Cosmic Vistas

For the first time since man explored new continents on Earth, the human race is once again on the edge of discovery. This time our sights are set on unlocking the secrets of our solar system – starting with the Sun – the most brilliant and dangerous location we can explore.

Mercury offers us a look at a solid world and the forces that shape it. Venus tells an even more complex story, but the story of life on these rocky shores ends with our own planet - Earth. The moon, our silent partner, is our closest neighbor in space and the keeper of some of our oldest secrets.

Thanks to a fleet of advanced spacecraft in orbit and on the surface of the red planet, a new portrait of Mars is emerging. As we look more closely at the multitude of puzzles written into the Martian terrain and the water locked within it, we are able to consider the prospects for a human presence.

The gas giants of the outer solar system, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune represent a very different kind of planet, with exotic atmospheres, liquid interiors and even rings. Looking beyond, to the outer fringe of our solar system where Pluto resides, we may find the history of the solar system preserved in a deep freeze.

The moons orbiting the giant planets are shaping up to be a fascinating scientific inquiry. Europa, Titan, Io and more: exemplifying the spectacular diversity within our own solar system, they may also offer our best chance for finding alien life in our solar system.

Meteorites slicing across the sky introduce us to another component of the solar system – asteroids and comets. The series concludes with a tantalizing glimpse of the alien worlds that lie far beyond our solar system and a recognition that another new horizons now beckons.