NOVA
Season 50 Episode 11 - Ancient Earth: Birth of the Sky
Today, Earth is enveloped by a thin veil of gas, a narrow band of atmosphere that protects a world covered in lush green vegetation, deep blue oceans, and abundant life. But 4.5 billion years ago, Earth was a very different place: a hellscape of molten lava and barren rock, under relentless bombardment from meteors, and with no atmosphere whatsoever. So how did our familiar blue sky come to be? Breathtakingly realistic animations and a chorus of science experts reveal how the primordial inferno first gave rise to an orange-hued cauldron of toxic gasses that would be deadly to us today. Witness how the first drops of rain splashed down on the searing planet, setting the stage for the evolution of life. And discover how life itself helped create the air we all breathe today.
Episodes in Season 50
London Super Tunnel
54 min
Star Chasers of Senegal
54 min
Ancient Builders of the Amazon
54 min
New Eye on the Universe
54 min
Weathering the Future
54 min
Chasing Carbon Zero
54 min
Saving the Right Whale
54 min
Hidden Volcano Abyss
53 min
Your Brain: Perception Deception (1)
54 min
Your Brain: Who's in Control? (2)
54 min
Ancient Earth: Birth of the Sky
54 min
Ancient Earth: Frozen
54 min
Ancient Earth: Life Rising
54 min
Ancient Earth: Inferno
54 min
Ancient Earth: Humans
53 min
Inside China's Tech Boom
53 min
The Battle to Beat Malaria
54 min
Lee and Liza's Family Tree
54 min
