Skip to main content
The Planets: Mars

Up Next

Rise of the Mammals

Rise of the Mammals

Season 46 Episode 17
53:15
Decoding da Vinci

Decoding da Vinci

Season 46 Episode 21
53:30
Polar Extremes

Polar Extremes

Season 47 Episode 1
1:52:46
Cat Tales

Cat Tales

Season 47 Episode 3
53:21
Nature's Fear Factor

Nature's Fear Factor

Season 47 Episode 9
53:21
Can We Cool the Planet?

Can We Cool the Planet?

Season 47 Episode 16
53:31
Beyond the Elements: Reactions

Beyond the Elements: Reactions

Season 47 Episode 17
53:31
Beyond the Elements: Indestructible

Beyond the Elements: Indestructible

Season 47 Episode 18
53:30
NOVA Season 47

Beyond the Elements: Life

Season 47 Episode 19
53:32
Looking for Life on Mars

Looking for Life on Mars

Season 48 Episode 2
53:46
Reef Rescue

Reef Rescue

Season 48 Episode 4
54:06
The Cannabis Question

The Cannabis Question

Season 48 Episode 11
53:36
Back to Show
NOVA

The Planets: Mars

Season 46 Episode 13

Mars was once a blue water-world studded with active volcanoes. But when its magnetic field and protective atmosphere faded, it became the frozen desert planet we know today. With so many necessary elements in place, did life ever form on Mars?

Watch Preview
Support Provided By
Season
Building Chernobyl's MegaTomb
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:55
Engineers race to build a massive dome to contain the crumbling remains of the reactor.
Ultimate Cruise Ship
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:09
Join pioneering shipbuilders as they embark on a feat of maritime engineering.
School of the Future
1:53:34
How can the science of learning help us rethink the future of education for all children?
Iceman Reborn
53:32
Watch as Otzi, a 5000-year-old mummy, is brought to life and preserved with 3D modeling.
Inside Einstein's Mind
53:07
Retrace the thought experiments that inspired his theory on the nature of reality.
Making North America: Human
53:41
How has the land shaped our lives, from the arrival of the first Americans to today?
Making North America: Life
53:35
How did massive volcanic eruptions, inland seas, and land bridges pave the way for life?
Making North America: Origins
53:35
Experience the colossal geologic forces that shaped our continent over 3 billion years.
Chasing Pluto
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:41
Watch as the New Horizons spacecraft captures our first clear view of Pluto’s icy surface.
Sinkholes—Buried Alive
53:40
The catastrophic collapse of the ground beneath our feet is a growing worldwide hazard.
Manhunt—Boston Bombers
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:10
Which technologies worked in the race to track down the men behind the marathon attack?
Mind of a Rampage Killer
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:53
Can science help us understand why some people commit horrific acts of mass murder?
Active loading indicator