The Complete Cosmos

The Solar System

1998 · 13 episodes · 2h 10m in all

Episodes

1. 1

   1. The Sun

   1 Jan 1998 · 10 min

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

2. 2

   2. Mercury

   8 Jan 1998 · 10 min

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

3. 3

   3. Venus

   15 Jan 1998 · 10 min

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

4. 4

   4. Earth

   22 Jan 1998 · 10 min

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

5. 5

   5. Moon (aka Luna)

   29 Jan 1998 · 10 min

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

6. 6

   6. Mars

   5 Feb 1998 · 10 min

   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.

7. 7

   7. Jupiter

   12 Feb 1998 · 10 min

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

8. 8

   8. Saturn

   19 Feb 1998 · 10 min

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

9. 9

   9. Uranus and Neptune

   26 Feb 1998 · 10 min

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

10. 10

    10. Realm of the Comets

    5 Mar 1998 · 10 min

    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).

11. 11

    11. Earth Patrol

    12 Mar 1998 · 10 min

    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.

12. 12

    12. Space Frontier

    19 Mar 1998 · 10 min

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

13. 13

    13. High Life

    26 Mar 1998 · 10 min

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