Horizon Season 2016 Episode 4 Oceans of the Solar System

Oceans of the Solar System is a fascinating episode of the popular science series, Horizon. In this episode, viewers are taken on a journey through our Solar System, exploring the vast and mysterious deep oceans that exist on other planets and moons.

The episode begins with a look at Earth's own oceans and the incredible diversity of life they contain. From enormous whales to tiny microorganisms, life in Earth's oceans is truly remarkable. But as the program reveals, Earth is not the only place in our Solar System with an ocean.

The first stop on our journey is Europa, one of Jupiter's icy moons. Scientists have long suspected that Europa may harbor a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust, and recent data supports this idea. The program explores the challenges of studying this distant and mysterious world, including the difficulty of getting through the thick ice that covers the moon's surface.

Next, we visit Enceladus, a small moon of Saturn. Like Europa, Enceladus has an icy crust that covers a subsurface ocean. But unlike Europa, Enceladus also has active geysers that shoot water and other materials into space. The program explains how studying these geysers provides clues about the composition and characteristics of the ocean beneath the surface.

Moving on to another of Jupiter's moons, the program takes us to Ganymede. This moon is unique in that it has both a rocky mantle and a subsurface ocean, separated by a layer of ice. The program explores the possibility that this ocean could contain life, and the exciting questions that this possibility raises.

The program then turns to our own Moon, which is often thought of as dry and lifeless. However, recent discoveries have revealed the existence of small amounts of water on the Moon, mostly in the form of ice in cold, shadowed craters near the poles. The program explores the implications of these discoveries, including the possibility of using this water for future space exploration.

Finally, the program takes us to the most distant destination on our journey: Pluto. It may come as a surprise to some viewers, but Pluto also has an ocean beneath its icy surface. The program explains how the existence of this ocean was discovered, and the challenges of studying a world so far from Earth.

Throughout the episode, the program provides a fascinating look at the science behind these discoveries, and the methods that scientists use to study these distant and mysterious worlds. We see scientists analyzing data from spacecraft missions, making models of planetary interiors, and simulating the extreme conditions of these distant worlds in the lab.

In addition to the science, the program also explores the implications of these discoveries for our understanding of the universe and our place within it. What does it mean if life exists in oceans on other planets and moons? How does this change our perspective on the potential for extraterrestrial life?

Overall, Oceans of the Solar System is a thought-provoking and engaging episode of Horizon. It offers a glimpse into the exciting and ever-evolving field of planetary science, and a new perspective on the vast oceans that exist beyond our home planet.