NOVA

What's so marvelous about Mars? Here are five facts about the Red Planet.

Getting to know our red celestial neighbor.

Five Facts About the Red Planet

Much like Earth, Mars was once a water world, rich with the building blocks for life. But it didn’t last. Was there enough time for life to take hold on the Red Planet before it dried out?

Mars once had rains, rivers, and in the northern hemisphere, a vast sea.

Mars, the Red Planet, Was Once Blue

Mars was once a blue water-world studded with active volcanoes. But when its magnetic field and protective atmosphere faded, it became the frozen desert planet we know today. With so many necessary elements in place, did life ever form on Mars?

Before it was a dry planet, Mars was a wet world that may have hosted life.

The Planets: Mars

Planets: Mars

The Planets: Mars Preview

Planets: Mars Preview

Carlisle Companies

Viking

NOVA Science Trust Logo

(This program is no longer available for streaming.) The Red Planet was once a vibrant blue water-world, home to raging rivers, active volcanoes, and even an ocean. But as the young planet’s core cooled, its magnetic field and protective atmosphere faded, eventually exposing it to the wrath of the sun. With its volcanoes extinguished and its water lost to space, Mars became the frozen desert planet we know today. But if it once had many of the ingredients necessary to form life, how far along might that process have gotten? (Premiered July 24, 2019).

Astrobiologist, Goddard Space Flight Ctr.

Chief Scientist, MSL

Cornell University

Deputy Project Scientist, MSL

Before it was a dry planet, Mars was a wet world that may have hosted life.

Space & Flight

Jupiter’s massive gravitational force made it a wrecking ball when it barreled through the early solar system. But it also shaped life on Earth, delivering comets laden with water—and perhaps even the fateful asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Jupiter's massive gravitational force has made it a wrecking ball and a protector of Earth

The Planets: Jupiter Preview

Planets: Jupiter Preview

What's so special about Jupiter?  Here are five facts about the planet that's home to the "Great Red Spot."

Jupiter is more than the biggest planet in our solar system—it's also the oldest.

Five Facts About the Biggest Planet in our Solar System

About 5 billion years ago, as our sun forms, most planets around it are still dust. But Jupiter's core already begins to grow.

Jupiter formed long before most other planets around it did.

Jupiter, the First Planet to Form in our Solar System

The Planets: Jupiter

Planets: Jupiter

(This program is no longer available for streaming.) Jupiter is not just the oldest planet orbiting the sun—it’s also the largest. So when the young gas giant went on a rampage through the inner solar system, it shaped the fate of everything in its path. Speeding towards the Sun, Jupiter’s massive gravitational force hurled debris into interstellar space, stunting the growth of would-be planets. Earth might have been doomed had Saturn not pulled Jupiter back. Today, Jupiter resides in the outer solar system, where its gravity bends the paths of asteroids and stokes volcanic activity on its moon Io. But it could one day wreak havoc again. (Premiered July 31, 2019).

Jupiter's massive gravitational force has made it both a wrecking ball and a protector of Earth.

Astrophysicist, Arizona State University

Planetary Scientist, Caltech

Jupiter's massive gravitational force has made it both a wrecking ball and a protector of Earth.

NASA’s Cassini explores Saturn for 13 years, looping through its icy rings and flying by its moons. The probe captures stunning ring-moon interactions, but when it finds the ingredients for life on the moon Enceladus, a bittersweet decision is made.

NASA's Cassini reveals the mysteries of Saturn's rings—and new hope for life on a moon.

The Planets: Saturn

Planets: Saturn

Saturn is one of the most recognizable planets in our solar system. Here are five cool facts.

Learn more about Saturn, its rings, and moons.

Five Facts About the Ringed Gas Giant Planet

The Planets: Saturn Preview

Planets: Saturn Preview

NASA's Cassini explored Saturn for over a decade, making incredible discoveries about its rings, storms, and moons. Here are the spacecraft's final moments.

Cassini plunges into Saturn, marking the end of its 13-year mission.

The Cassini Spacecraft's final moments

Cassini Spacecraft's final moments

Over the past 40 years, a handful of space probes has given us glimpses of Saturn. But NASA’s Cassini, which explored the gas giant’s realm for 13 years, delivered the most breathtaking new insights. NOVA takes you inside Cassini’s epic journey as it makes stunning discoveries: Saturn’s rings are younger than the dinosaurs and may be remnants of an ice moon. And geysers erupting ice and gas on the moon Enceladus show that it could have all the ingredients for life. But to protect it, the Cassini mission team makes a bittersweet decision. (Premiered August 7, 2019).

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

Planetary Scientist, JPL

Planetary Scientist, NASA Ames

Physicist, Imperial College London

Planetary Scientist, Cornell University

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Lead Scientist, Imaging Team

Spacecraft Operations Team Member, JPL

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

Among the stars in the night sky wander the eight-plus worlds of our own solar system—each home to truly awe-inspiring sights. Volcanoes three times higher than Everest, geysers erupting with icy plumes, cyclones larger than Earth lasting hundreds of years.

The life of our solar system told in five dramatic stories spanning billions of years.

The Planets Series Trailer

Planets Series Trailer

The rocky planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars—were born of similar material around the same time. Yet only one of them supports life. Were Earth's neighbors always so extreme? And is there somewhere else in the solar system life might flourish?

The rocky planets have similar origins, but only 1 supports life. Was it always this way?

The Planets: Inner Worlds

Planets: Inner Worlds

The Planets Series Teaser

Planets Series Teaser

The Planets: Inner Worlds Preview

Planets: Inner Worlds Preview

Earth is the only known planet to harbor life.

Five Facts About Our Home Planet

Working with scientists, "The Planets" production team created more than 2.5 hours of CG and VR effects to visually represent the physics of our Solar System.

See the work that went into creating some of the animations in "The Planets."

Behind the Scenes: The Making of "The Planets"

"The Planets" is a five-part series telling the extraordinary story of all eight planets and Pluto.

PBS journeys through the solar system to explore NOVA’s “The Planets.”

Inside Look: "The Planets"

What else makes the second planet in our solar system interesting?

Our next door neighbor is most like Earth in terms of size and mass.

Five Facts About Hot, Volcanic Venus

Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. But what else makes Venus's next door neighbor unique?

What makes Venus's next door neighbor unique?

Five Facts About the Planet Closest to Our Sun

(This program is no longer available for streaming.) The four planets closest to the sun, called the rocky planets, were born from the same material in the same era. But they couldn’t be more different: Tiny Mercury is the runt of the litter, almost like a moon. Venus is devilishly hot, and Mars is a frozen desert world. Only on Earth do we find the unique conditions for life as we know it. But why only here? Were Earth's neighbors always so extreme? And is there somewhere else in the solar system life might flourish? (Premiered July 24, 2019).

The rocky planets have similar origins, but only one supports life. Was it always this way?

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The rocky planets have similar origins, but only one supports life. Was it always this way?

Neptune has the fastest winds in the solar system—up to 1,500 mph. What else makes it unique?

Getting to know Neptune, the outer-most planet.

Five Facts About the Farthest Planet in our Solar System

Pluto has a thin atmosphere with a blue tint. Find out what else makes Pluto interesting.

Learn more about Pluto and its moon, Charon.

Five Facts About the Largest Kuiper Belt Object

In the far reaches of the solar system, Uranus and Neptune dazzle with unexpected rings, supersonic winds, and dozens of moons. And NASA’s New Horizons gets a stunning up-close view of Pluto before venturing deep into the Kuiper Belt.

Beyond icy worlds of Uranus and Neptune, Pluto dazzles with its mysterious ocean.

The Planets: Ice Worlds Preview

Planets: Ice Worlds Preview

The Planets: Ice Worlds

Planets: Ice Worlds

Despite Neptune's distance from the Sun, the Voyager mission discovers that Neptune is warmer than its neighbor, Uranus. And, it has the strongest winds of any planet in the Solar System.

Neptune has swirling clouds and strong winds. Can scientists figure out why?

How Voyager discovered that Neptune is oddly warm and stormy

Uranus, despite not being the farthest, is the coldest planet in our solar system. What else makes the seventh planet from the Sun special?

Uranus is more than just the tilted planet in our solar system.

Five Facts About the Tilted Planet

(This program is no longer available for streaming.) Over a billion miles from the sun, beyond the rocky inner planets and the gas giants, lie the ice words—Uranus and Neptune. NOVA takes you inside the missions that rewrote the story of the outer solar system: NASA’s Voyager 1 &amp; 2 capture Neptune’s supersonic winds, and rings around a tipped-over Uranus. And when New Horizons flies by Pluto in 2015, it reveals jagged ice mountains and an underground ocean. (Premiered August 14, 2019).

Beyond the bizarre, icy worlds of Uranus and Neptune, Pluto dazzles with its mysterious ocean.

NASA New Horizons Planetary Scientist

Astronomer, Southwest Research Inst

Southwest Research Institute

NASA New Horizons Principal Investigator

NASA New Horizons  Planetary Scientist

Beyond the bizarre, icy worlds of Uranus and Neptune, Pluto dazzles with its mysterious ocean.

(This program is no longer available for streaming.) Among the stars in the night sky wander the eight-plus worlds of our own solar system—each home to truly awe-inspiring sights. Volcanoes three times higher than Everest, geysers erupting with icy plumes, cyclones larger than Earth lasting hundreds of years. Each of our celestial neighbors has a distinct personality and a unique story. In this five-part series, NOVA will explore the awesome beauty of “The Planets,” including Saturn’s 175,000-mile-wide rings, Mars’ ancient waterfalls four times the size of any found on Earth, and Neptune’s winds—12 times stronger than any hurricane felt on our planet. Using unique special effects and extraordinary footage captured by orbiters, landers and rovers, we’ll treat viewers to an up-close look at these faraway worlds. We’ll stand on the dark side of Pluto, lit only by the reflected light of its moons, watch the sun set over an ancient Martian waterfall, and witness a storm twice the size of Earth from high above Saturn. And, we’ll reveal how each of them has affected our own planet: Earth. (A five-part series airing July 5, 2023 at 10 pm on PBS)

The life of our solar system told in five dramatic stories spanning billions of years.

Explore The Planets

Explore More

Alien Planets Revealed

Amazing Discoveries from Cassini

Are We Alone?

The Evidence for Planet Nine’s Existence

Inside the Search for Planet Nine

The 170-Year Search for a Planet Beyond Neptune

The Planets

The Planets: Ice Worlds

The Planets: Saturn

The Planets: Jupiter

The Planets: Mars

Finding Life Beyond Earth

Installing aerogel shields on Mars could make the Red Planet more habitable

Pluto and Beyond

Five Facts About Mercury, the Planet Closest to Our Sun

Five Facts About Hot, Volcanic Venus

Mars, the Red Planet, Was Once Blue

Pluto Shows Its True Colors

Five Facts About Earth, Our Home Planet

K2 Mission Finds 80 Possible Planets in Record Time

Behind the Scenes: The Making of "The Planets"

Death Dive to Saturn

Jupiter, the First Planet to Form in our Solar System

Five Facts About Jupiter, the Biggest Planet in our Solar System

Five Facts About Saturn, the Ringed Gas Giant Planet

Astronomers Looking for Planet Nine Discover 12 More Moons Orbiting Jupiter

Miles of Water Found on Mars. Could It Support Life?

Farewell, Cassini

Five Facts About Uranus, the Tilted Planet

Liquid Water Found on Mars

The Planets: Inner Worlds