About Video

NOMINATED FOR PARISCIENCE AWARD - Paris Film Festival 2009

Come on the ultimate cosmic journey – from Planet Earth to the edge of the Universe.

With a unique combination of real images from the world’s biggest telescopes and cutting edge visual effects and CGI - we create the first accurate non-stop journey from here to infinity.

In one single, epic camera move we travel from two people staring at the night sky, accelerate up and out of our atmosphere, past the aurorae, past the Moon and our neighbour planets, out of our Solar System, to the nearest stars, nebulae and galaxies and beyond – right to the edge of the Universe itself. On this awe-inspiring and unique voyage we’ll encounter the most beautiful, powerful and mysterious phenomena in the Cosmos, from pulsars to supermassive black holes, from star nurseries to quasars and much else besides.

The storyline of Journey to the Edge of the Universe revolves around the vertiginous scale of that Cosmos. Each encounter with a planet, nebula or galaxy takes us a further step in this ultimate journey of discovery – a journey to the edge of our knowledge. And, at each stage, we confront how far we’ve come by checking how long it’s taken a ray of light (or a matching radio transmission) to travel here from Earth.

That means our journey outwards is also a journey back in time – and so we relate our progress across the Universe to the past history of our own Earth. For instance:-

• The nearest possibly inhabited planets lie 90 light years away, before the age of television.

• The exploding Crab Nebula is 6300 light years off, dating from the time of the construction of Stonehenge.

• The great Andromeda Galaxy lies at a distance corresponding to 3 million BC, before humans existed, at the time our ape-like ancestor Lucy live in Africa.

• The nearest quasar 3C 273 lies 2 billion light years away, before life on Earth moved from sea to land. • The Hubble Space Telescope reveals galaxies so remote we see them as they were before the Earth even existed…

And our “Cosmic Zoom” - packed with wonder, excitement and even moments of terror - will reveal more fascinating information as we pass the relevant stages, information that will underline our human connection with these spectacular and far-off phenomena. For instance, that the gold in your wedding ring was forged in deep space billions of years ago - in the furious heart of the supernova we see approaching. That when we see interference on your TV set, we’re watching the violence of the Big Bang itself, the radiation of which is found everywhere. And that most of our bodies are made from the ashes of exploding giant stars…

Reviews

Sydney Morning HeraldThis documentary never fails to hold attention, even if you are not a space buff. The subject is big – it's a travelogue of the universe – but it also offers a close encounter of a different kind. I refer to a magnificently portentous voice-over provided by a Royal Shakespeare Company alumnus, Sean Pertwee. While the vision of unexplored space, constructed into a seamless journey courtesy of NASA's Hubble telescope, is quite spellbinding, it's the voice-of-God narration rendered in a silken British accent that will really keep you interested. David Attenborough, eat your heart out. The script is at times poetry, at the other times pure soap. But it's so-oo enjoyable. Venus here is no mere planet, she's the "sister from hell". Similarly, the sun doesn't just shine, it's there to behold, "in all its mesmerising splendour". It's all vision and voice-over.

Testimonials

The video is so amazing, so detailed and narrated so well, i LOVE astronomy more than before. What makes it great is: 1) Fully 3-D models of every single item shown. 2) Wonderful, informative, thought-provoking narration like: "The water we drink, the water in our coffee and even our blood, every single drop of it comes from a comet which sacrificed itself millions of years ago." Wow

"This program will be marvelous when it can be watched uninterrupted by commercials. It is almost a meditation on the awesome splendor out there. Awesome is a word that has lost much of its value these days but this program invokes awe. I can't wait to put the headphones on and disappear into the interstellar spaces. After watching it I found it a real challenge to balance the depressing things going on down here with the billion year beauty out there. Splendid graphics, excellent narration, it weaves a spell. Thank you National Geographic I have waited years for a program like this".

"This is a must see for any space enthusiast. I have been waiting for a show like this for a long time. No cutaways to a host, or various graphics. Simply a non-stop journey to the edge of space. I highly recommend this to everyone "

"I have rarely seen a more fascinating, breathtaking production. I was completely mesmerized. National Geographic did an outstanding job putting this production together. The vastness and beauty of the universe truly inspires awe and in my opinion, demonstates evidence of intelligent design. I am grateful to National Geographic for consistently providing first rate programming that educates, entertains and gives me a most welcome alternative to the mindless drivel shown on so many TV shows. I am delighted that "Journey To The Edge of The Universe" will be available next month (March '09) and I am pre-ordering it right now! I can hardly wait to watch it again (and again). Thank you, National Geographic! "

"Can't wait for this to come out on DVD. Just watched it the other night and was totally blown away! One of the best programs on our known Universe I have ever seen, and I've seen them all. ....the visuals are simply amazing, and will give you goosebumps! "

"This documentary is, hands down, the most well made documentary on the Universe I have ever seen. I have been watching Discovery Channel and other channels like it since I was a child. I've seen a thousand documentaries on our universe. Nothing even comes close to this. I have spent many years contemplating our place in the universe both from religious and philosophical standpoints. I can honestly say that this documentary has played a pivotal role in shaking me out of my "bubble" on how I view nearly everything. After first seeing it on National Geographic, I spent months thinking about it. When I look out at the Ocean now I am aware of who I am and where we really are. When you finish this video, you will walk away from it with an awareness that you never had before, of the unseen astronomically massive universe that we float around on like a spec of dust in the ocean. The most brilliant and awe inspiring thing about it, is that its all completely true. This video takes you on a journey through the universe as if you are watching a Sci Fi adventure. Yet you constantly have to remind yourself that what you're seeing is really out there. This is all fact. Someone else aptly described this video in better words than I can: "it was as if time were standing still. The narrator takes you on an amazing journey from the face of the earth to the edge of the Universe (as we know it) in a stunning visual articulation of the cosmos. I have literally watched this almost everyday since first seeing it on TV. The graphics are top notch and extremely smooth. It feels as though you are right there, soaring thru the galaxies at home and way beyond. The verbage in this program is comprehensible and the terminology basic enough for these in-depth concepts of Physics and Geology to come to life and understanding for even the most un-mathematical type of minds. This program is the most fascinating and knowledge envoking of any I have seen yet about the Universe."

"We all know that the universe is massive. Heck, most of us know that compared to the sun or even Jupiter, the Earth is a mere peanut. But in this remarkable show, one really gets a sense of just how friggin' big the universe is. Halfway through the show, even though we've been traveling at light-speed much of the way, we're still in our own galaxy. Along the way, we meet all sorts of truly fantastic sights in our universe. The graphics are just eye-popping. Part of our lot in life--from an intellectual, scientific, philosophical, and religious perspective--is to make sense of our place in the universe. Watching this show lends to that mind-bending task. Highly recommended!

this documentary was very impressive and has very outstanding visual effects you'll fell that you're like in a real space mission

A journey through space and time, skillfully narrated and visually stimulating as it grips one's imagination, leading us through the ultimate adventure and exploration of the cosmos. The beauty of the worlds we visit is mesmerizing, intoxicating, leaving us yearning for more. If you love mystery and adventure wrapped up with a spin of sheer magic, you don't want to miss this one. Enjoy!

"I have rarely seen a more fascinating, breathtaking production. I was completely mesmerized. National Geographic did an outstanding job putting this production together. The vastness and beauty of the universe truly inspires awe and in my opinion, demonstates evidence of intelligent design. I am grateful to National Geographic for consistently providing first rate programming that educates, entertains and gives me a most welcome alternative to the mindless drivel shown on so many TV shows."

"This is a must see for any space enthusiast. I have been waiting for a show like this for a long time. No cutaways to a host, or various graphics. Simply a non-stop journey to the edge of space. I highly recommend this to everyone".