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The Universe
The Complete Season One
The
amazing first season of this inspirational astronomy documentary by the
History Channel has arrived on DVD thanks to Roadshow which collects all
the episodes of the season into one impressive boxed product. Best of all, the series
is quite down to Earth (pun intended) and the explanations are in
laymen terms, ensuring that the common user will be able to easily
understand this documentary series. Interesting, enlightening and
entertaining are probably the best three words that sums up this series.
Episode Listing
Secrets of the Sun
Mars
The End of the Earth: Deep Space Threats to Our Planet
Jupiter
The Moon
Spaceship Earth
Inner Planets: Mercury & Venus
Saturn: Lord of the Rings
Alien Galaxies
Life and Death of a Star
The Outer Planets
The Most Dangerous Place in the Universe
Search for ET
Beyond the Big Bang
As you can see from the episode listing, the episodes are quite diverse
and for those with Foxtel in Australia, The Universe has moved
onto Season Two that goes beyond the physical to the almost metaphysical
with parallel universes and the like.
At it’s heart,
The Universe takes the viewer on an informative journey of
what lies beyond our little blue planet from our neighboring planets, to
our sun and even beyond our galaxy. Through expert interviews and some
wonderfully impressive computer generated sequences, The Universe is
reminiscent of the classic astronomy series called Cosmos, by the
late and great Carl Sagan.
From
actual photos and various re-enactments, the topics in The Universe are
very well presented and written and I found all the episodes extremely
interesting and not boring at all. Even my partner who loathes
documentaries found The Universe a truly riveting and informative
experience.
There
are even some comical aspect to the series, however at the end of the
day, you will be given all the current information about universe from
the creation of the universe, the death of our sun and even alien life
plus more. 14 episodes are featured in this collection. The high definition video only compliments the series and
really draws you into to our amazing universe.
Highlights for me,
include the first episode, Secrets of the Sun which explains how
our sun produces energy and the impact it has had on our planet from
life to the devastating rays that shine down on us. It even moves onto
the death of the sun (which is billions of years away) and what will
happen to our star system.
The Moon is another interesting episodes which gives the
viewer a great history lesson on our closest neighbor and like the sun,
it also effects Earth. It gives us a god understanding of how it has
effected history from men worshiping it as a god and how travelers used
it for navigation.
Finally, Search for ET , another interesting episode that goes
into some detail of whether life exists in the universe. This episode
features Ray Kurzweil from SETI who helps explain the chances of life in
the universe, thanks to SETA, a privately funded project called the
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Of course, life may also be
microprobes and other interesting creatures.
In conclusion, The Universe is a
highly professional documentary which at times only skimmers the service
of knowledge, whereas other times it is even more in-depth. If you are a
lover of documentaries or astronomy than this is the DVD for you... or
if you are looking for something different, than I highly recommend you
investigate season one of The Universe.
Episode Synopsis
01 - Secrets of the Sun
It is a fireball in the sky, a bubbling, boiling, kinetic sphere of
white hot plasma, exploding and erupting. Its size is almost
unimaginable--one million Earths would fit within its boundaries. In
this violence is born almost all the energy that makes existence on
Earth possible, yet, its full mysteries are only now beginning to be
understood. From Sun spots to solar eclipses, solar flares to solar
storms, the birth of the sun to its potential death, discover the
science and history behind this celestial object that makes life on
Earth exist.
02 - Mars: The Red Planet
It has been fifty years since man first ventured into space, but the
greatest secrets are yet to be revealed. Mars is the planet in our solar
system most similar to Earth despite otherworldly features such as the
largest volcano in the Solar System. Rumors of life on Mars may be
substantiated as NASA orbiters and rovers discover new evidence of
frozen water just beneath the rusty soil. Did alien life exist there? As
Earth reels with the effects of global warming, Mars becomes the most
likely candidate for eventual human habitation. Cutting-edge computer
graphics are used to show what life would be like on Mars, and to
imagine what kind of life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres.
03 - The End of the Earth: Deep Space Threats to our Planet
Asteroids, comets, gamma ray bursts and the sun all combine to make the
Earth a dangerous place to live. NASA's top brass and other scientists
are arming themselves with the latest technology to pre-empt an
apocalyptic attack. Watch and investigate bizarre, and terrifying
apocalyptic scenarios and the ways that scientists are racing against
the clock to develop technology to defend our planet.
04 - Jupiter: The Giant Planet
Jupiter poses many questions about our solar system. It is a powerful
planet of gas whose flowing colors and spots are beautiful, but contain
violent storms and jet streams. A mini solar system of over sixty moons
rotate around Jupiter--a half billion miles from earth. Could one of
these moons contain life under its icy crust?
05 -
The Moon
The moon has comforted man for thousands of years. It's been everything
from a god to a compass, and the only cosmic body human beings have ever
visited. NASA is planning to build a permanent outpost there. Discover
how the moon came to be--if you don't already know, you will be
astounded.
06 - Spaceship Earth
Take a high performance ride through the formation of the third planet
from the Sun, Earth. A survivor of one of the most violent
"neighborhoods" in the universe, learn how earth was created and
discover what creatures hold clues to how life began. What evil forces
threaten the demise of Earth? Complex and controversial, this is the
scientific detective story of all time. Cutting-edge graphics are used
along with the stories of scientists and explorers who dare to venture
into the uncharted territory of the cosmos.
07 - Mercury and Venus: The Inner Planets
Scorched by their proximity to the sun, Mercury and Venus are hostile
worlds; one gouged with craters from cosmic collisions and the other a
vortex of sulfur, carbon dioxide and acid rain. Prime examples of
planets gone awry, do they serve as a warning for ominous scenarios that
might someday threaten Earth? Cutting-edge computer graphics are used to
show what life would be on other planets and to imagine what kind of
life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres.
08 - Saturn: Lord of the Rings
Are the rings of Saturn a real celestial phenomenon or merely a cosmic
Illusion? Technology allows the experts to get closer to the furthest
planet visible to the naked eye. Old questions are answered and new ones
arise. Does Saturn hold the key to Earth's weather and will one of its
moons supply us with all the oil we'll ever need? Cutting-edge computer
graphics are used to show what life would be like on other planets and
to imagine what kinds of life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres.
09 - Alien Galaxies
To know our place in the universe take a look far, far away to the realm
of Alien Galaxies. Our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions in the
universe. The Milky Way consists of more than a billion stars, our sun
being only one of them. Take a view of the universe through the Hubble
Space telescope and go back almost all the way to the Big Bang.
Cutting-edge computer graphics are used to bring the universe down to
earth to show what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine
what life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres.
10 - Life and Death of a Star
Ignited by the power of the atom, burning with light, heat and wrath,
stars are anything but peaceful. They collide, devour each other, and
explode in enormous supernovas--the biggest explosions in the Universe.
Using cutting-edge computer graphics, never-before-seen satellite
images, and interviews with the world's leading astronomers, take a
front row seat to the most amazing light show in the cosmos.
11 - The Outer Planets
New discoveries regarding the Outer Planets are creating a fundamental
rethinking of our solar system. Uranus is a toxic combination of
hydrogen, helium and methane. Scientists speculate that the planet was
knocked on its side after colliding with another body. Neptune's largest
moon, Triton, is cold and barren, but some scientists speculate that
liquid water might exist under Triton's icy surface. If this is proven
true, Triton could be the home to one of the biggest discoveries of all
time. Cold and inhospitable, Pluto completes one orbit around the solar
system every 248 years. Cutting-edge computer graphics are used to bring
the universe down to earth to show what life would be like on other
planets, and to imagine what kind of life forms might evolve in alien
atmospheres.
12 - The Most Dangerous Place in the Universe
Take a tour of the cosmic hot zones--black holes, galaxy mergers, gamma
ray bursts and magnetars. Super massive black holes can figuratively
"lasso" the Earth out of the solar system. A clash between two galaxies
can result in a barbaric ritual called "galactic cannibalism" in which
the dominant galaxy's super massive black hole eats the weaker one.
Magnetars are a cosmic magnetic force so strong it could wipe out data
on every credit card on the planet.
13 - Search for ET
In a galaxy filled with a billion stars, in a universe filled with a
hundred billion galaxies--are we alone? SETI--the Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence--is a privately funded project using radio
telescopes and optical telescopes to scan the stars for signals. NASA is
planning missions to Mars, Jupiter's sixth moon, Europa, and Saturn's
largest moon, Titan, to look for primitive, microbial life in ice
concentrations. Whether we discover primitive or intelligent life, how
will that knowledge impact humankind's view of itself? Cutting-edge
computer graphics are used to bring the universe down to earth to show
what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine what kind of
life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres.
14 - Beyond the Big Bang"
The universe began with a massive expansion, billions and billions of
years ago, and it continues to expand with every passing second. The
idea that the universe, and man's very existence, began with a "Big
Bang" is no longer a topic of debate among most scientists--it is
essentially taken as fact. How has man come to this conclusion, and how
has our knowledge evolved so that we can recreate the very first seconds
of our universe and all that has developed since? Interviews with the
world's leading physicists and historians are woven together with
animated recreations and first-person accounts to explain concepts such
as the formation of galaxies, the creation of elements and the formation
of Earth itself. |
