looking at the ozone, the melting ice-caps, weather, deforestation and navigation.

Space Frontier

12 - Space Frontier

Human space exploration, from Yuri Gagarin's first orbit of space to the race for the Moon and the Apollo landings.

High Life

13 - High Life

Living and working in space, triumphs, tragedies and everyday practicalities on the Russian space-station Mir and America's Space Shuttle.