Product Details

• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Worldwide
• DVD Release Date: September 7, 2010
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003NF97OE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,294 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Experience the extraordinary…in our planet’s own backyard. Wonders explores some of the most amazing features of our very own solar system – how the forces of nature carved out beauty and order from the chaos of space; how our home planet doesn’t sit in magnificent isolation but is intimately connected with the rest of the solar system; and how these connections have created the haven we call Earth. Using the latest scientific knowledge and breathtaking images beamed back from the fleet of probes, rovers and telescopes currently in space, this gorgeous imagery will is paired with some of the most spectacular, extreme locations on Earth help to reveal wonders never thought possible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, (a 30 year update on Cosmos), August 29, 2010

By 

rossuk (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wonders of the Solar System (DVD)

I have just finished watching the UK DVD. Superb, I loved it. Prof. Brian Cox is great (winsome actually), his explanations were very good, his explanation about the conservation of angular momentum in star formation and tornadoes was superb. His explanation of the retrograde motion of Mars was also very good, it was the first time I understood it. He calculated the total energy output of the sun, using a can of water, an umbrella and a thermometer. Maybe he will encourage more people to study physics (he is a particle physicist). My degree is in Physics. so I enjoy this stuff.

As it was written in 2009, it takes into account all the probes that we have sent into the Solar System (over the last 30+ years). What was of particular interest, to me, is all the moons in the Solar System, all 145+ of them, Saturn alone has 61 moons. Titan has liquid methane lakes instead of water and it has an atmosphere, Enceladus has geyser like events. With Jupiter's 63 moons, IO has active volcanoes, and Europa is an Ice moon with some evidence of water below the surface. With Mars there is evidence of water and an atmosphere in the distant past, and there is methane on Mars now. He goes into some detail about Saturn's rings, which was fascinating, to me as a physicist. The only problem I have is it is only 5 episodes and I wanted more, the next series will be on Wonders of the Universe. It is fascinating stuff. The SFX were good too.

The series is a good example of the Anthropic principle, Cox calls it the Goldilocks principle, "everything was just right" to produce life (on Earth). It is the correct mass, distance from the sun, it has an atmosphere so that the Earth can support liquid water, without which there would be no life. The magnetic field deflects the solar wind so the atmosphere is not stripped off, the atmosphere helps to regulate the climate, protects us from the sun's rays and helps to protect from meteorites.

Episodes: (Adapted from Wiki.)

1. "Empire of the Sun"
The first episode illustrates how the formation and behaviour of the Sun affects each planet in the Solar System. Includes solar wind, Aurora Borealis, plus aurora on Jupiter and Saturn.

2. "Order Out of Chaos"
The second instalment focuses on the Rings of Saturn, and the geysers of Enceladus. Plus the formation of the solar system. Here he introduces the conservation of angular momentum, as my degree is in physics, I loved it.

3. "The Thin Blue Line"
The third episode looks at the atmosphere of Earth and that of Saturn's moon Titan. Plus Enceladus's geyser like events.

4. "Dead or Alive"
The fourth episode looks at the size of planets, volcanoes, and the Jovian moon Io. Plus dead Mars and hot Venus, Earth being the Goldilocks planet.

5. "Aliens"
The final installment covers life surviving in extreme environments, and how the search for life on other worlds follows the search for water, focusing on Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa.

NB. The next series is on Wonders of the Universe [Blu-ray] release date August 30th 2011.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Astrophysics Series Since Cosmos, August 14, 2010

By 

Androly-San - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wonders of the Solar System [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

As the title says, this is by far the best Astrophysics series, in my opinion, since Sagan's legendary Cosmos.

Professor Cox injects a measure of genuine excitement into this series that is seldom seen. He is truly marveled at all these wonders as he explains them, and it is extremely contagious. The topics feel close at hand, and it does a great job transporting you to these places that are 'just around the corner'. Not having to deal with the great distances and unknowns of the universe, but instead focusing on our solar system, the series goes into great detail about our cosmic neighborhood. You will have gained knowledge as never before by the time you're done.

I can't wait for the bluray release to experience this in the best quality possible with my family. Needless to say, i am now a fan of professor Cox' work and can't wait for his follow-up (which is already being filmed!!).

My only complaint is that 5 episodes is not nearly enough, I could have watched another 20!

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!, July 28, 2010

By 

benhusmann "dsnhaus" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wonders of the Solar System (DVD)

My wife and I were able to catch this program on TV while overseas. It is the most fascinating, inspiring, and entertaining science program I've ever seen. Can't wait for the DVD release. The host, Brian Cox, is a physicist, and his delight and wonder regarding the topics in the show are infectious. I can't recommend this enough!