How the Universe Works

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Season 115 of 5 Episodes
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Record to Watch Later

26 episodes will be broadcast over the next two weeks

    NASA's Journey to Mars
    Earth's Death Orbit
    Edge of the Universe
    Hunt for Alien Evidence
    Nightmares of Neutron Stars
    When Supernovas Strike
    Battle of the Dark Universe
    Hunt for Alien Life
    Did the Big Bang Really Happen?
    Cassini's Final Secrets
  • NASA's Journey to Mars

    NASA plans to send humans to Mars within just 15 years, but to reach this next frontier of space exploration, experts must discover new technology and cutting-edge science that protects astronauts from the Red Planet's deadliest killers.
    Upcoming
  • Earth's Death Orbit

    Earth's journey through the universe is a perilous one; new discoveries reveal that the planet is heading toward a mysterious area of the cosmos.
    Upcoming
  • Edge of the Universe

    We don't yet know where the edge of the universe is or what happens there; but thanks to cutting-edge technology and new discoveries, experts might finally reveal the secrets of the phenomena.
    Upcoming
  • Hunt for Alien Evidence

    The discovery of extraterrestrial life might face an impossible challenge: the physics of the universe itself; using cutting-edge tech, experts might be on the verge of a groundbreaking find, and the evidence could already be in hand.
    Upcoming
  • Nightmares of Neutron Stars

    Neutron stars are strange and violent phenomena that defy the laws of physics, and new discoveries reveal that these bizarre nightmares are far more deadly than previously believed, with the power to destroy planets and even other stars.
    Upcoming
  • When Supernovas Strike

    Supernovas are the violent death of giant stars, and new discoveries reveal that these cataclysmic events create the elements that are essential to all life in the universe.
    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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