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ANCIENT SKIES

Director Harald Meller from State Museum for Prehistory Halle (Saale).
Courtesy of Raid Production Ltd
Director Harald Meller from State Museum for Prehistory Halle (Saale).

Stream the series now with KPBS Passport / Watch Thursday, Dec. 11 from 7 - 10 p.m. on KPBS 2

In the three-part series, ANCIENT SKIES, audiences will discover how centuries of knowledge, experimentation and engineering helped our ancestors explore outer space. Expert contributors and indigenous storytellers demystify astronomical myths with scientific explanations.

Discover how centuries of knowledge, experimentation and engineering helped our ancestors understand the mysteries of space. Expert contributors decode astronomical myths and uncover the science behind their origins.

EPISODE GUIDE:

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Episode 1: “Gods And Monsters” - Explore the origins of our relationship with the skies. Our ancestors use the sky to navigate and tell time, and give religious significance to what they see in it. Then, a revolution gives birth to modern science. Additional clips: "The Story of Icarus" and "Celestial Alignment"

Get a glimpse into the Enuma Elis, the Babylonian myth that is the earliest surviving complete creation story.

Episode 2: “Finding The Center” - Follow the efforts to give the Earth a shape and a place. From flat Earth legends to Galileo’s telescope, track major changes in scientific understanding. Ideas rise and fall as we continue to explore our ancient skies. Additional clips: "Earth-Centered Cosmos" and "The Edge of the World"

Take an in depth look at the celestial bodies discovered by Italian Renaissance astronomer Galileo Galilei, as he used his telescopes to look further into space than anyone had ever seen before.

Episode 3: “Our Place In The Universe” - Complete the puzzle of our ancient skies. A cast of scientific pioneers reshapes the solar system and better understands a growing universe. But there is still much more space to explore. Additional clips: "The Marine Chronometer" and "The Universe is Expanding" and "Cannon Shot to the Moon"

Danish Astronomer Tycho Brahe's observations of the Great Comet of 1577 overturn 1,500 years of scientific belief when he uses them to prove that planets do not orbit inside concentric crystalline spheres.

Watch On Your Schedule: The series is available to stream with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.

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