How the Universe Works S03E06 Weapons of Mass Extinction
Asteroids strike, planets collide, black holes blast out death rays, volcanoes erupt, and ice engulfs the planet. These are the universe's weapons of extinction. They've happened before, wiping out entire species, and they will happen again.
What built the Milky Way? New research might now have the answer, revealing an unlikely hero. At the heart of our galaxy sits a super massive black hole, one of the most destructive objects in the Universe. Could it be our creator?
Beneath Jupiter's swirling clouds lie our solar system's deepest secrets: from its violent youth, through the birth of life to the death of the sun. Now, scientists are unlocking these secrets and discovering that every living thing exists in Jupiter.
There is a hellish planet in our solar system covered in thick, dense clouds and roasted by colossal temperatures. Incredibly this is a vision of Earth's future. To understand how our world will be destroyed, we need to look at Earth's evil twin Venus.
The Earth was formed by a series of cosmic cataclysms, including the most powerful blast in the universe. Could the same chain of events have created other earths elsewhere, inhabited by creatures like us?
The first second of the Universe, the creation of everything when space, time, matter and energy burst into existence. It is the most important second in history, which seals the Universe's fate and defines everything that comes after - including us.
Is there another Earth out there with liquid oceans, rocky continents and life like us? Astronomers seek the answer with spectroscopy, direct imaging and telescopes. They hope to find evidence of atmospheres, magnetospheres and signs of life.
Witness the evolution of **galaxies**; from clouds of cold gas floating in the voids of space 13 billion years ago, to the magnificent spirals that fill our night.