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Back to the Moon

On the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing, NOVA looks ahead to the hoped-for dawn of a new age in lunar exploration. This time, governments and private industry are working together to reach our nearest celestial neighbor. But why go back? The Moon can serve as a platform for basic astronomical research; as an abundant source of rare metals and hydrogen fuel; and ultimately as a stepping stone for human missions to Mars and beyond. Join the next generation of engineers that aim to take us to the Moon, and discover how our legacy of lunar exploration won&#x27;t be confined to the history books for long. (Premiered July 10, 2019)

Discover why scientists and entrepreneurs alike have their sights set on the Moon once again.

Black Hole Apocalypse Hero

Black holes are the most enigmatic and exotic objects in the universe. They’re also the most powerful, with gravity so strong it can trap light. And they’re destructive, swallowing entire planets, even giant stars. Anything that falls into them vanishes…gone forever. Now, astrophysicists are realizing that black holes may be essential to how our universe evolved—their influence possibly leading to life on Earth and, ultimately, us. In this two-hour special, astrophysicist and author Janna Levin takes viewers on a journey to the frontiers of black hole science. Along the way, we meet leading astronomers and physicists on the verge of finding new answers to provocative questions about these shadowy monsters: Where do they come from? What’s inside? What happens if you fall into one? And what can they tell us about the nature of space, time, and gravity? (Premiered January 10, 2018)

Take a mind-blowing voyage to the most powerful and mysterious objects in the universe.

Black Hole Apocalypse

First Man on the Moon Hero

Everyone knows Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the moon. But this modest and unassuming man was determined to stay out of the spotlight. Now, for the first time, NOVA presents an intimate portrait of Armstrong through interviews with his family and friends, many of whom have never spoken publicly before. Discover and relive Armstrong&#x27;s achievements before and after Apollo, from his time as a Navy combat veteran and later as a pioneer of high-speed flight to his leading role in the inquiry into the Challenger disaster and his efforts to encourage young people to take to the skies. Along the way, we learn how Armstrong&#x27;s life became the inspiring story of heroic risk-taking and humble dedication that ultimately advanced humanity&#x27;s adventure in space. (Premiered December 3, 2013)

He risked his life for the nation and became a world icon, but who was Neil Armstrong?

First Man on the Moon

Einstein's Quantum Riddle

Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance,” but today quantum entanglement is poised to revolutionize technology from computers to cryptography. Physicists have gradually become convinced that the phenomenon—two subatomic particles that mirror changes in each other instantaneously over any distance—is real. But a few doubts remain. NOVA follows a ground-breaking experiment in the Canary Islands to use quasars at opposite ends of the universe to once and for all settle remaining questions. (Premiered January 9, 2019.)

Join scientists as they grab light from across the universe to prove quantum entanglement is real.

Addiction Crisis

Hear firsthand from individuals struggling with addiction and follow the cutting-edge work of doctors and scientists as they investigate why addiction is not a moral failing, but a chronic, treatable medical condition. Easy access to drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and even prescription medications like OxyContin has fueled an epidemic of addiction—the deadliest in U.S. history. Now, science is revealing how addiction affects the brain, and top experts are gathering evidence about how we should address our drug problem, from embracing evidence-based treatments, to rethinking public policies. (Premiered October 17, 2018)

Discover how opioid addiction affects the brain and how evidence-based treatments are saving lives.

Addiction

Decoding the Weather Machine Hero

Disastrous hurricanes. Widespread droughts and wildfires. Withering heat. Extreme rainfall. It is hard not to conclude that something’s up with the weather, and many scientists agree. It’s the result of the weather machine itself—our climate—changing, becoming hotter and more erratic. In this two-hour documentary, NOVA will cut through the confusion around climate change. Why do scientists overwhelmingly agree that our climate is changing, and that human activity is causing it? How and when will it affect us through the weather we experience? And what will it take to bend the trajectory of planetary warming toward more benign outcomes? Join scientists around the world on a quest to better understand the workings of the weather and climate machine we call Earth, and discover how we can be resilient—even thrive—in the face of enormous change.

Discover how Earth’s intricate climate system is changing.

Decoding the Weather Machine

apollo-daring-mission-img.jpg

Apollo astronauts and engineers tell the inside story of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon. The U.S. space program suffered a bitter setback when Apollo 1 ended in a deadly fire during a pre-launch run-through. In disarray, and threatened by the prospect of a Soviet Union victory in the space race, NASA decided upon a radical and risky change of plan: turn Apollo 8 from an earth-orbit mission into a daring sprint to the moon while relying on untried new technologies. Fifty years after the historic mission, the Apollo 8 astronauts and engineers recount the feats of engineering that paved the way to the moon. (Premiered December 26, 2018)

Apollo astronauts and engineers tell the inside story of the first manned mission to the moon.

Apollo's Daring Mission

NOVA revolves around a simple premise: the world of science is exciting! For NOVA viewers, science means adventure and exploration--because from ants to aliens, this weekly documentary series probes the far reaches of earth, sea and stars.  NOVA proves that science is neither secret lore nor sacred ritual but rather, at its heart, a lifelong journey of discovery.

Four Types of Black Holes Hero

<div class="rich-text">Black holes are mind-blowing. Discover the FOUR types of black holes that exist in the cosmos.
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<div class="rich-text">Black holes are mind-blowing. Discover the four types of black holes that exist in the cosmos.</div>

Four Types of Black Holes

Six ways quantum computers could change the world Hero

Quantum computers operate using the strange laws of quantum physics and could be used to solve complex problems traditional computers aren&#x27;t able to tackle today.

See why experts are saying it&#x27;s the dawn of a new Information Age.

Six Ways Quantum Computers Could Change the World

This Cute Robot Uses Sophisticated AI to Help Teach Kids Hero

This robot might look like a Furby. But, using artificial intelligence, it can learn to understand a child’s emotional state to better engage them during a lesson.

Tega is a robot that uses artificial intelligence to read and respond to kid&#x27;s emotions while they learn.

This Cute Robot Uses Sophisticated AI to Help Teach Kids

Why Did These Vikings' Bones Appear Older Than They Are? Hero

Archaeologists discovered a mass grave of what they thought to be ninth-century Vikings. But for some reason, the radiocarbon dates of their bones, found by measuring a radioactive carbon isotope, appeared much older.

Hint: Carbon in the ocean is different than carbon on land.

Why Did These Vikings' Bones Appear Older Than They Are?

Camp Fire Survivor Sees Destroyed Home for the First Time Hero

As the embers are starting to cool, George Gold heads through town to see if there is anything worth salvaging at home. When he gets there, he sees the destruction the Camp Fire left behind.

A resident returns to Paradise, California and witnesses the Camp Fire&#x27;s destruction firsthand.

Camp Fire Survivor Sees Destroyed Home for the First Time

The Evidence for Planet Nine’s Existence Hero

Two astronomers argue that the farthest objects in the Kuiper Belt are being pushed and pulled by the gravity of Planet Nine, a giant planet orbiting over 10 times farther from the Sun than Neptune. If they find it, it’ll be the first real expansion of the Sun’s planetary album in 170 years.

Why do some astronomers think there’s a massive planet on the edge of our solar system?

The Evidence for Planet Nine’s Existence

The Planets: Inner Worlds

The four planets closest to the sun, called the rocky planets, were born from the same material in the same era. But they couldn’t be more different: Tiny Mercury is the runt of the litter, almost like a moon. Venus is devilishly hot, and Mars is a frozen desert world. Only on Earth do we find the unique conditions for life as we know it. But why only here? Were Earth&#x27;s neighbors always so extreme? And is there somewhere else in the solar system life might flourish? (Premiering July 24 at 9 pm on PBS)

The rocky planets have similar origins, but only one supports life. Was it always this way?

The Planets: Mars

The Red Planet was once a vibrant blue water-world, home to raging rivers, active volcanoes, and even an ocean. But as the young planet’s core cooled, its magnetic field and protective atmosphere faded, eventually exposing it to the wrath of the sun. With its volcanoes extinguished and its water lost to space, Mars became the frozen desert planet we know today. But if it once had many of the ingredients necessary to form life, how far along might that process have gotten? (Premiering July 24 at 10 pm on PBS)

Before it was the dry Red Planet, Mars was a wet world that may have had the ingredients for life.

The Planets: Jupiter

Jupiter is not just the oldest planet orbiting the sun—it’s also the largest. So when the young gas giant went on a rampage through the inner solar system, it shaped the fate of everything in its path. Speeding towards the Sun, Jupiter’s massive gravitational force hurled debris into interstellar space, stunting the growth of would-be planets. Earth might have been doomed had Saturn not pulled Jupiter back. Today, Jupiter resides in the outer solar system, where its gravity bends the paths of asteroids and stokes volcanic activity on its moon Io. But it could one day wreak havoc again. (Premiering July 31 at 9 pm on PBS)

Jupiter&#x27;s massive gravitational force has made it both a wrecking ball and a protector of Earth.

The Planets: Saturn

Over the past 40 years, a handful of space probes has given us glimpses of Saturn. But NASA’s Cassini, which explored the gas giant’s realm for 13 years, delivered the most breathtaking new insights. NOVA takes you inside Cassini’s epic journey as it makes stunning discoveries: Saturn’s rings are younger than the dinosaurs and may be remnants of an ice moon. And geysers erupting ice and gas on the moon Enceladus show that it could have all the ingredients for life. But to protect it, the Cassini team makes a bittersweet decision. (Premiering August 7 at 9 pm on PBS)

NASA&#x27;s Cassini reveals the mysteries of Saturn&#x27;s rings—and new hope for life on one of its moons.

Pluto and Beyond

The New Horizons spacecraft attempts to fly by a mysterious object known as Ultima Thule, believed to be a primordial building block of the solar system. Three years after taking the first spectacular photos of Pluto, New Horizons is four billion miles from Earth, trying to achieve the most distant flyby in NASA’s history. If successful, it will shed light on one of the least understood regions of our solar system: the Kuiper Belt. NOVA is embedded with the New Horizons mission team, following the action in real time as they uncover the secrets of what lies beyond Pluto. (Premiered January 2, 2019 at 9 pm)

The New Horizons spacecraft zooms toward an object 4 billion miles from Earth.

Over a billion miles from the sun, beyond the rocky inner planets and the gas giants, lie the ice words—Uranus and Neptune. NOVA takes you inside the missions that rewrote the story of the outer solar system: NASA’s Voyager 1 &amp; 2 capture Neptune’s supersonic winds, and rings around a tipped-over Uranus. And when New Horizons flies by Pluto in 2015, it reveals jagged ice mountains and an underground ocean. (Premiering August 14 at 9 pm on PBS)

Beyond the bizarre, icy worlds of Uranus and Neptune, Pluto dazzles with its mysterious ocean.

Watch Page

Hero Area

Apollo's Daring Mission

Upcoming Schedule

The Planets: Inner Worlds

The Planets: Mars

The Planets: Jupiter

Episodes

Back to the Moon

Black Hole Apocalypse

First Man on the Moon

Einstein's Quantum Riddle

Addiction

Decoding the Weather Machine

Shorts

Four Types of Black Holes

Six Ways Quantum Computers Could Change the World

This Cute Robot Uses Sophisticated AI to Help Teach Kids

Why Did These Vikings' Bones Appear Older Than They Are?

Camp Fire Survivor Sees Destroyed Home for the First Time

The Evidence for Planet Nine’s Existence

Watch Page

Hero Area

Apollo's Daring Mission

Upcoming Schedule

The Planets: Inner Worlds

The Planets: Mars

The Planets: Jupiter

Episodes

Back to the Moon

Black Hole Apocalypse

First Man on the Moon

Einstein's Quantum Riddle

Addiction

Decoding the Weather Machine

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Shorts

Four Types of Black Holes

Six Ways Quantum Computers Could Change the World

This Cute Robot Uses Sophisticated AI to Help Teach Kids

Why Did These Vikings' Bones Appear Older Than They Are?

Camp Fire Survivor Sees Destroyed Home for the First Time

The Evidence for Planet Nine’s Existence