How the Universe Works

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.

Cosmic rays capable of destroying human DNA are hurtling through outer space like subatomic bullets, and in order to protect space crews from radiation damage, physicists are attempting to determine where these deadly particles originate in the universe.

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, and how chaos and catastrophe may be vital ingredients for a living planet.

The two Voyager spacecraft have travelled farther than any human-made object in history, and as they reach interstellar space, experts explore their most astonishing discoveries and how their extended operation has transformed into the ultimate mission.

Dark Matter is thought to be the cosmic glue that holds the universe together, yet the search for it continues to eluded scientists today; now, physicists have developed dozens of theories to determine if this mysterious substance could actually exist.

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 there ever, life on the Red Planet.

Determining the age of the universe continues to be an elusive endeavor for scientists as their results are conflicting, and without a definitive answer, everything that's known about the cosmos, from the big bang to gravity, could be completely wrong.

The collision of two supermassive black holes is the most violent event that can occur in the universe, and now, experts explore where a black hole's energy originates and what really happens when the two most powerful objects in the cosmos clash.

The year is 2029. An asteroid the size of a city block hurtles towards the US at 40,000 mph that will reduce New York to ashes. Now, experts confront the story of this fictional asteroid event to determine what could happen, and how it might be stopped.

New discoveries have rewritten the history of our solar system, revealing a complex and violent story that begins with the birth of our Sun from the debris of a massive galactic collision, to its eventual fate as a lone zombie star.

With more than 80 moons, Saturn could be the most dynamic planetary system in our cosmic neighborhood, and with giant underground oceans and protective magnetic fields, experts explore how these satellites could rewrite the rules of the Solar System.