How the Universe Works

Mark Seen

Big Bang Apr 26, 2010 The programme investigates how the Universe came into existence out of nothing, and how it grew from a minuscule point, smaller than an atomic particle, to the vast cosmos we see today.

Mark Seen

Black Holes May 3, 2010 Black Holes,the most powerful destroyers in the Universe, the most mysterious phenomena in the heavens. For years they were only speculation, now modern astronomy is proving them frighteningly real and showing that they may well shape everything we see.

Mark Seen

Galaxies May 11, 2010 The evolution of galaxies, from clouds of cold gas floating in space 13 billion years ago, to the vast gravitationally bound systems of today.

Mark Seen

Stars May 11, 2010 Examining the birth of stars, and how their creation changed the cosmos for ever, leading to planets and life itself.

Mark Seen

Extreme Planets May 18, 2010 There are just eight planets in our solar system, but there could be a hundred billion planets in our Milky Way galaxy alone. This show follows the journey of planets as they grow from grains of dust to the magnificently diverse worlds we see today.

Mark Seen

Supernovas May 18, 2010 Stars are not eternal; they are dying in unimaginably large explosions called supernovas. Second only to the Big Bang, these explosions are where creation and destruction meet. Only now have we begun to understand how these wonders in our sky work.

Mark Seen

Solar Systems May 25, 2010 Is our solar system unique? Since the first discovery of a planet orbiting another star, some 280 alien solar systems have been identified. It's only by looking at solar systems far beyond our own, that we can understand how remarkable our universe is.

Mark Seen

Volcanoes - The Furnaces of Life Jul 12, 2012 Are we alone in the Universe? What makes Earth so different? Part of the answer is our volcanoes. without them we would not be here either. Today we are discovering volcanoes on alien worlds. Are these worlds where, tomorrow, we might find life?

Mark Seen

Megastorms - The Winds of Creation Jul 19, 2012 Destructive weather forces are symptoms of Earth's creative energy. In our quest to discover if we are alone in the universe, we shouldn't just look for worlds, we should look for weather; find that megastorm, and maybe we will find alien life.

Mark Seen

Exoplanets - Planets from Hell Jul 26, 2012 We once thought that the only planets were in our solar system. We have found many other planets but they are nothing like we expected, from deep-frozen, toxic snowballs, to scorched and boiling nightmares. Is every planet out there a planet fom Hell?

Mark Seen

Megaflares - Cosmic Firestorms Aug 2, 2012 The Universe is a magnetic minefield. Spinning star systems crackle and explode, magnetic monsters rip worlds apart, star-quakes shoot beams of devastating energy, and galactic flamethrowers fire gamma-rays half way across the Universe. Will we find Earth in the firing line?

Mark Seen

Extreme Orbits - Clockwork and Creation Aug 9, 2012 We owe our existence to the stability of earth's orbit. But we are the freaks: everywhere else we look we find orbits are chaotic, unstable, and violent. Yet on the very largest scale, orbits are also a creative force, even constructing the fabric of the universe itself.

Mark Seen

Comets - Frozen Wanderers Aug 16, 2012 As time machines from the early universe, comets could hold the key to unlock the secrets of the cosmos, and may even be the origin of life itself. In this episode, we learn that comets are even more mysterious and fascinating than we had ever imagined.

Mark Seen

Asteroids - Worlds That Never Were Aug 23, 2012 Asteroids wiped out the dinosaurs and may be back for us but they also built the Earth and may have brought life to its barren surface. Asteroids will shape our future as much as our past and scientists are striving to unlock their secrets.

Mark Seen

Journey from the Center of the Sun Jul 10, 2014 How does light escape from the sun? We take a journey from the centre of the sun, following the path of light. We witness its fiery birth from in the core, its 430,000 mile battle against gravity and magnetism, and its escape from the solar surface.

Mark Seen

The End of the Universe Jul 17, 2014 How and when will the Universe end? Gravity and dark matter are poised to annihilate the Universe in a big crunch. Expansion and dark energy may tear it apart. Or, a phase transition could kill us tomorrow in a cosmic death bubble.

Mark Seen

Jupiter: Destroyer or Savior? Jul 24, 2014 Beneath Jupiter's clouds lie our solar system's deepest secrets: from its violent youth, through the birth of life to the death of the sun. Scientists are discovering that the solar system, the Earth and every living thing exists because of Jupiter.

Mark Seen

First Second of the Big Bang Jul 31, 2014 The first second of the Universe, the creation of everything when space, time, matter and energy burst into existence. It is the most important second in history, which seals the Universe’s fate and defines everything that comes after - including us.

Mark Seen

Is Saturn Alive? Aug 7, 2014 Saturn’s secrets are out. The ferocious weather, the evolving ring system and the discovery of active geology on Saturn’s moons has rewritten the textbooks. Scientists are looking for life on Saturn’s moons and they may have found it on Titan.

Mark Seen

Weapons of Mass Extinction Aug 14, 2014 Asteroids strike, planets collide, black holes blast out death rays, volcanoes erupt and ice engulfs the planet. These are the universe’s weapons of extinction. They’ve happened before - wiping out entire species, and they will happen again. Are we next?

Mark Seen

Did a Black Hole Build the Milky Way? Aug 21, 2014 What built the Milky Way? New research might now have the answer, revealing an unlikely hero. At the heart of our galaxy sits a super massive black hole, one of the most destructive objects in the Universe. Could it be our creator?

Mark Seen

How the Universe Built Your Car Jul 15, 2015 Beneath the hood of your car lies the history of the Universe. The iron in your chassis, the gold in your stereo and the copper in your electronics all owe their existence to violent cosmic events that took place billions of years ago.

Mark Seen

Earth, Venus's Evil Twin Jul 22, 2015 An examination of Venus; and what it may indicate about Earth's future.

Mark Seen

Monster Black Hole Jul 29, 2015 A look inside the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way to discover terrifying secrets about parallel universes, wormholes, and space-time.

Mark Seen

Edge of the Solar System Aug 5, 2015 Huge magnetic bubbles millions of miles wide; strange invisible matter, and a death star tearing through bands of icy comets, flinging them into violent orbits.

Mark Seen

Dawn Of Life Aug 12, 2015 Discovering how life on Earth came to be; the possibility that life on Earth come from another planet.

Mark Seen

Secret History of the Moon Aug 19, 2015 The incredible secrets of the moon are revealed; the moon might be responsible for life on Earth.

Mark Seen

The First Oceans Aug 26, 2015 For years, scientists suspected that the oceans came from molecules delivered to Earth from distant stars by asteroids, but a new discovery suggests that their true origins may be more exotic.

Mark Seen

Most Amazing Discoveries Nov 23, 2016 From the furthest reaches of space to our own cosmic backyard, we count down the discoveries that changed everything we know about our universe.

Mark Seen

Black Holes: The Secret Origin Dec 6, 2016 Recent discoveries could explain how supermassive black holes grow so big, one of the universe's most mysterious questions. Neither dark matter nor cannibalism can fully explain these monsters, but the latest science might finally provide an answer.

Mark Seen

Mystery of Planet 9 Nov 30, 2016 Scientists have discovered a mysterious ninth planet on the very edge of our solar system. Ten times the size of Earth, this strange world could have moons with extraterrestrial life.

Mark Seen

Black Holes: The Secret Origin Dec 7, 2016 Recent discoveries could explain how supermassive black holes grow so big, one of the universe's most mysterious questions. Neither dark matter nor cannibalism can fully explain these monsters, but the latest science might finally provide an answer.

Mark Seen

Secret History of Pluto Jan 4, 2017 The first close-up images of Pluto revealed unimaginable secrets of this mysterious frozen world. Now, scientists investigate if Pluto is home to a warm ocean of liquid water beneath its surface, and whether this underground ocean could harbor life.

Mark Seen

Stars That Kill Jan 11, 2017 The universe is home to real-life Death Stars that could destroy planet Earth. The latest science reveals the terrifying secrets of NASA's six deadliest: vampire stars, supernovas that can vaporize a planet, and unpredictable stars gone rogue.

Mark Seen

The Universe's Deadliest Jan 18, 2017 The universe is a dangerous place, and we explore the deadliest spots in the cosmos. Between earth and the edge of the universe, there are a million ways to die, and our crash test dummy is on a mission to reveal the worst.

Mark Seen

Are Black Holes Real? Jan 10, 2018 New discoveries are challenging everything we know about black holes, and astronomers are beginning to question if they even exist. The latest science tries to explain how they work and what they look like, despite the fact we've never actually seen one.

Mark Seen

Twin Suns: The Alien Mysteries Jan 17, 2018 Planets that orbit two suns instead of one might be deadly hell worlds, but new discoveries reveal that sci-fi star systems with binary stars might be optimal places for alien life.

Mark Seen

Dark History of the Solar System Jan 24, 2018 Our solar system hides a dark and violent past, and new discoveries reveal that Earth and the planets were formed from the destruction of strange alien worlds that came before us.

Mark Seen

Death of the Milky Way Jan 31, 2018 The Milky Way is dying, and using the latest science and discoveries, experts are investigating what's killing it.

Mark Seen

Uranus & Neptune: Rise of the Ice Giants Feb 7, 2018 Uranus and Neptune are mysterious, icy worlds at the edge of our solar system, and new discoveries reveal that these strange planets might have helped start life on Earth.

Mark Seen

Secret History of Mercury Feb 14, 2018 Mercury is a deadly world, facing attacks from the Sun, comets, and other planets, and even though it's the smallest planet in our solar system, it has a dangerous secret a dangerous secret that might one day threaten life on Earth.

Mark Seen

The Quasar Enigma Feb 21, 2018 Quasars are the brightest and most powerful objects in our universe, and though they have shaped the cosmos, they might ultimately destroy everything that exists.