How the Universe Works

S01E02: Black Holes

Black Holes, the most powerful destroyers in the Universe, the most mysterious phenomena in the heavens. For years they were only speculation, now modern astronomy is proving them frighteningly real and showing that they may well shape everything we see.

Overview

A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.

Episodes

Big Bang

S01E01 Big Bang

April 25, 2010 7.8 42 min
The programme investigates how the Universe came into existence out of nothing, and how it grew from a minuscule point, smaller than an atomic particle, to the vast cosmos we see today.
Black Holes

S01E02 Black Holes

May 2, 2010 7.6 42 min
Black Holes, the most powerful destroyers in the Universe, the most mysterious phenomena in the heavens. For years they were only speculation, now modern astronomy is proving them frighteningly real and showing that they may...
Galaxies

S01E03 Galaxies

May 10, 2010 7.8 42 min
The evolution of galaxies, from clouds of cold gas floating in space 13 billion years ago, to the vast gravitationally bound systems of today.
Stars

S01E04 Stars

May 10, 2010 7.6 42 min
Examining the birth of stars, and how their creation changed the cosmos for ever, leading to planets and life itself.
Supernovas

S01E05 Supernovas

May 17, 2010 7.7 42 min
Stars are not eternal; they are dying in unimaginably large explosions called supernovas. Second only to the Big Bang, these explosions are where creation and destruction meet. Only now have we begun to understand how...
Planets

S01E06 Planets

May 17, 2010 7.5 42 min
There are just eight planets in our solar system, but there could be a hundred billion planets in our Milky Way galaxy alone. This show follows the journey of planets as they grow from grains...
Solar Systems

S01E07 Solar Systems

May 24, 2010 6.7 42 min
Is our solar system unique? Since the first discovery of a planet orbiting another star, some 280 alien solar systems have been identified. It's only by looking at solar systems far beyond our own, that...
Moons

S01E08 Moons

May 24, 2010 7.7 42 min
Moons come in every possible shape and size. Home to incredible natural phenomena like gigantic geysers and colossal volcanoes, moons also offer perhaps the best chance of finding alien life in the Universe - and...

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