Ep 6. A Traveler's Guide to the Planets
- June 23, 2011
A Traveler's Guide to the Planets is the sixth episode of the ninth season of Naked Science. In this episode, the show takes the audience on an incredible journey through the planets of our solar system. The episode is narrated by Kevin Fong, a renowned space expert, and astronaut Chris Hadfield.
The show begins by introducing our neighboring planets, starting with Mars. The audience learns about the history of Mars exploration, the discoveries made by the various missions, and the challenges of sending humans to the red planet in the future. The co-hosts also discuss the similarities and differences between Mars and Earth, which are relatively close in size, as well as the potential for life on Mars.
The next planet on the traveler's guide is Venus, which is often called Earth's evil twin. The episode explores the extreme conditions on Venus, including the planet's toxic atmosphere and surface temperatures that can melt lead. Despite these challenges, scientists have found evidence of active volcanoes and atmospheric changes on the planet, giving them hope that Venus could have been habitable in the past.
After Venus, the travelers venture further out to the gas giants of the outer solar system. First stop, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The episode discusses the planet's powerful magnetic field and the discovery of the Great Red Spot, a giant storm that has raged for more than 350 years. The audience also learns about the many moons of Jupiter, including Europa, which is considered one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for life.
The travelers then hop over to Saturn, the ringed giant. The audience is taken on a journey through the planet's stunning rings, which are made up of countless icy particles. The episode also explores the possibility that there could be life on Saturn's moon Enceladus, as recent missions have found evidence of geysers spewing water into space.
Next up on the traveler's guide is Uranus and Neptune, the ice giants of our solar system. The episode covers the history of these planets' discovery and the challenges researchers face in exploring them due to their distance from the Sun. Despite these challenges, we learn about some of the incredible discoveries made by missions to these distant planets, including the bizarre weather patterns on Uranus.
The finale of the episode takes the audience on a journey beyond our solar system to explore the many exoplanets that have been discovered in recent years. The travelers discuss how new technologies have made it possible to detect exoplanets and learn about their size, orbit, and composition. The episode highlights some of the most exciting exoplanet discoveries, including the possibility of a habitable planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun.
Overall, A Traveler's Guide to the Planets is a fascinating and informative episode, perfect for space enthusiasts and anyone curious about our place in the universe. The co-hosts bring their expertise and enthusiasm to the show, making it an engaging and entertaining exploration of the planets in our solar system and beyond.
