Recommended Astronomy DVDs, Blu-Rays and 4K UHD Blu-Rays

Immerse yourself in an astonishing exploration of space with all five seasons of this epic series from HISTORY. Shot in HD with stunning footage from NASA and packed with state-of-the-art CGI graphics THE UNIVERSE takes viewers on a visually arresting journey across the galaxy to bring the beauty and mysteries of the cosmos a little closer to home. Delve into the cataclysmic events that set the stage for life, and visit sites where Earth s birthing process is still in evidence. Relive astronomical triumphs, from the first crude lenses that were able to magnify celestial bodies to probes that blaze to the most distant planets. See the hottest events in the sky, from colliding celestial bodies to collapsing suns. And venture into the uncharted territory of outer space through the visions, studies, and predictions of scientists and explorers on this journey of cosmic discovery, amazement, and adventure.

Blu-Ray version here: Now in glorious Blu-Ray, THE UNIVERSE MEGA COLLECTION includes all 63 original episodes of all five seasons of this epic series, plus the feature-length documentary Beyond the Big Bang.

From director Todd Douglas Miller comes a cinematic event 50 years in the making. Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11 takes us straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission – €”the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names. Immersed in the perspectives of the astronauts, the team in Mission Control, and the millions of spectators on the ground, we vividly experience those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future. Blu-Ray version here

Long in the works, this update/re-imagining of the groundbreaking Carl Sagan science series uses cutting-edge effects to explore the nature of the universe and man’s place within it. Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson anchors this new voyage for the “Ship of the Imagination.” Episodes include “Standing Up in the Milky Way,” “Some of the Things Molecules Do,” “Hiding in the Light,” “A Sky Full of Ghosts,” “The Clean Room,” “Sisters of the Sun,” “Unafraid of the Dark,” and more. 13 episodes on 4 discs. 9 1/4 hrs. Widescreen. Region Free Blu-Ray version here

In the course of 13 fascinating hours, Cosmos spans its own galaxy of topics to serve Sagan’s theme, each segment deepening our understanding of how we got from there (simple microbes in the primordial mud) to here (space-faring civilization in the 21st century). In his “ship of the imagination,” Sagan guides us to the farthest reaches of space and takes us back into the history of scientific inquiry, from the ancient library of Alexandria to the NASA probes of our neighboring planets. Upon this vast canvas Sagan presents the “cosmic calendar,” placing the 15-billion-year history of the universe into an accessible one-year framework, then filling it with a stunning chronology of events, both interstellar and earthbound.

This film absolutely annihilates the perception that the space program died with the end of the Space Shuttle Program. It showcases the exciting plans NASA and the space community are working on as well as the challenges they must overcome to carry out audacious missions, including landing astronauts on Mars and capturing asteroids. By using extensive interviews with astronauts Chris Ferguson (Commander of the final shuttle mission) and Serena Aunon (a new astronaut chosen for future flights), Journey to Space gives a sweeping overview of past space accomplishments, current activities, and future plans
Blu-Ray version here.
4k UHD Blu-Ray version here.

If you are interested in the physics of subatomic particle theory tied together with cosmology, its history of discovery, what is known vs what challenges remain to be discovered… then this is for you.

The Planets is an entertaining, comprehensive, and informative documentary series that sets out to answer many of life’s most physically existential questions. The four planets closest to the sun, called the rocky planets, were born from the same material in the same era. Only on Earth do we find the unique conditions for life as we know it. But why only here? Were Earth’s neighbors always so extreme? And is there somewhere else in the solar system life might flourish?

If you are interested in the physics of subatomic particle theory tied together with cosmology, its history of discovery, what is known vs what challenges remain to be discovered… then this is for you.

Seeing in the Dark aims to redefine the standards of quality in nonfiction science programming for television, and is meant to introduce viewers to the wonders of the night sky, making casual stargazing or serious amateur astronomy a part of their lives. This program follows in the footsteps of Timothy Ferris’ two prior PBS specials The Creation of the Universe and Life Beyond Earth. Blu-Ray version here.

The film traces the story of the Chicago-born astronomer George Ellery Hale, considered the father of astrophysics, as he struggles personally and professionally to build the greatest telescopes of the 20th century at the Yerkes and Mount Wilson Observatories, and finally the 20-year effort to build the million-pound telescope on Palomar mountain beginning in the 1930s. Hale’s observatories revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

With vivid docudrama scenes starring Scott Handy (Henry VIII) as Newton, NOVA recreates the unique climate of late 17th-century England, where a newfound fascination with science and mathematics coexisted with extreme views on religious doctrine. Unknown to most, Newton shared both obsessions.

Only 12 American men walked upon its surface and they remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. Now for the first, and very possibly the last, time, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON combines archival material from the original NASA film footage, much of it never before seen, with interviews with the surviving astronauts, including Jim Lovell (Apollo 8 and 13), Dave Scott (Apollo 9 and 15), John Young (Apollo 10 and 16), Gene Cernan (Apollo 10 and 17), Mike Collins (Apollo 11), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11), Alan Bean (Apollo 12), Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14), Charlie Duke (Apollo 16) and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17). The astronauts emerge as eloquent, witty, emotional and very human. Read my review.

To celebrate 50 years of incredible achievements, the Discovery Channel has partnered with NASA to reveal the epic struggles, tragedies and triumphs in a bold chapter of human history. Along with the candid interviews of the people who made it happen, hundreds of hours of never-before-seen film footage from the NASA archives – including sequences on board the actual spacecraft in flight – have been carefully restored, edited and compiled for this landmark collection. Blu-Ray version here.

Al Reinert sifted through 6 million feet of film footage and 80 hours of interviews with astronauts, which serve as humble voice-overs for the lyrical imagery, and he assembled all this into a unique experience which was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar. Brian Eno’s lovely, atmospheric score evokes the sense of peace the astronauts say they felt while floating through space; the film’s spiritual quality is as affecting as its breathtaking visuals. Blu-Ray version here.

A well-told, informative film that captures the essence of the Space Program. Using the perspectives of the astronauts, their wives, cosmonauts as well as engineers and journalists, this documentary tells how the Apollo team accomplished the aggressive goal of reaching the moon and how this historical mission touched their lives.

Tom Hanks continues his love affair with space that began with Apollo 13 and his miniseries From Earth to the Moon with this compelling IMAX adventure, Magnificent Desolation. The true way to experience this film, of course, is in its IMAX splendor, but home-theater buffs won’t be disappointed. The footage takes the “lunar visitor” along moon’s craters and potholes, with nothing but the vastness of space all around. Unseen film shows close-ups of terrain as well as technical infrastructure that may well be models for future moon-living.

Region 2 PAL DVD only available from thr UK. The true story behind one of the most exciting and exhilarating times in history. Spanning twenty years from the Second World War through to the moon landings it exposes the ruthlessness and the brilliance of the scientists involved and the extreme levels of endurance needed by those wanting to succeed over the rest. The ‘race’ was to create the most powerful rocket and to land astronauts on the moon. It tells of the pioneering experiments and catastrophic risks that cost untold amounts of money and ended scores of lives. This can be traced back to the rivalry between two recklessly daring scientific leaders: the charismatic ex-Nazi Wernher von Braun in the American team, and the enigmatic Soviet project leader, known mysteriously as ‘The Chief Designer’.

The partnership with NASA and IMAX films continues with a tour of the next step in space exploration: the International Space Station (ISS). Sixteen countries helped build this giant station (still being built upon the film’s release in 2004). We see the first building blocks being constructed, including shots from inside the slick NASA shuttle launches to the friendly informalities of the Russian program. The crystal-clear pictures of the station and the Earth are the best aspects of this film.
Blu-Ray version here.
4k UHD Blu-Ray version here.

This excellent IMAX production follows the familiar IMAX format; at 40 minutes in length, it’s not as wide-ranging as other documentaries might be, but in chronicling the design, launch, and successful landings of NASA’s robotic Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, it offers an unprecedented level of visual splendor, highlighted by amazingly accurate computer-animated depictions of what really happened when the rovers arrived at their destination. Contains two bonus features. First is “Mars: Past, Present, and Future,” a 25-minute “making of” featurette that provides additional educational detail about our closest planetary neighbor, along with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with key personnel at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Then comes the 50-minute featurette “Mars and Beyond,” originally broadcast in 1957 as an episode of Walt Disney’s popular Disneyland TV show. Blu-Ray version here.

The great PBS science series Nova scores another hit with Mars: Dead or Alive, capturing all the excitement surrounding the Mars rover landings of early 2004. Originally broadcast just as the first of the twin rovers (“Spirit” and “Opportunity”) was experiencing temporary communication problems with Earth-bound mission controllers, this riveting hour-long episode chronicles the risky $820 million Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project from design to touchdown, dramatically illustrating (through the use of detailed simulations and sophisticated computer animation) the considerable chances of failure–a nail-biting gamble considering that fully two-thirds of all previous Mars missions never reached their destination. Through rigorous testing and initial failure of the MER parachute system to the celebrated transmission of pristine photos from the “Spirit” landing site, we see just how intensely complex and emotionally involving the missions are, especially for Cornell University astronomer and lead MER scientist Steve Squyres and his devoted team of colleagues at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Careers are on the line as technical problems accumulate, and one feels the same mixture of dread, anxiety, and elation that accompanied the historic return of Apollo 13. A bonus interview with Mars-mission pioneer Donna Shirley puts everything into resonant perspective, celebrating science and the MER missions as an essential human endeavor.

Join host Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and the best-selling author of The Elegant Universe, for a 3-part, in-depth exploration of the groundbreaking new string theory that will excite scientists and non-scientists alike. If string theory proves correct, the universe we see obscures a reality that is far richer and more complex than anyone ever imagined–a universe with numerous hidden dimensions, a universe in which the fabric of space can rip and tear, a universe that may be but one of many parallel universes.

Originally broadcast in April and May of 1998, the epic miniseries From the Earth to the Moon was HBO’s most expensive production to date, with a budget of $68 million. Hosted by executive producer Tom Hanks, the miniseries tackles the daunting challenge of chronicling the entire history of NASA’s Apollo space program from 1961 to 1972. Blu-Ray version here.

NASA’s worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency’s most heroic moments in 1970, when the Apollo 13 crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play (respectively) astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise in director Ron Howard’s intense, painstakingly authentic docudrama.
Blu-Ray version here.
4K UHD Blu-Ray version here.

Philip Kaufman’s intimate epic about the Mercury astronauts (based on Tom Wolfe’s book) was one of the most ambitious and spectacularly exciting movies of the 1980s. It surprised almost everybody by not becoming a smash hit. By all rights, the film should have been every bit the success that Apollo 13 would later become; The Right Stuff is not only just as thrilling, but it is also a bigger and better movie, combining history (both established and revisionist), grand myth-making (and myth puncturing), adventure, melodrama, behind-the-scenes dish, spectacular visuals, and a down-to-earth sense of humor. Blu-Ray version here.

Based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam Jr., October Sky emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999–a small miracle of good ol’ fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Hickam’s true story begins in 1957 with Russia’s historic launch of the Sputnik satellite, and while Homer (played with smart idealism by Jake Gyllenhaal) sees Sputnik as his cue to pursue a fascination with rocketry, his father (Chris Cooper) epitomizes the admirable yet sternly stubborn working-man’s ethic of the West Virginia coal miner, casting fear and disdain on Homer’s pursuit of science while urging his “errant” son to carry on the family business–a spirit-killing profession that Homer has no intention of joining. Blu-Ray version here.

The power of America’s national parks is undeniable. Millions have packed up the family to hike through impossibly lush forests, to gaze upon towering cliffs and deep-plunging canyons, to witness the breathtaking arcs of natural history, and, most of all, to share moments of wonder amid the protected treasures of this land. Narrated by Academy Award winner Robert Redford, National Parks Adventure is acclaimed filmmaker Greg MacGillivray’s most visually ambitious giant-screen film to date—a film that offers not only a sweeping overview of the national parks’ history, but is equal parts adrenaline-pumping odyssey and soulful reflection on what the wilderness means to us all.

Narrated by Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence, A Beautiful Planet is a breathtaking portrait of Earth from space, providing a unique perspective and increased understanding of our planet and galaxy as never seen before. Made in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the film features stunning footage of our magnificent blue planet – and the effects humanity has had on it over time – captured by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). From space, Earth blazes at night with the electric intensity of human expansion – a direct visualization of our changing world. But it is within our power to protect the planet. As we continue to explore and gain knowledge of our galaxy, we also develop a deeper connection to the place we all call home.

As of its release in early 2007, Planet Earth is quite simply the greatest nature/wildlife series ever produced. Following the similarly monumental achievement of The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, this astonishing 11-part BBC series is brilliantly narrated by Sir David Attenborough and sensibly organized so that each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat (mountains, caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been magnificently represented by the most astonishing sights and sounds you’ll ever experience from the comforts of home. Best viewed in its High Definition Blu-Ray version. Blu-Ray version here.

This landmark series uses specialist imaging and compelling narrative to tell the life story of our planet, how it works, and what makes it so special. Examining the great forces that shape the Earth – volcanoes, the ocean, the atmosphere and ice – the programme explores their central roles in our planet’s story. How do these forces affect the Earth’s landscape, its climate, and its history? CGI gives the audience a ringside seat at these great events, while the final episode brings together all the themes of the series and argues that Earth is an exceptionally rare kind of planet – giving us a special responsibility to look after our unique world. This is a series that shows the Earth in new and surprising ways. Extensive use of satellite imagery reveals new views of our planet, while timelapse filmed over many months brings the planet to life. Offering a balance between dramatic visuals and illuminating facts, this ground-breaking series makes global science truly compelling. Best viewed in High Definition. Blu-Ray version here.

The inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution, the Galapagos Islands are a living laboratory, a geological conveyor belt that has given birth to and seen the death of many species of plants and animals. As the western islands rise up from the sea offering a chance of life, the eastern islands sink back beneath the waves guaranteeing only death. Between the two are the middle islands; fertile, lush land in its prime that contains an incredible diversity of life. Nowhere else on the Earth are the twin processes of creation and extinction of species so starkly apparent… see it all unfold before your eyes in this stunning series filmed entirely in high definition from the BBC and the National Geographic Channel. Best viewed in High Definition. Blu-Ray version here.

An exotic fusion of natural history and Oriental adventure, “Wild China” is a series of journeys through four startlingly different landscapes, each based around the travels of a real historical character. With splendour, scale and romance, Wild China lifts the veil on the world’s most enigmatic and magnificent country, delving into its vibrant habitats to reveal a land of unbelievable natural complexity. Journey across China from the glittering peaks of the Himalayas to the barren steppe, the sub-Arctic to the tropical islands, through deserts both searingly hot and mind-numbingly cold and see, in pioneering images, a dazzling array of mysterious, beautiful, wild and rare creatures. Best viewed in High Definition. Blu-Ray version here.

In May 1961 the United States launched astronaut Alan Shepard on a 15-minute suborbital flight to begin America’s manned spaceflight program. This DVD contains over 2.5 hours of rare material on the flight of Freedom 7 (MR-3), with period productions as well as unique material covering all aspects of the mission. The disc also contains over 500 rare photographs surround the Freedom 7 mission compiled by historian J.L. Pickering.

Spacecraft Films made new digital transfers of over 54 hours of material on Mercury in the production of this 6 DVD set. From development to each manned flight, you’ll experience Mercury as never before. The most complete collection ever assembled (over 24 hours) on America’s first manned space project.

Over four hours of material documenting the mission and accident of Apollo 1. Includes rare training footage, crew in the simulator, visiting contractor plant, press day, more. Includes detailed material from the Apollo Review Board as well as memorial material on the crew. Also includes hundreds of rare photographs as compiled by J.L. Pickering. The most complete collection ever assembled on Apollo 1.

6-DVD set containing the complete TV transmissions and onboard film from the Apollo 16 mission. An incredible set encompassing the next to last manned flight to the moon in April, 1972. Mark Gray’s Spacecraft Films has realized a dream for many Apollo Freaks that have wanted the best quality footage and video availiable of America’s early space missions. Previously released bootleg videos of the Apollo moonwalks were copied from grainy film kinescopes, not the master videotapes. For this new set, Spacecraft Films made sure that nearly all of the lunar EVA video had been digitally enhanced and remastered from the master two-inch videotape reels that were stored at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. This results in that “live as it happened” look that only original master videotape can give you.