NOVA: The Planets
Airs Wednesday, July 24, 2019 from 9-11 p.m. & Wednesdays, July 31-Aug. 14 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV + Sundays, July 28 from 1-3 p.m. & Aug. 4-18 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2
Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Credit: Courtesy of BDH Creative
Above: Planets graphic. NOVA tells the spectacular story of our solar system — a narrative spanning billions of years — through the eyes of the latest and most daring space missions ever mounted.
—The Life Of Our Solar System Told In Five Dramatic Stories Spanning Billions Of Years—
Among the stars in the night sky wander the eight-plus worlds of our own solar system — each home to truly awe-inspiring sights.
Volcanoes three times higher than Everest, geysers erupting with icy plumes, cyclones larger than Earth lasting hundreds of years.
Each of our celestial neighbors has a distinct personality and a unique story.
In this five-part series, NOVA will explore the awesome beauty of the planets, including Saturn’s 175,000-mile-wide rings, Mars’ ancient waterfalls four times the size of any found on Earth, and Neptune’s winds — 12 times stronger than any hurricane felt on our planet.
Using unique special effects and extraordinary footage captured by orbiters, landers and rovers, we’ll treat viewers to an up-close look at these faraway worlds.
We’ll stand on the dark side of Pluto, lit only by the reflected light of its moons; watch the sun set over an ancient Martian waterfall; and witness a storm twice the size of Earth from high above Saturn.
And, we’ll reveal how each of them has affected our own planet: Earth.
The series features interviews with leading scientists from the world’s most renowned space missions, from the Cassini mission around Saturn, to the Voyager Missions 1 and 2 to the outer solar system, to the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
Featured experts include Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity Project scientist, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); Linda Spilker, Cassini Project scientist at NASA’s JPL; and many more.
Watch On Your Schedule:
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Join The Conversation:
NOVA is on Facebook, and you can follow @novapbs on Twitter. #NOVAnext #novapbs #ThePlanetsPBS
Credits:
A BBC Studios production with NOVA and WGBH Boston for PBS and BBC. The series is part of a co-production deal among PBS and BBC Studios. The partnership provides a pipeline of the high-quality, entertaining factual programs. Series Executive Producer for NOVA is Chris Schmidt. Series Producer for BBC Studios Science is Gideon Bradshaw. Deputy Executive Producer for NOVA is Julia Cort. NOVA is a production of WGBH Boston. It was commissioned for BBC One by Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual, and is overseen for PBS by Bill Gardner, Vice President of Programming and Development.
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