Encores Wednesdays, March 5 and 12, 2025 at 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 22 at 3:30 p.m. on KPBS TV (no longer available in the PBS app)
—The Life of Our Solar System Told in Five Dramatic Stories—
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.
EPISODE GUIDE: (not in broadcast order)
“Inner Worlds” Encores Friday, March 21 at 1 p.m. + Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 at 3:30 p.m. on KPBS TV - The rocky planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars - were born of similar material around the same time, yet only one supports life. Were Earth's neighbors always so extreme? Is there somewhere else in the solar system where life might flourish?
“Mars” - (no broadcast scheduled) Mars was once a blue water-world studded with active volcanoes. But when its magnetic field and protective atmosphere faded, it became the frozen desert planet we know today. With so many necessary elements in place, did life ever form on Mars?
“Jupiter” Encores Wednesday, March 12 at 9:30 p.m. + Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 at 3:30 p.m. on KPBS TV - Jupiter's massive gravitational force made it a wrecking ball when it barreled through the early solar system. But it also shaped life on Earth, delivering comets laden with water - and perhaps even the fateful asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.
“Saturn” - NASA's Cassini explores Saturn for 13 years, looping through its icy rings and flying by its moons. The probe captures stunning ring-moon interactions, but when it finds the ingredients for life on the moon Enceladus, a bittersweet decision is made.
“Ice Worlds” Encores Wednesday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m. + March 8 at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. on KPBS TV - In the far reaches of the solar system, Uranus and Neptune dazzle with unexpected rings, supersonic winds and dozens of moons. And NASA's New Horizons gets a stunning up-close view of Pluto before venturing deep into the Kuiper Belt.
Watch: Five Facts About Our Home Planet
Watch: Five Facts About Hot, Volcanic Venus
Five Facts About the Planet Closest to Our Sun
(The series is now available to stream on Amazon Video and iTunes)
Join The Conversation: NOVA is on Facebook +Instagram + @novapbs on X #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.
