/ Modified aug 5, 2011 8:28 a.m.

Big Dreams, Cosmic Journeys

Set your sights on the stars – it’s a night all about space! Wednesday beginning at 8 p.m. on PBS-HD.

The evening begins with Phoenix Mars Mission: Ashes to Ice at 8 p.m.

mars landing red Phoenix Mars Lander approaching final destination artist interpretation

Phoenix Mars Mission, led by Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, is the latest mission seeking to unlock the secrets of the Red Planet. The Phoenix Mars Mission team seeks to verify the presence of water and habitable conditions in the Martian arctic.


NOVA: Is There Life on Mars? at 9 p.m.

NOVA_life_mars_entry_spot An artistic rendering of a Mars robot explorer entering the Mars atmosphere.
PBS

More than four years after they landed on Mars, NASA's twin robot explorers, Spirit and Opportunity, have lasted 16 times longer and driven 20 times farther than expected. Along the way, they've endured the worst Martian storm ever recorded and survived near-fatal software glitches, a broken wheel and hair-raising climbs and descents on steep slopes.


400 Years of the Telescope at 10 p.m.

400_yrs_telescope-jupiter-spot 400 Years of the Telescope, Moons of Jupiter, JPL, 1979

This visually stunning program chronicles a sweeping journey, from 1609, when Galileo revealed mankind's place in the galaxy, to today's thrilling quests to discover new worlds in the universe.


Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice at 11 p.m.

phoenix mars lander Phoenix Mars Lander

Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice follows the Phoenix Mars Lander's 422-million mile journey through space. The final destination is a carefully selected landing site in the northern Martian plains. But before the Lander can begin touching, tasting and sniffing Martian soil in search for signs of life, it first must land on the planet safely.

Wednesday beginning at 8 p.m. on PBS-HD.

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