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The Best Episodes of NOVA Season 46

Every episode of NOVA Season 46 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of NOVA Season 46!

Binge this in 21h 5m•Peaking at 8.5/10

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    NOVA Season 46 Episode 1 - Pluto and Beyond
    7.8/10(94 votes)

    #1 - Pluto and Beyond

    S46:E1

    Since it explored Pluto in 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft has been zooming toward NASA’s most distant target yet. Join the mission team as the probe attempts to fly by Ultima Thule, an object 4 billion miles from Earth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. NOVA Season 46 Episode 2 - Einstein's Quantum Riddle
    7.8/10(162 votes)

    #2 - Einstein's Quantum Riddle

    S46:E2

    Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance,” but today quantum entanglement is poised to revolutionize technology from computers to cryptography. Physicists have gradually become convinced that the phenomenon—two subatomic particles that mirror changes in each other instantaneously over any distance—is real.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. NOVA Season 46 Episode 3 - Kïlauea: Hawai'i on Fire
    7.8/10(69 votes)

    #3 - Kïlauea: Hawai'i on Fire

    S46:E3

    Journey to Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, which sent rivers of lava through communities and into the sea when it erupted in 2018. A group of scientists and locals investigate the spike in volcano activity that turned paradise into an inferno.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. NOVA Season 46 Episode 4 - Decoding the Great Pyramid
    7.5/10(120 votes)

    #4 - Decoding the Great Pyramid

    S46:E4

    New archeological evidence sheds light on the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. NOVA Season 46 Episode 5 - Rise of the Rockets
    7.9/10(61 votes)

    #5 - Rise of the Rockets

    S46:E5

    With new technologies, NASA and private companies are promising a new renaissance in space travel.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. NOVA Season 46 Episode 6 - The Next Pompeii
    7.6/10(57 votes)

    #6 - The Next Pompeii

    S46:E6

    In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts the city of Naples at risk.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. NOVA Season 46 Episode 7 - Saving the Dead Sea
    7.9/10(44 votes)

    #7 - Saving the Dead Sea

    S46:E7

    Scientists, engineers and political leaders devise a plan to save the Dead Sea, whose levels have declined by more than 65 feet since 1976.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. NOVA Season 46 Episode 8 - Inside the Megafire
    7.6/10(45 votes)

    #8 - Inside the Megafire

    S46:E8

    Scientists try to determine the cause for the increasing megafire threat by exploring the physics of fire, how firestorms move and travel and by analyzing aerial drone and satellite data to catch fires before they start.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. NOVA Season 46 Episode 9 - First Horse Warriors
    7.8/10(60 votes)

    #9 - First Horse Warriors

    S46:E9

    Canadian anthropologist Niobe Thompson travels to sites in Kazakhstan, genetics labs in Denmark and anthropology museums in Russia to unlock mysteries surrounding the first riders of wild horses.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. NOVA Season 46 Episode 10 - Lost Viking Army
    7.1/10(64 votes)

    #10 - Lost Viking Army

    S46:E10

    Forensic archaeologist Cat Jarman and her team investigate the Great Heathen army, a legendary Viking fighting force that invaded England in the 9th century.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. NOVA Season 46 Episode 11 - Back to the Moon
    8.0/10(76 votes)

    #11 - Back to the Moon

    S46:E11

    On the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing, NOVA looks ahead to the hoped-for dawn of a new age in lunar exploration. This time, governments and private industry are working together to reach our nearest celestial neighbour. But why go back? The Moon can serve as a platform for basic astronomical research; as an abundant source of rare metals and hydrogen fuel; and ultimately as a stepping stone for human missions to Mars and beyond. Join the next generation of engineers that aim to take us to the Moon, and discover how our legacy of lunar exploration won't be confined to the history books for long.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. NOVA Season 46 Episode 12 - The Planets: Inner Worlds
    8.2/10(120 votes)

    #12 - The Planets: Inner Worlds

    S46:E12

    The rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars all have similar origins, but only one supports life.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. NOVA Season 46 Episode 13 - The Planets: Mars
    8.2/10(93 votes)

    #13 - The Planets: Mars

    S46:E13

    The dry, red planet Mars was once a blue water world studded with active volcanoes and may have even had the ingredients to support life.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. NOVA Season 46 Episode 14 - The Planets: Jupiter
    8.5/10(88 votes)

    #14 - The Planets: Jupiter

    S46:E14

    Jupiter's gravitational force made it a wrecking ball as it barreled through the early solar system, but it also helped shape life on Earth as it brought comets laden with water and possibly the asteroid that put an end to the dinosaurs.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. NOVA Season 46 Episode 15 - The Planets: Saturn
    8.5/10(100 votes)

    #15 - The Planets: Saturn

    S46:E15

    Nasa's Cassini reveals the mysteries of Saturn's rings and new hope for life on one of its moons.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. NOVA Season 46 Episode 16 - The Planets: Ice Worlds
    8.5/10(80 votes)

    #16 - The Planets: Ice Worlds

    S46:E16

    Uranus and Neptune's unexpected rings, supersonic winds and dozens of moons; an up-close view of Pluto before exploring the Kuiper belt.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. NOVA Season 46 Episode 17 - Why Bridges Collapse
    7.8/10(65 votes)

    #17 - Why Bridges Collapse

    S46:E17

    Join experts as they compare what happened in several deadly bridge collapses across America.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. NOVA Season 46 Episode 18 - Look Who's Driving
    8.0/10(58 votes)

    #18 - Look Who's Driving

    S46:E18

    Self-driving cars may one day be big business, but will they ever be safer than human drivers?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. NOVA Season 46 Episode 19 - Rise of the Mammals
    7.7/10(104 votes)

    #19 - Rise of the Mammals

    S46:E19

    Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs in a fiery global catastrophe. An amazing trove of fossils reveals how mammals took over, ultimately evolving into the huge array of species—including humans—that rule the Earth today.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. NOVA Season 46 Episode 20 - Dead Sea Scroll Detectives
    7.4/10(70 votes)

    #20 - Dead Sea Scroll Detectives

    S46:E20

    Since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, these fragile parchment relics have intrigued scholars, religious leaders, and profiteers alike. The 2,000-year-old scrolls include the oldest-known versions of the Hebrew Bible and hold vital clues about the birth of Christianity. While certain scrolls have survived intact, others have been ravaged by time—burnt, decayed, or torn to pieces—and remain an enigma. Now, scientists are using new technologies to read the unreadable, solve mysteries that have endured for millennia, and even discover million-dollar fakes.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. NOVA Season 46 Episode 21 - Decoding Da Vinci
    7.9/10(113 votes)

    #21 - Decoding Da Vinci

    S46:E21

    How Leonardo da Vinci used science to create his legendary artwork. Included: why Mona Lisa's smile is so captivating—and what it took to create it.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. NOVA Season 46 Episode 22 - The Violence Paradox
    7.4/10(99 votes)

    #22 - The Violence Paradox

    S46:E22

    Is violence actually declining? If so, why? And can we build a more peaceful future?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. NOVA Season 46 Episode 23 - Animal Espionage
    7.9/10(39 votes)

    #23 - Animal Espionage

    S46:E23

    Camera technology is revolutionizing the study of animals—without them even noticing.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 46 Ratings Summary

"Pluto and Beyond" is the best rated episode of "NOVA" season 46. It scored 7.8/10 based on 94 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/2/2019. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Einstein's Quantum Riddle".