The Planets

Seven musical character images – each one immensely sensual and expressive, and standing on its own like a monument. The British composer Gustav Holst, fascinated by (esoteric) astrology, chose the planets of our solar system and the characteristics attributed to them as the basis for what he referred to as musical ""mood pictures"" or ""embodiments"". Ultimately, the seven movements of his orchestral suite “The Planets”, op. 32, composed between 1914 and 1916, can also be understood as general explorations of human traits.

Whether it's a romantic getaway to the breathtaking canyons of Mars or the ultimate vacation in Jupiter's magnetic field, National Geographic Channel brings you the ultimate in adventure travel, but it is not for the faint-hearted.

Whether it's a romantic getaway to the breathtaking canyons of Mars or the ultimate vacation in Jupiter's magnetic field, National Geographic Channel brings you the ultimate in adventure travel, but it is not for the faint-hearted. Today's super space traveller must endure drastic climates that shift from 450 degrees celsius in the sun to minus 170 celsius in the shade, crushing gravity, acid smog, and blistering radiation. From Jupiter's churning red eye to Saturn's glittering rings, the sights are out of this world. Blast-off with A Traveller's Guide to The Planets, the ultimate travel guide to the Solar System.

Professor Brian Cox tells the extraordinary life story of our solar system. For four and a half billion years each of the planets has been on an incredible journey, filled with astonishing spectacle and great drama. Using the data from our very latest explorations of the solar system combined with groundbreaking CGI this series reveals the unimaginable beauty and grandeur of eight planets whose stories we are only just beginning to understand.

The Planets presents the incredible story of the discovery and exploration of our solar system, revealing the deepest secrets of our neighbours in space.