Heads Up!

Astronomy and astronautics with host Bob McDonald.

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What Is the Universe Made Of?

March 31, 2008

Travel more than two kilometres underground to see how scientists are trying to capture mysterious dark matter and dark energy, which make up more of the universe than stars and planets.
What's at the Bottom of the Ocean?

March 24, 2008

The brilliant coral reefs and colourful fish are mostly in shallow water. The deep ocean is a dark desert with only a few strange creatures huddling around the occasional oasis.
Do Killer Whales Really Kill?

March 17, 2008

Get up close and personal with two captive whales that are as friendly as puppies then go on a whale watching expedition to meet their wild relatives who are the baddest killers in the sea.
What's the Weather Like in Space?

March 10, 2008

Magnetic storms, brilliant light shows, satellites getting knocked out of the sky...space is not as empty as you think.
What Causes Earthquakes?

February 25, 2008

Explore the mysterious movements beneath our feet and see how buildings are designed to take the shakin'.
What Will Cars Look Like in the Future?

February 18, 2008

Take a ride in the cars of tomorrow with wacky new designs and engines that run on electricity, hydrogen or just sunlight.
What's Happening to the Glaciers?

February 11, 2008

Take a helicopter ride to the top of the Rockies and land on a river of ice to see for yourself what's happening to the world's glaciers.
How Fast Can We Go in the Air?

February 4, 2008

Climb aboard fighter planes for the ride of your life then see planes of the future that are almost spaceships.
How Fast Can We Go on the Ground?

January 28, 2008

Take a ride in the fastest cars and find out how you can go even faster on rails.
Why Do Tornadoes Do So Much Damage?

January 21, 2008

Take a ride with a storm chaser to chase the twister then create one yourself on a kitchen counter.
What Makes a Volcano Erupt?

January 14, 2008

A trip to Mount St. Helen's to see what happens when a volcano blows its top.
Do Killer Whales Really Kill?

January 7, 2008

Get up close and personal with two captive whales that are as friendly as puppies then go on a whale watching expedition to meet their wild relatives who are the baddest killers in the sea.
Do Other Planets Have Weather?

November 23, 2006

We might complain about the weather on Earth but even our most powerful hurricanes are puny compared to the violent weather on other planets. Imagine a storm three times bigger than the entire Earth, never-ending winds blowing at hundreds of kilometers and hour, real acid rain and blue methane snow. Yes, other worlds do have weather, bizarre conditions where winter is so cold the air freezes and lightning bolts are longer than continents. Future explorers will have a lot to complain about when they encounter the strange weather on other worlds.
How Can I Explore Space Now?

November 16, 2006

So you want to fly in space or be an astronomer but you're just a kid. Who wants to wait to explore space, you can do it now? We'll meet young people building a Mars colony, join a star party and see other space activities that you can do now and you don't need to be an astronaut or astronomer. There are lots of activities happening close to home where you can explore the wonders of the universe. Don't have a telescope? No problem join a star party and look through many telescopes in one night. Come to space camp and train to be an astronaut. There are many ways to explore space right you're your own back yard.
Where Do Stars Come From?

November 9, 2006

What do stars and cars have in common? They can both be recycled. Stars seem to live forever, but eventually they run out of fuel and die, sometimes in spectacular explosions. But the remains of dead stars are blown through space and later become material for new stars and planets like the Earth. It's like old cars that are crushed, melted down and made into things like pop cans. Find out how the Earthj and even our bodies are made up of stars that exploded long ago.
How Do you Drive A Space Robot?

November 2, 2006

They're metallic, insect-like, strange looking, but robots are the ultimate space explorers. They have been to more planets than humans , often to places so dangerous humans will never visit. These mechanical marvels must be tough and smart enough to work on their own without human help. See a robot competition here on Earth where young people learn how difficult it is to design a machine that can perform on a playing field and meet some of the amazing machines that will explore even farther out in space in the future.
Is There Life On Other Worlds?

October 26, 2006

Forget little green men and aliens in flying saucers. Our first contact with life will probably be hardy tiny creatures living in extreme environments. Bacteria could be living in the ices of Mars, or bizarre animals may thrive in an ocean under a frozen moon of Jupiter. Come explore strange places on Earth where "extremeophiles" make their home. If life can exist in these places, can similar life be found on other worlds?
How Does the Earth Move?

October 19, 2006

We travel to Italy and follow the footsteps of Galileo, the first person to prove that the Earth moves around the sun. Today, we all know the Earth moves, but 400 years ago it was not a popular idea and Galileo got into trouble for believing in something he knew was right. From the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the canals of Venice and finally to his home in Florence, we find out how the father of modern astronomy proved that the ground beneath our feet is really moving through space faster than rocket ships.
What Happens When You Fall Into a Black Hole?

October 12, 2006

They're the most bizarre objects in the universe, holes in space where you can fall into another universe. What are these weird objects and how do they form? Meet the person who discovered the first black hole and find out what would happen if you made the ultimate plunge into a bottomless hole in the fabric of space. If that's not weird enough find out about the black hole's relatives, pulsars and neutron stars where a teaspoon of material weighs more than a thousand elephants!
When Are We Going Back To The Moon?

October 5, 2006

Plans are underway to build new rockets that will take people back to the moon, this time to stay. Come see the inside of a huge lunar habitat, a home on the moon where people will work, play, eat and sleep. We'll see the new types of rockets that will carry people away from the Earth, find out how much fun it it to play in the low moon gravity and see how we will use the moon as a rehearsal for moving farther out to Mars.