A VISUAL STUNNER, A THOUGHT PROVOCATEUR SCIENCE CHANNEL PRESENTS ‘WONDERS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM’
Premieres Wednesday, August 4, at 9 PM (ET/PT)
August 6, 2010
Silver Spring, Md.) - Experience the universe like never before as physicist and professor Brian Cox explores the most exquisite places and events around the world to explain how the laws of nature have carved spectacular landscapes throughout the solar system in Science Channel's brand new series WONDERS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, premiering Wednesday, August 4, at 9 PM (ET/PT).
From fountains of ice that erupt thousands of miles into space to the mysterious liquid methane seas of Titan to Mar's Grand Canyon, the Valles Marines, Brian takes viewers each week on a global adventure that is part visual feast, part mind trip, part astronomy deep dive. With shaggy rocker good looks and tastes that range from skateboarding to mosh pits, Brian is a captivating guide.
"Brian is a scientist, but he's also a master storyteller who has a passion for the universe that is infectious. WONDERS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM weaves incredible special effects with fascinating insights to create an unparalleled viewing experience," said Debbie Myers, general manager and executive vice president, programming for Science Channel.
Using real images taken from space probes, including the Cassini and Hubble telescopes, the producers were tasked with taking the incredible photographs and bringing them to
life. Producers built a model of the solar system to scale with complete accuracy including sizes, relative distances, rotations and orbits. The scale is best demonstrated in a shot from the series flying Saturn's rings which extend hundreds of thousands of miles out from the planet but are only 32 feet thick. An accurate surface motion for Jupiter and its Great Red Spot also required painstaking recreation of the gaseous, cloudy topography. Like a 3D version of Google Earth, producers had to get the scale of each shot to work from the wide to the close-up, so the viewer can see more and more detail.
WONDERS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM is produced for Science Channel by the BBC. Andrew Cohen is executive producer. Wyatt Channell is executive producer for Science Channel.
About Science Channel
Science Channel, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), is broadcast 24 hours a day and seven days a week to more than 66 million U.S. homes and simulcast on Science Channel HD. We immerse viewers in the incredible possibilities of science, from string theory and futuristic cities to accidental discoveries and outrageous inventions. We take things apart, peer inside and put things together in new and unexpected ways. We celebrate the trials, errors and brinking moments that change our lives forever. To find out more, go to sciencechannel.com.
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For photos and an episode guide log on to http://press.discovery.com/us/sci