The life of our solar system told in five dramatic stories spanning billions of years.

Among the stars in the night sky wander the worlds of our own solar system—each home to truly awe-inspiring sights: a volcano three times as tall as Everest, geysers erupting with icy plumes, a cyclone larger than Earth that’s been churning for hundreds of years. In this five-part series, NOVA explores the awesome beauty of The Planets. With special effects and extraordinary footage captured by orbiters, landers and rovers, you’ll get up-close look at Saturn’s 45,000-mile-wide rings, Mars’ towering ancient waterfalls, and Neptune’s supersonic winds. Scientists share the inside story of the missions that revealed everything from methane lakes on a distant moon to the mysterious unfrozen sea in Pluto’s heart. Along the way, NOVA reveals how each of these spectacular worlds has shaped our own planet: Earth.