Hunting the Edge of Space

Documentary · 2010 · 53 min Prime Video
Available on Prime Video

NOVA examines how the telescope has changed our understanding of our place in the universe. What began as a curiosity ultimately revolutionized human thought across science, philosophy and religion. This tale of human ingenuity involves some of the most colorful figures of the scientific world and leads to today's colossal telescopes, housed in space-age cathedrals orbiting high above the Earth.

Documentary · 2010 · 53 min

Season 1

  • EPISODE 1

    Part 1

    A history of telescopes, from Galileo's refractor to Newton's reflector and beyond, including key discoveries. Take a closer look at recent missions, including the voyage of the Cassini spacecraft to Saturn, the Kepler telescope's search for planets beyond our solar system, and the Herschel Space Observatory's examination of the Milky Way.

    52 min · Apr 6, 2010
  • EPISODE 2

    Part 2

    The Ever-Expanding Universe investigates a battery of high-tech telescopes that are joining the Hubble Space Telescope on its quest to unlock the secrets of our universe, a cosmos almost incomprehensible in its size, age and violence.

    52 min · Apr 13, 2010

Related

About

Hunting the Edge of Space

Documentary

NOVA examines how the telescope has changed our understanding of our place in the universe. What began as a curiosity ultimately revolutionized human thought across science, philosophy and religion. This tale of human ingenuity involves some of the most colorful figures of the scientific world and leads to today's colossal telescopes, housed in space-age cathedrals orbiting high above the Earth.

Information

Studio
PBS
Released
2010

Languages

Audio
English (United Kingdom)
Subtitles
English (United States) (SDH)
  • Español (México)
  • العربية
  • Русский
  • 简体中文
  • Français (France)
  • 한국어
  • Português (Brazil)
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文 (台灣)
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Cameroun
  • Cape Verde
  • Chad
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Congo, Republic of
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, United Republic Of
  • Tunisia
  • Turkmenistan
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Uganda
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Bhutan
  • Cambodia
  • 中国大陆
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Kazakhstan
  • 대한민국
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Maldives
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Georgia
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Montenegro
  • Nederland
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Romania
  • Россия
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Guyana
  • Honduras (Español)
  • Jamaica
  • México
  • Montserrat
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • St. Vincent and The Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos
  • Uruguay (English)
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)
  • الولايات المتحدة
  • США
  • 美国 (简体中文)
  • États-Unis (Français France)
  • 미국
  • Estados Unidos (Português Brasil)
  • Hoa Kỳ
  • 美國 (繁體中文台灣)

Copyright © 2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Internet Service Terms
  • Apple TV & Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Support
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Cameroun
  • Cape Verde
  • Chad
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Mali
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Congo, Republic of
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania, United Republic Of
  • Tunisia
  • Turkmenistan
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Uganda
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Bhutan
  • Cambodia
  • 中国大陆
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Kazakhstan
  • 대한민국
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Maldives
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Georgia
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Kosovo
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Montenegro
  • Nederland
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Romania
  • Россия
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Guyana
  • Honduras (Español)
  • Jamaica
  • México
  • Montserrat
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • St. Vincent and The Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos
  • Uruguay (English)
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)
  • الولايات المتحدة
  • США
  • 美国 (简体中文)
  • États-Unis (Français France)
  • 미국
  • Estados Unidos (Português Brasil)
  • Hoa Kỳ
  • 美國 (繁體中文台灣)