Wonders of the Solar System [DVD]

There was a glowing ember inside of me, left over from the days when my father would take me in the back garden on cold winter nights and point out constellations like "The Plough" and "Orion". Professor Cox has blown on that ember and started a fire in me that threatens to become an obsession.
So many reviewers have praised this series so highly that I find it difficult to add anymore without covering the same ground. I will say this though, Professor Cox explains his joy and fascination for the awesome beauty of our Solar System in an easy to understand way that strikes just the right balance for everyone to enjoy.
I wish some of my teachers had been more like him!
Simply stunning!

This is a rare example of a specialist topic given a mass appeal by the engaging voice accent and manner of Professor Brian Cox who manages to explain the Solar system as a natural phenomenon with numerous simple examples

It has some stunning computer generated graphics combined with real images and pictures

Traveling to many location over the planet including Ethiopia , India and Hawaii the producers found many places that resemble locations in other planets of the solar system .

The soundtrack is a mixture of dreamy and indie music that contributes to the experience of space travel .

The series contains five episodes, each of which focuses on an aspect of the Solar System and features a 'wonder'.

1-Empire of the sun

A great introduction to the series that illustrates how the formation and behavior of the Sun affects each planet in the Solar System .The graphics of the formation of the sun are truly spectacular.

2-Order Out of Chaos
The second episode explores the Rings of Saturn and explains their differences and the effect of gravity on their formation. The pictures from Cassini add a wonderful touch to the stunning graphics.

3-The Thin Blue Line
The third episode looks at the atmosphere of Earth and that of Titan moon in Saturn. A very relevant program that touches on how fragile is our existence and how much we own to our atmosphere.

4-Dead or Alive
The fourth episode looks at the size of planets, volcanoes, and the moon Io ,and how size and position in the solar system determines if live can develop in a planet. The images form the Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia are a great example of the conditions in other places of the solar system.

5-Aliens
The program covers life surviving in extreme environments in our planet, and how the search for life on other planets follows the search for water. This last episode is the most interesting of them all as it asks a couple of very interesting questions ,Are we alone in the Universe ? What if we are ? What if we aren't ?

A great achievement for the BBC

I have watched this series and have found it to be one of the best programmes of recent years. Its worth a years license fee on its own. Being 57 and remembering how much I enjoyed my physics lessons and still have regrets that I didn't go on and get my degree I hope this is going to be the start of a new direction for the beeb. Over the years I have watched Horizon, it used to be good, but now its boring and dumbed down for the masses. I wish I could obtain copies of old Horizons (hint Beeb!!!!) I remember the fantastic TV programme called the Violent Universe and thought that I would never see anything that would compete but this does in every respect. The universe is a truly incredible place and its beyond me how people can't look up at the night sky and just wonder what amazing things there must be out there and realise how fragile we are on this tiny lump of rock with a veneer of atmosphere.
The best piece is early on when Brian Cox explains how simple it is to calculate how much energy the sun is giving off using a bucket, some water, a thermometer, an umbrella and a knowledge of the distance we are from the sun. This is the marvel of physics. Watch it and get the kids to watch it too!