Series from 2014
This series travels through Latin America to view ancient temples devoted to astronomical pursuits, and to visit present day observatories.
Travel to Mexico, Colombia and Bolivia to discover how the ancient civilizations of Latin America worshipped and observed the Sun. Among the destinations: experience the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan and a ritual for the Winter Solstice, the Inti Raymi or Feast of the Sun in Tiwanacu, Bolivia.
As we look at the relationship of Latin American cultures with the Moon, we visit the millenary city of Chan Chan, in the North of Peru, built by the Chimú culture to worship the Moon; see how Aztecs in Mexico measured time by the Moon, and look at the Wayu people in Colombia and their Moon rituals.
Explore the likelihood of life on Mars, with NASA’s experiments in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the most similar place to the red planet on earth. Meet a Colombian astronaut who was trained to travel to the red planet, and learn about Curiosity, a robotic mission sent to Mars and more!
Travel to Death Valley, California, to get as close to the atmosphere of Venus as you can on Earth. Then journey into Chichen Itzá, Mexico, to explore the knowledge of Venus held by Mayas and jam to rock group, Sak Tzevul, as they sing about Mayan culture in ancient languages, and more.
Across Latin America, meteors have played a role in culture and folk tales. Visit Campo del Cielo, a region in Chaco, Argentina, the site of a 4,000-year-old meteor shower and learn about the significance that the event has up to this day. We also travel to a meteor crater in Chile and more!
How did the Universe and life begin? We visit ALMA, the largest radio telescope in the world, where research is carried out to find out the origins of the Universe. In Chile we witness the dance of “cueca” dedicated to the Big Bang; and the ritual of the Mapuche indigenous people, We Tripantu.