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How the Universe Works

9/10

Documentary Rated: 7+ (TV-PG)2010 - Present7 SeasonsReturns: Jan. 23, 2019On: Prime Video Science Tags: Space

A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.How the Universe Works featuring Mike Rowe has one or more episodes streaming with subscription on Prime Video, streaming via tv everywhere with Science GO, available for purchase on Google Play, and 2 others. It's a documentary show with 56 episodes over 7 seasons. How the Universe Works has a new episode airing on January 22nd, 2019 (PST). It has a high IMDb audience rating of 9.0 (4,466 votes).

Where to Watch How the Universe Works

Cast & Crew

Mike Rowe

Himself - Narrator

All Seasons of How the Universe Works

Season 1

8 Episodes | Prime Video, Science, & Rent or Buy

Season 2

8 Episodes | Prime Video, Science, & Rent or Buy

Season 3

9 Episodes | Science & Rent or Buy

Season 4

8 Episodes | Science & Rent or Buy

Season 5

11 Episodes | Science & Rent or Buy

Season 6

10 Episodes | Science & Rent or Buy

Season 7

2 Episodes | Science & Rent or Buy

Reelgood Watch Guide

Streamability Score

The Streamability Score factors in where something can be watched at a given moment and weighs it against the popularity and cost of the available streaming services. The higher the score, the easier it is to stream for the largest number of people.

16 episodes (29%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video).

43 episodes (77%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (Science).

55 episodes (98%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play, Prime Video & 2 others).

Not available to watch free online.

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56 Total Episodes of How the Universe Works Where to stream every episode from all 7 seasons of How the Universe Works. Filter these episodes by what's available to watch free or on your streaming services using the tabs above.

Season 1

Prime Video | Science | Rent or Buy

S01 E01

Apr 26, 2010

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.

S01 E02

May 3, 2010

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.

S01 E03

May 11, 2010

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.

S01 E04

May 11, 2010

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

S01 E05

May 18, 2010

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.

S01 E06

May 18, 2010

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.

S01 E07

May 25, 2010

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.

Season 2

Prime Video | Science | Rent or Buy

Season 02, Episode 01 Volcanoes - The Furnaces of Life

S02 E01

Jul 12, 2012

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?

Season 02, Episode 02 Megastorms - The Winds of Creation

S02 E02

Jul 19, 2012

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.

Season 02, Episode 03 Exoplanets - Planets from Hell

S02 E03

Jul 26, 2012

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?

Season 02, Episode 04 Megaflares - Cosmic Firestorms

S02 E04

Aug 2, 2012

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?

Season 02, Episode 05 Extreme Orbits - Clockwork and Creation

S02 E05

Aug 9, 2012

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.

Season 02, Episode 06 Comets - Frozen Wanderers

S02 E06

Aug 16, 2012

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.

Season 02, Episode 07 Asteroids - Worlds That Never Were

S02 E07

Aug 23, 2012

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.

Season 3

Science | Rent or Buy

Season 03, Episode 01 Journey from the Center of the Sun

S03 E01

Jul 10, 2014

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.

Season 03, Episode 02 The End of the Universe

S03 E02

Jul 17, 2014

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.

Season 03, Episode 03 Jupiter: Destroyer or Savior?

S03 E03

Jul 24, 2014

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.

Season 03, Episode 04 First Second of the Big Bang

S03 E04

Jul 31, 2014

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.

S03 E05

Aug 7, 2014

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.

Season 03, Episode 06 Weapons of Mass Extinction

S03 E06

Aug 14, 2014

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?

Season 03, Episode 07 Did a Black Hole Build the Milky Way?

S03 E07

Aug 21, 2014

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?

Season 4

Science | Rent or Buy

Season 04, Episode 01 How the Universe Built Your Car

S04 E01

Jul 15, 2015

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.

Season 04, Episode 02 Earth, Venus's Evil Twin

S04 E02

Jul 22, 2015

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

Season 04, Episode 03 Monster Black Hole

S04 E03

Jul 29, 2015

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.

Season 04, Episode 04 Edge of the Solar System

S04 E04

Aug 5, 2015

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.

S04 E05

Aug 12, 2015

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

Season 04, Episode 06 Secret History of the Moon

S04 E06

Aug 19, 2015

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.

S04 E07

Aug 26, 2015

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.

Season 5

Science | Rent or Buy

Season 05, Episode 01 Most Amazing Discoveries

S05 E01

Nov 23, 2016

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.

Season 05, Episode 02 Mystery of Planet 9

S05 E02

Nov 30, 2016

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.

Season 05, Episode 02 Black Holes: The Secret Origin

S05 E02

Dec 6, 2016

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.

Season 05, Episode 03 Black Holes: The Secret Origin

S05 E03

Dec 7, 2016

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.

Season 05, Episode 04 Secret History of Pluto

S05 E04

Jan 4, 2017

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.

S05 E05

Jan 11, 2017

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.

Season 05, Episode 06 The Universe's Deadliest

S05 E06

Jan 18, 2017

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.

Season 6

Science | Rent or Buy

Season 06, Episode 01 Are Black Holes Real?

S06 E01

Jan 10, 2018

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.

Season 06, Episode 02 Twin Suns: The Alien Mysteries

S06 E02

Jan 17, 2018

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.

Season 06, Episode 03 Dark History of the Solar System

S06 E03

Jan 24, 2018

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.

Season 06, Episode 04 Death of the Milky Way

S06 E04

Jan 31, 2018

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.

Season 06, Episode 05 Uranus & Neptune: Rise of the Ice Giants

S06 E05

Feb 7, 2018

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.

Season 06, Episode 06 Secret History of Mercury

S06 E06

Feb 14, 2018

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.

S06 E07

Feb 21, 2018

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.

Season 7

Science | Rent or Buy

Season 07, Episode 01 Nightmares of Neutron Stars

S07 E01

Jan 9, 2019

Nightmares of Neutron Stars Jan 9, 2019 Neutron stars are strange and violent phenomena that defy the laws of physics, and new discoveries reveal that these bizarre nightmares are far more deadly than we ever thought, with the power to destroy planets and even other stars.

Season 07, Episode 02 When Supernovas Strike

S07 E02

Jan 16, 2019

When Supernovas Strike Jan 16, 2019 Supernovas are the violent death of giant stars, and new discoveries reveal that these cataclysmic events create the elements that are essential to all life in the universe.