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The Best Episodes of The Universe

Every episode of The Universe ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Universe!

The Best Episodes of The Universe

From the planets to the stars and out to the edge of the unknown, history and science collide in a wondrous yet deadly adventure through...

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  1. 8.8/10(196 votes)

    #1 - Beyond the Big Bang

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    S1:E14

    The universe began with a massive expansion, billions and billions of years ago, and it continues to expand with every passing second. The idea that the universe, and man's very existence, began with a "Big Bang" is no longer a topic of debate among most scientists--it is essentially taken as fact.

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  2. 8.4/10(162 votes)

    #2 - Alien Galaxies

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    S1:E9

    Our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions in the universe. View of universe through the Hubble telescope and go back almost all the way to the Big Bang.

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  3. 8.4/10(143 votes)

    #3 - Life and Death of a Star

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    S1:E10

    Ignited by the power of the atom, burning with light, heat and wrath, stars are anything but peaceful. They collide, devour each other, and explode in enormous supernovas--the biggest explosions in the Universe.

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  4. 8.3/10(151 votes)

    #4 - Saturn: Lord of the Rings

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    S1:E8

    Are the rings of Saturn a real celestial phenomenon or merely a cosmic Illusion? Technology allows the experts to get closer to the furthest planet visible to the naked eye. Old questions are answered and new ones arise. Does Saturn hold the key to Earth's weather and will one of its moons supply us with all the oil we'll ever need?

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  5. 8.2/10(60 votes)

    #5 - Microscopic Universe

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    S7:E5

    An examination is conducted into the world of miniature particles, as microscopic objects like neutrinos MACHOs, WIMPs and many others may ultimately lead to understanding more about the mysteries surrounding the cosmos.

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  6. 8.0/10(255 votes)

    #6 - Secrets of the Sun

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    S1:E1

    Behold the sun and all of it's glory. Learn all things about the sun ranging from its beginning to its death. Also learn about how stars work in general and MUCH MUCH more.

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  8. 8.0/10(213 votes)

    #7 - Mars: The Red Planet

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    S1:E2

    Visit the planet most like Earth. There is a discussion of what life on Mars would be like and about the life forms that could've evolved there.

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  9. 8.0/10(180 votes)

    #8 - Jupiter: The Giant Planet

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    S1:E4

    Jupiter poses many questions about our solar system. It is a powerful planet of gas whose flowing colors and spots are beautiful, but contain violent storms and jet streams. A mini solar system of over sixty moons rotate around Jupiter--a half billion miles from earth. Could one of these moons contain life under its icy crust?

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  10. 8.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Alien Planets

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    S2:E1

    Have planet hunters finally found proof of other Earthlike worlds? Astronomers have now discovered over two hundred alien worlds, beyond our solar system, that were unknown just a decade ago

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  11. 8.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - The Milky Way

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    S2:E4

    We used to think that Earth was at the center of the universe, but now we know we're not even at the center of our own galaxy. Countless wonders exist between where earth is situated and the massive black hole at the galactic center of our solar system. Within the Milky Way can be found the debris of old, dying stars fueling the birth of new stars and at the galactic center hypervelocity stars get catapulted clear beyond the Milky Way's outer rim at unimaginable speeds. Come along for a guided tour of 100,000 light-year-wide family of stars and stellar phenomena we call The Milky Way.

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  12. 8.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Wildest Weather in the Cosmos

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    S2:E15

    Imagine a tornado so powerful, it can form a planet or how about rain made of iron.

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  13. 7.9/10(164 votes)

    #12 - The Moon

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    S1:E5

    The moon has comforted man for thousands of years. It's been everything from a god to a compass, and the only cosmic body human beings have ever visited. NASA is planning to build a permanent outpost there. Discover how the moon came to be--if you don't already know, you will be astounded.

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  14. 7.9/10(150 votes)

    #13 - The Inner Planets: Mercury & Venus

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    S1:E7

    Examining Mercury and Venus. Included: exploring how the damages they've suffered from cosmic collisions and acid rain may serve as a warning for Earth.

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  15. 7.9/10(137 votes)

    #14 - The Outer Planets

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    S1:E11

    This episode details outer lying planets and their moons. Included will be Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Using CGI, we will also see what alien life might look like on other worlds.

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  16. 7.9/10(131 votes)

    #15 - The Most Dangerous Place in the Universe

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    S1:E12

    Take a tour of the cosmic hot zones--black holes, galaxy mergers, gamma ray bursts and magnetars. Super black holes can literally lasso Earth out of the solar system. A clash between two galaxies can result in a ritual called galactic cannibalism. Magnetars are a cosmic magnetic force so strong it could wipe out data on every credit card.

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  17. 7.8/10(191 votes)

    #16 - The End of the Earth: Deep Space Threats to our Planet

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    S1:E3

    Asteroids, comets, gamma ray bursts and the sun all combine to make the Earth a dangerous place to live. NASA's top brass and other scientists are arming themselves with the latest technology to pre-empt an apocalyptic attack. Watch and investigate bizarre, and terrifying apocalyptic scenarios and the ways that scientists are racing against the clock to develop technology to defend our planet.

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  18. 7.8/10(87 votes)

    #17 - Light Speed

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    S3:E3

    According to the laws of physics we can never travel faster than the speed of light...or can we? Light speed allows us to see things instantly here on Earth, and shows us the entire history of the universe going back nearly 14 billion years. Learn all about light speed, the ultimate constant in the universe and discover ways scientists envision breaking the "light barrier" which may be the only way the star travel of our imaginations ever comes to reality.

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  19. 7.7/10(131 votes)

    #18 - Search for ET

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    S1:E13

    Are we alone? SETI--the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence--is a privately funded project using radio telescopes and optical telescopes to scan the stars for signals.

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  20. 7.7/10(73 votes)

    #19 - Strangest Things

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    S3:E10

    An exploration of mysterious phenomenon, including alcohol clouds in space, pulsar planets, the possibility of a planet beyond Neptune, and dark matter.

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  21. 7.7/10(56 votes)

    #20 - Our Place in the Milky Way

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    S7:E3

    An exploration of Earth's cosmic neighborhood. Looking beyond the borders of our solar system, what's nearby in our galaxy? How do the other objects in our local area influence life on Earth? And, how did Earth's place in the galaxy make it the perfect place for the development of advanced life?

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  22. 7.7/10(45 votes)

    #21 - Ride the Comet

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    S7:E6

    A comet travels to the sun from the outer reaches of the solar system.

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  23. 7.6/10(148 votes)

    #22 - Spaceship Earth

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    S1:E6

    Take a high performance ride through the formation of the third planet from the Sun, Earth... A survivor of one of the most violent "neighborhoods" in the Universe, learn how Earth was created and discover what creatures hold clues to how life began. What evil forces threaten the demise of Earth? Complex and controversial, this is the scientific detective story of all time.

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  24. 7.5/10(63 votes)

    #23 - How Big, How Far, How Fast

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    S7:E1

    The biggest objects, farthest distances, and fastest speeds are made relatable through extreme physical analogies.

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  25. 7.4/10(72 votes)

    #24 - Deep Space Disasters

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    S3:E1

    In space travel there is a saying that the first 50 miles and the last 50 miles are the most dangerous. See how a single spark inside a spacecraft or a micrometeoroid less than an inch wide hitting a space station can turn a routine mission into a lethal nightmare. As the missions become longer, venturing to Mars and beyond, the potential disasters will only become bigger. What would happen if a spacecraft ventured too close to a black hole or was hit by a gamma ray burst?

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  26. 7.3/10(75 votes)

    #25 - Another Earth

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    S3:E9

    Could we be unique in the universe or is there another planet similar to earth somewhere in the cosmos? Is it possible that Alpha Centauri, our nearest star, is home to another earth-like planet? Earth sized planets have been hard to find, but indirect methods are coming on line to give scientists a good survey of how many such bodies may be in the universe. How rare would it be to find life on another earth-like planet?

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Best Episodes Summary

"Beyond the Big Bang" is the best rated episode of "The Universe". It scored 8.8/10 based on 196 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 9/4/2007. This episode scored 0.4 points higher than the second highest rated, "Alien Galaxies".