Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: DK VIDEO
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1997
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0789421488
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,712 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"My very excellent memory just stores up nine planets." So you and your kids will be saying, both to help you remember the names of our nearest neighbors (you know, Mercury, Venus...) and to show off to your friends that you've seen Eyewitness: Planets. DK's voyage into outer space is full of amazing footage and special effects that intrigue and educate kids and adults about these "wandering stars." Topics include surface conditions, orbits, and planets' history as objects of curiosity and worship throughout the ages. From Galileo to Voyager, you'll find centuries of learning packed into a half an hour that doesn't wear down over repeated viewings. Eyewitness: Planets is a must for the family that learns together. --Rob Lightner

Product Description

The final frontier. Since we first walked the Earth we have gazed in wonder at the night skies and searched for our place in the Universe. Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Video: Planets takes us from the sun to the outermost limits of our solar system demystifying the nine rocky and gaseous masses we know as planets. The moon landing in 1969 along with five subsequent trips are the only extra-terrestrial landings that man has made, and while the lack of an atmosphere on the moon assures that our footsteps will remain on the surface indefinitely, that does not quell our appetite to know what lies beyond. Actual satellite footage is combined with the series' trademark three-dimensional graphics and the latest in computer animation to take viewers on a journey that begins at 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit -- on the surface of the sun. Using an imaginary space shuttle as our guide, stops are made on each of the nine planets detailing their discovery, composition, atmosphere, orbit, weather conditions, and their ability to support life. From our oldest beliefs (the sky is a blanket filled with pinholes to let the lights of Heaven shine through), no discovery is overlooked as were are toured through the most recent advances: the Hubbell Telescope, the newest moons, and the discovery of a meteorite from the surface of Mars that contained fossils of bacteria. More than any other, we have looked to the red planet for the hope of other life in our solar system. You will learn if life existed there millions of years ago, ever did, or still does. Students will be captivated by the journey and held in awe as to what lies beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Astronomy is one of the world's oldest sciences, and this exciting addition to the Eyewitness Video series is sure to inspire the next Copernicus or Galileo currently in our classrooms.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent video for an Astronomy class, February 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eyewitness - Planets [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Through the use of computer graphics, and photos obtained from outer space, the video presents a "field trip" through the planets that make up the solar system. It is short in length (30 minutes), and retained the student's attention. I would recommend it to anybody who is looking for an economical video that still contains a lot of useful information.

I have used a number of Eyewitness videos to enrich the experience my students have in class, and found them all to be excellent.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic for young and old!, July 24, 2003

By 

"clhidy" (Saginaw, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness - Planets [VHS] (VHS Tape)

My grandson, who is now 5, has watched this video over and over since he was 3. He practically has it memorized! He has had an interest in space and stars since he was a year old. For anyone interested in fun facts about our universe, this is a great video! Our whole family enjoys it! Well narrated!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not for young children, February 3, 2003

By 

Rebecca L. Chatfield "frequently lucid" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eyewitness - Planets [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This Eyewitness video, like the couple others we have viewed with our preschoolers, is interesting for us adults, but not at all entertaining enough for young children. Too much talking! Not enough action! <G>

And the video techniques used (like completely unrelated objects combined with each other in artsy ways; for example video of planets superimposed onto video of museum-style rooms to make it appear as if each planet inhabits its own room in the museum) just confuse literal-minded preschoolers, who believe the planets actually are in those rooms and are undoubtedly getting a really mixed up idea about planet size. <G>