Series SeasonSeason 46 episodes2019

NOVA

Season 46

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Episodes

Each episode has its own detail page.

Episode 155 min2019-01-02

Pluto and Beyond

Since it explored Pluto in 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft has been zooming toward NASA’s most distant target yet. Join the mission team as the probe attempts to fly by Ultima Thule, an object 4 billion miles from Earth.

Episode 255 min2019-01-09

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.

Episode 355 min2019-01-23

Kïlauea: Hawai'i on Fire

Journey to Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, which sent rivers of lava through communities and into the sea when it erupted in 2018. A group of scientists and locals investigate the spike in volcano activity that turned paradise into an inferno.

Episode 455 min2019-02-06

Decoding the Great Pyramid

New archeological evidence sheds light on the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Episode 555 min2019-02-13

Rise of the Rockets

With new technologies, NASA and private companies are promising a new renaissance in space travel.

Episode 655 min2019-02-20

The Next Pompeii

In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts the city of Naples at risk.

Episode 755 min2019-04-24

Saving the Dead Sea

Scientists, engineers and political leaders devise a plan to save the Dead Sea, whose levels have declined by more than 65 feet since 1976.

Episode 855 min2019-05-08

Inside the Megafire

Scientists try to determine the cause for the increasing megafire threat by exploring the physics of fire, how firestorms move and travel and by analyzing aerial drone and satellite data to catch fires before they start.

Episode 955 min2019-05-15

First Horse Warriors

Canadian anthropologist Niobe Thompson travels to sites in Kazakhstan, genetics labs in Denmark and anthropology museums in Russia to unlock mysteries surrounding the first riders of wild horses.

Episode 1055 min2019-05-22

Lost Viking Army

Forensic archaeologist Cat Jarman and her team investigate the Great Heathen army, a legendary Viking fighting force that invaded England in the 9th century.

Episode 1155 min2019-07-10

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 neighbour. 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't be confined to the history books for long.

Episode 1255 min2019-07-24

The Planets: Inner Worlds

The rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars all have similar origins, but only one supports life.

Episode 1355 min2019-07-24

The Planets: Mars

The dry, red planet Mars was once a blue water world studded with active volcanoes and may have even had the ingredients to support life.

Episode 1455 min2019-07-31

The Planets: Jupiter

Jupiter's gravitational force made it a wrecking ball as it barreled through the early solar system, but it also helped shape life on Earth as it brought comets laden with water and possibly the asteroid that put an end to the dinosaurs.

Episode 1555 min2019-08-07

The Planets: Saturn

Nasa's Cassini reveals the mysteries of Saturn's rings and new hope for life on one of its moons.

Episode 1655 min2019-08-14

The Planets: Ice Worlds

Uranus and Neptune's unexpected rings, supersonic winds and dozens of moons; an up-close view of Pluto before exploring the Kuiper belt.

Episode 1755 min2019-10-16

Why Bridges Collapse

Join experts as they compare what happened in several deadly bridge collapses across America.

Episode 1855 min2019-10-23

Look Who's Driving

Self-driving cars may one day be big business, but will they ever be safer than human drivers?

Episode 1955 min2019-10-30

Rise of the Mammals

Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs in a fiery global catastrophe. An amazing trove of fossils reveals how mammals took over, ultimately evolving into the huge array of species—including humans—that rule the Earth today.

Episode 2055 min2019-11-06

Dead Sea Scroll Detectives

Since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, these fragile parchment relics have intrigued scholars, religious leaders, and profiteers alike. The 2,000-year-old scrolls include the oldest-known versions of the Hebrew Bible and hold vital clues about the birth of Christianity. While certain scrolls have survived intact, others have been ravaged by time—burnt, decayed, or torn to pieces—and remain an enigma. Now, scientists are using new technologies to read the unreadable, solve mysteries that have endured for millennia, and even discover million-dollar fakes.