Supernovas are as spectacular as they are rare. In early 1987, a giant star exploded in the sky – one of the most violent celestial events since the creation of the universe. Why did this phenomenon fascinate, baffle, and delight astronomers? What causes a star to explode? How will these energy blasts help us understand our universe? Journey to space and around the globe for an astounding look at the true meaning of star power.
Subjects: Astronomy
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The Stars – Supernovas, the Big Bang, and More
Includes: Death Star; Death Of A Star; Runaway Universe
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Apollo 13 – Journey to the Moon, Mars and Back
Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back tells the gripping, true story of the catastrophic flight of the Apollo 13 and the heroic struggle to bring the astronauts back alive. With first-hand accounts from the pilots, their families, and the people of mission control, it documents a thrilling struggle against time and all odds and serves as a reminder that, in the words of James Lovell, “We do not realize what we have on Earth until we leave it.” To the Moon: The mission was impossible. The odds were astronomical. The results were spectacular. NOVA shares the fascinating inside story behind “one giant leap for mankind.” MARS Dead or Alive: Go inside NASA’s risky field trip to the red planet in this tense and dramatic behind-the-scenes chronicle of the $820 million Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project. (258 min on 3 discs.)
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Runaway Universe
Runaway Universe presents the dramatic quest to unlock the secrets of the stars as two rival astronomy teams search for exploding stars, map gigantic cosmic patterns of galaxies, and grapple with the ultimate question: what is the fate of the universe? With the use of stunning three-dimensional cosmic simulations captured with revolutionary high-definition technology, NOVA presents the first attempt to explore the riddle of “dark energy”–the mysterious repulsive force that some scientists believe counteracts gravity.
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Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens
At a time when heretics were burned alive for dissent, scientist Galileo Galilei risked his life to advance his revolutionary concepts of the universe. British actor Simon Callow (Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral) brings Galileo to life, humanizing the great thinker’s passion, intelligence, and arrogance while depicting his frustrations with fellow philosophers and scientists, and with Roman Based on Dava Sobel’s best-selling biography Galileo’s Daughter, this two-hour film offers a vivid re-imagining of the incredible achievements that forever changed the way we view our place in the universe. Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and noted Galileo authorities shed new light on Galileo’s pioneering telescopic observations, his fateful Inquisition trial for heresy, and life in the seventeenth century.
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MARS Dead or Alive
Go inside NASA’s risky field trip to the red planet in this tense and dramatic behind-the-scenes chronicle of the $820 million Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project. Beginning a year before launch, NOVA’s cameras follow MER scientists and engineers through a gauntlet of potentially fatal problems. Then, seven months later, experience the final nail-biting minutes of the journey, as Spirit successfully lands on Mars and begins sending back its first spectacular images of the Martian landscape. Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; closed captions; and video descriptions.
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To the Moon
NOVA presents the fascinating story behind the Apollo space program, including the most remarkable feat in human history–the historic walk on the moon in 1969. Meet the unsung heroes, experience the dangers and discover a broader range of Apollo perspectives than any space documentary ever produced. Special DVD features include: Access to the To The Moon Web site, featuring panorama views from six moon landings, interactive lunar puzzles, interviews with top Apollo astronauts, and more; access to the NASA and NOVA web sites; chapter search; English audiotrack; subtitles.
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Welcome to Mars – DVD
On January 3, 2004, a tiny rover named Spirit crash-landed on the dusty surface of Mars and sent its first message home. The elation of the assembled scientists, as well as the behind-the-scenes engineering story leading up to the landing were captured by NOVA in its hugely popular documentary MARS Dead or Alive. That elation is the starting point for the highly anticipated sequel, Welcome to Mars, which follows the adventures of Spirit and Opportunity on the red planet. Once again, NOVA’s producers enjoyed unprecedented access to the mission scientists at JPL as they wrestled with the technical crises that soon beset the rovers. Welcome to Mars presents a compelling inside story of triumph and technical ingenuity, full of scientfic and human drama, with stunning fresh images from an alien world.
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The Sun
The Standard Deviants take you into the center of our solar system: the Sun. We wouldn’t be here without this great big ball of fire, so come and see all the properties of our little star, like hydrogen and helium, sunspots and solar flares.
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Astronomy Companion CD-ROM
This companion CD-ROM is packed with robust supplementary materials: Lesson plans, viewing guides, teacher reference guides, students activities, worksheets and tests.