In a two-hour special, NOVA examines how a simple instrument, the telescope, has fundamentally changed our understanding of our place in the universe. What began as a curiosity-two spectacle lenses held a foot apart-ultimately revolutionized human thought across science, philosophy and religion. Telescope takes viewers on a global adventure of discovery, dramatizing the innovations in technology and the achievements in science that have marked the rich history of the telescope.
This tale of human ingenuity involves some of the most colorful figures of the scientific world-Galileo, Kepler, Newton, William Herschel, George Hale, and Edwin Hubble - leading up to today's colossal telescopes, housed in space-age cathedrals or orbiting high above the Earth.
Now at the center of an international space race, a new generation of ever-larger telescopes is poised to reveal answers to longstanding questions about our universe-and, in turn, to raise new questions.
Episodes include:
The Mystery of the Milky Way; and
The Ever Expanding Universe.
Producer: Oliver Twinch, Peter Jones
Production Year: 2010
Copyright Year: 2010
Discs: 1
Audio Format: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen