This is one of the many reasons why I love my job... I get a sneak peek at some amazing science documentaries. But I've just found my favorite: "Wonders of the Solar System" with Prof. Brian Cox.
Premiering on the Science Channel tonight at 9 pm, the British physicist and science presenter will take you on an awe-inspiring ride through our Solar System, focusing on our nearest star, the sun.
As many of you know, I have a passion for solar physics and space weather, so my senses were on high alert during the first episode of this groundbreaking new series. "Empire of the Sun" sets out to explain everything from how the solar core works to exploring the furthest-most reaches of the sun's "empire." This is no small feat considering solar science is one of the most mysterious and enthralling fields of space physics.
I've always had a huge respect for Brian, and I have been following his exploits for several years. In the U.K. he's a household name, springing to fame around the time of the Large Hadron Collider's inauguration in 2008. At that time, doomsday theories were rife, focusing around misguided fear about what this huge particle accelerator was going to do -- killer black holes never had so much airtime.
Battling against this pseudoscience was the outspoken Prof. Cox, using science to rubbish these false claims. Having a particle physicist break out of the mold of "geeky science guy" obviously went down very well with the public and it seemed to open many doors for the "cool-headed, fun science communicator."
So now we have "Wonders," a perfect platform for Brian to do his stuff and at no point does he disappoint.
Narrating the wonderfully vivid computer graphics and videos from the best observations of our nearest star, Brian communicates some very complex physics in a way that the audience won't only understand, but they will relate to. In my experience of science communication, making complex theories and discoveries relevant to your audience is paramount.
Brian's enthusiasm and love for science is center-stage. For me, his response to viewing a total solar eclipse in India (pictured top) is particularly moving -- his boyish excitement mixed with excellent descriptions of celestial mechanics is a joy to watch.
Probably the biggest "wow" moment for me was after Brian visits the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the Mojave Desert, Calif. At night, sitting outside a truck stop, Brian assembles a model of the solar system on a circular table. At the center, he places a lit Zippo lighter (the sun) and surrounding it, he places jellybeans (the planets) at scaled distances from the sun. The "Earth" is placed 1 centimeter from the flame and Pluto is placed right at the edge of the table (representing 50 Astronomical Units).
What he does next, to give a sense of how big the Solar System really is, Brian goes to the very edge of the sun's gravitational influence: the Oort Cloud. This cloud of potentially billions of icy bodies is the birth place for the comets that dive through interplanetary space, occasionally getting disturbed by passing stars. How Brian goes about representing this distance I'll leave for you to find out (I don't want to spoil that moment), but for someone who thought they understood the vastness of space, I was floored.
This is just one example of how Brian encapsulates the wonder of the sun and all the planets within its sphere of influence (the heliosphere).
If I had to give this first episode of this superb series a grade, it would be an A+. That hour passed too quickly and I can't wait to watch the second installment of what promises to be a massively popular television event.
Watch "Wonders of the Solar System: Empire of the Sun" TONIGHT at 9 pm on the Science Channel.
Tags: Current Events, Earth, Physics, Space People, The Sun
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