The Solar System

1. The Sun

1998-01-01 · 10m

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

2. Mercury

1998-01-08 · 10m

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

3. Venus

1998-01-15 · 10m

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

4. Earth

1998-01-22 · 10m

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

5. Moon (aka Luna)

1998-01-29 · 10m

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

6. Mars

1998-02-05 · 10m

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. Jupiter

1998-02-12 · 10m

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. Saturn

1998-02-19 · 10m

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. Uranus and Neptune

1998-02-26 · 10m

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

10. Realm of the Comets

1998-03-05 · 10m

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. Earth Patrol

1998-03-12 · 10m

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. Space Frontier

1998-03-19 · 10m

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

13. High Life

1998-03-26 · 10m

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