Pbs Ancient Skies Series

With breath-taking CGI, beautiful landscape footage and some of the world's most important astronomical artefacts, Ancient Skies looks at the cosmos through the eyes of our ancestors, charting our changing views of the cosmos throughout history.

In Episode 3, we complete the puzzle of our ancient skies, collecting the missing pieces required for an accurate model of our universe. We break through the spheres that defined our skies for millennia, abandon the long-held idea of circular orbits, discover new neighbors in our solar system, and begin to comprehend the enormity of our ever-growing universe.

Documents the construction of the cutting-edge Discovery Channel Telescope, based in the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, from conception to first light.

The invention of the telescope has been by far the most revolutionary development in the history of astronomy. For thousands of years, astronomers had to rely on their eyes in unraveling the mysteries of the Universe. Then, 400 years ago, something entirely new happened: Galileo turned a homemade arrangement of magnifying glasses to the skies. The telescope revealed a wealth of astronomical riches, and led to a dramatic increase of knowledge about the wider world we live in.

Children of the Stars is a trip through the history of the people of America and their vision of the sky. This series travels through Latin America to discover the secrets of ancient temples devoted to stars in the Universe and to visit the world’s largest astronomical observatories, following the path of prestigious scientists. This trip will show us how the cosmos inspires humanity and the arts.

In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2,200 years, this clay army, 8,000-strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave.

The inner planets, Mercury and Venus, orbit closest to the Sun, making them literally an Inferno of heat. NASA and other space agencies have attempted to learn more about these rocky planets. Follow the plucky probes that attempted to decipher the secrets of the Solar Systems.

In this spectacular series, Professor Cox offers an original new perspective on human life: the story of a group of apes that evolved to leave their home planet and step out into the universe. Humans are curious creatures. Of all the species on Earth, we alone ask questions. This series tackles the greatest questions we've ever asked.

Uncover some of the oldest riddles of the ancient world. China is a land filled with mystical legends, stunning treasures and ancient history. To gain an insight into this intriguing culture we explore two of China s most famous ancient wonders the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden Palace.

The Terracotta Army is one of China's greatest treasures, but there are still dark secrets surrounding this super-tomb; newly discovered artifacts reveal the soldiers' supernatural enemy, and human remains point to ancient China's violent origins.