How the Universe Works

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  • With more than 80 moons, Saturn could rank among the most dynamic planetary system in Sol's neighborhood; with its giant underground oceans and protective magnetic fields, experts explore how Saturn's moons offer new insight into the Solar System.
  • Mars is infested with robots, orbiting the planet and roaming the Martian surface on a mission to uncover its secrets; now, Perseverance joins this dedicated group of machines to uncover if there is, or was ever, life on the Red Planet.
  • The collision of two supermassive black holes is the most violent event that can occur in the universe; experts explore where a black hole's energy originates and what really happens when the two most powerful objects in the cosmos clash.
  • In a fictional scenario set in 2029, an asteroid hurtling towards Earth at 40,000 mph will reduce New York to ashes; examining the hypothetical, experts weigh in to determine what could happen, and how it might be stopped.
  • Exploring new discoveries that rewrite the history of the solar system, revealing a complex and violent story that begins with the birth of the sun from the debris of a massive galactic collision to its eventual fate as a lone zombie star.

Record to Watch Later

31 episodes will be broadcast over the next two weeks

    Secrets of the Cosmic Web
    Curse of the Cosmic Rays
    Twin Suns: The Alien Mysteries
    Dark History of Earth
    Voyager's Ultimate Mission
    Uranus & Neptune: Rise of the Ice Giants
    The Moons of Saturn
    Hunt for Dark Matter
    Hunt for the Universe's Origin
    A Robot's Guide to Mars
  • Secrets of the Cosmic Web

    New astronomical research is beginning to reveal an invisible scaffold of dark matter known as the Cosmic Web, an intergalactic network that transformed the universe from a chaotic Big Bang into the structured beauty of the present day cosmos.
    Upcoming
  • Curse of the Cosmic Rays

    Cosmic rays capable of destroying human DNA are hurtling through outer space like subatomic bullets, causing space crews radiation damage.
    Upcoming
  • Twin Suns: The Alien Mysteries

    Star systems with binary stars, once relegated to science-fiction, may actually exist and serve as ideal places for alien life to thrive.
    Upcoming
  • Dark History of Earth

    Earth's history is marked by one cosmic disaster after another, forging the path of human evolution; now, experts explore how the Earth has teetered on the verge of destruction.
    Upcoming
  • Voyager's Ultimate Mission

    As the two Voyager spacecraft reach interstellar space, experts explore their astonishing discoveries and how their extended operation has transformed into the ultimate mission.
    Upcoming
  • Uranus & Neptune: Rise of the Ice Giants

    Uranus and Neptune are mysterious, icy worlds at the edge of the solar system; new discoveries reveal that these strange planets may have helped start life on Earth.
    Upcoming
How the Universe Works

More about How the Universe Works

"How the Universe Works" is the ultimate cosmos operator's manual, a revealing look at the inner workings of outer space. Computer imagery allows viewers to explore black holes, supernovas, neutron stars, dark energy, and all of the other forces that produce what exists and what people see.

Starring

Erik Dellums, Phil Plait, Michelle Thaller, Richard Lintern, Mike Rowe

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