Deep space. High drama. Take a front row seat for the greatest show in the universe.
From the makers of The Planets comes Universe with Brian Cox.
Humans have long gazed up at the night sky, wondering whether other lifeforms and intelligences could be thriving on worlds far beyond our own.
Answering that question seemed fated to remain pure speculation. But over the last few decades, ultra-sensitive telescopes and dogged detective work have transformed alien planet-hunting from science fiction into hard fact. Gone are the days of speculation, the hunt for E.T. has become a matter of serious scientific inquiry.
As the hunt for alien worlds began, we expected to find worlds similar to the planets in our own solar system, but instead we discovered a riot of exotic worlds. Vivid animation based on data from the most successful planet hunter of them all, the Kepler space telescope, brings these worlds into view.
But perhaps the most startling discovery was the number of worlds that may be contenders for a second Earth. Our latest survey of the galaxy estimates that there are billions of rocky planets at the right distance from their sun to have that ingredient so crucial for life as we know it, liquid water.
With over 2,800 exoplanets confirmed by Kepler and discoveries still rolling in, Brian lays out his own answer to the age-old question with thrilling new science: Are we alone?
Production credits: BBC Studios Production with NOVA and GBH Boston for BBC, PBS, Xigua Video and Bytedance and China Media Group CCTV9. Executive Producers Andrew Cohen (Wonders of the Solar System), Gideon Bradshaw (Human Universe, Inside the Human Body.)
I absolutely enjoy this series. It is inspiring, challenging, and greatly informative. One reviewer said it was “too slow”. I disagree. Each episode has sat with me for the rest of the week, with quite a lot to ponder and take in. In short, I think the series is excellent.