Wonders of the Solar System, with Brian Cox (2010) BBC

Empire of the Sun

Professor Brian Cox explores the sun - the powerhouse of our solar system.

Wonders of the Solar System is a 2010 television series co-produced by the BBC and Science Channel, and hosted by physicist Brian Cox. Wonders of the Solar System was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on March 7 2010. The series comprises five episodes, each of which focuses on an aspect of the Solar System and features a 'wonder' relevant to the theme. The series was described as one of the most successful to appear on BBC Two in recent years.

In this spellbinding series Professor Brian Cox visits the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the solar system.

Episodes
1. "Empire of the Sun"
The first episode illustrates how the formation and behaviour of the Sun affects each planet in the Solar System.
2. "Order Out of Chaos"
The second instalment focuses on the Rings of Saturn, and the geysers of Enceladus.
3. "The Thin Blue Line"
The third episode looks at the atmosphere of Earth and that of Titan.
4. "Dead or Alive"
The fourth episode looks at the size of planets, volcanoes, and the moon Io.
5. "Aliens"
The final instalment covers life surviving in extreme environments, and how the search for life on other worlds follows the search for water, focusing on Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa.