To celebrate the 30th anniversary of its launch, this film tells the remarkable story of how the Hubble Space Telescope revealed the awe and wonder of our universe and how a team of daring astronauts risked their lives to keep it working. Additionally, a team led by Greg Bacon and Dr Frank Summers has transformed many of Hubble's most awe-inspiring images into visualisations - from the spectacular Orion Nebula to the fabulous Whirlpool Galaxy and ethereal Horsehead Nebula. One of the most mind-blowing of the visualizations takes the viewer on a remarkable journey, flying across the Universe to witness almost 13 billion years of cosmic evolution. It's called the 'Hubble Ultra Deep Field' and was created when Hubble stared at a small patch of sky for the equivalent of more than 11 days to see some of the most distant galaxies ever observed.
The second episode takes a look at how humans have always been voyagers and explorers, leaving the comfort of native shores to explore. Neil DeGrasse Tyson will show us a long-term vision of humanity's future worlds.
Millions of tourists photograph the ancient monuments of Rome every year. But is there more to them than people guess? There's new evidence that these ruins were once machines, designed by Rome's emperors to connect their power with the sun. Did Roman emperors harness the power of the universe to awe and terrify the people of Rome? We uncover the last, great mysteries of the ancient world's greatest empire.
We are the generation of human beings that are going to know whether or not we're alone in the universe. This episode explores the search of exoplanets, from ancient Greek philosophers to the discoveries made possible with the Kepler Telescope. Unbelievable new worlds, planets made of diamond, planets of raining glass, worlds in collision, some plunging into stars, and others that just might harbor life. Thanks to today's planet hunters, our views of the universe and of our place in it are undergoing one of the greatest revolutions in scientific history.
The end is coming. But which cosmic catastrophe will deliver the death blow? Were the Vikings right to fear the frozen apocalypse of an endless winter? Did the Buddhists correctly predict a fiery end to life on Earth? Or will the thunderous Christian vision of Armageddon come crashing down from the stars? Which ancient prophesy do scientists believe accurately foretells our doom? And how close are we to the end of the world? This film explores all the possibilities Apocalyptic Visions to the Future.
The film examines strange shapes of the universe, such as the 'Eye of God', the hexagon on Saturn, and the 'face' on Mars. One of Saturn's moons is a Star Wars lookalike. Could the strange patterns of the universe now solve mysteries that have haunted mankind since ancient times?
Additionally, a team led by Greg Bacon and Dr Frank Summers has transformed many of Hubble's most awe-inspiring images into visualisations - from the spectacular Orion Nebula to the fabulous Whirlpool Galaxy and ethereal Horsehead Nebula. One of the most mind-blowing of the visualizations takes the viewer on a remarkable journey, flying across the Universe to witness almost 13 billion years of cosmic evolution. It's called the 'Hubble Ultra Deep Field' and was created when Hubble stared at a small patch of sky for the equivalent of more than 11 days to see some of the most distant galaxies ever observed.