Cosmic Vistas

This Episode Traces Our View Of The Milky Way From The Mythology Of Ancient Skywatchers To The Efforts Of Scientists To Map It From The Inside Out

This Episode Explores The Science Behind The Birth Of The Universe Throughout History Our Nightly View Of The Universe Has Fueled Our Collective Imagination Helping Give Birth To Great Art And Deep Insights But When It Comes To The Birth Of The Universe Not Even The Most Creative Work Of Imagination Can Rival What Science Has Revealed About The Big Bang

This Episode Takes A Close Look At Mercurys Moment In The Sun Mercury Is One Of The Nearest Planets To Earth But For Centuries It Eluded Astronomers Best Efforts To Learn Its Secrets That Has Changed Thanks To Missions Like Mariner And Most Recently Messenger

This Episode Takes A Close Look At How Cosmic Rays Are Produced And What They Can Tell Us About The Universe Cosmic Rays Are Not Simply Another Form Of Light Ndash They Carry Information About Powerful And Unseen Processes At Work Thousands Or Even Millions Of Lightyears Away

The Fermi Paradox Asks The Ultimate Question Given A Few Reasonable Assumptions About The Chance Of Life Arising Elsewhere In The Universe And The Distance Between The Stars Why Has Another Civilization Not Presented Itself

Take A Look At Landsat 8 The Advanced Planetary Explorer With A 900 Million Price Tag It Is Designed To Peer Across Multiple Wavelengths To Reveal Complex And Everchanging Details Undetectable By The Human Eye