Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

PBS Digital Studios Debuts STELLAR Alongside PBS's Summer of Space Interactive Experience at PBS.org

19/06/2019

STELLAR, A New Six Part Miniseries from PBS Digital Studios.

PBS

The Six Episode Miniseries Debuts on Facebook and YouTube Beginning June 20; Accompanies PBS.org Interactive Hub and Compelling, Space-Themed Content

ARLINGTON, VA; June 18, 2019 - PBS Digital Studios, dedicated to developing thought-proving programming for the curious minds of the Internet, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing with the launch of STELLAR, a six-episode space-themed miniseries on PBS's Facebook and YouTube pages. Beginning Thursday, June 20, STELLAR will feature three of PBS Digital Studios' most popular, space-loving hosts - Matt Dowd (SPACE TIME), Dianne Cowern (PHYSICS GIRL) and Joe Hanson (IT'S OKAY TO BE SMART) on location at space flight centers around the country highlighting current developments in space exploration, astronomy and astrophysics.

STELLAR is an evolution for PBS's original digital programming, it blends together the cinematic quality of broadcast science documentaries with the communal spirit of YouTube and Facebook, said Brandon Arolfo, Senior Director, PBS Digital Studios. We've brought together three of PBS' biggest science creators to help bring the universe to digital audiences and couldn't be more excited to share this great content in celebration of this momentous anniversary.

As part of the previously announced Summer of Space multiplatform experience, STELLAR will accompany more than 20 compelling space-themed offerings throughout the summer. New offerings from the PBS Digital Studios network include an episode on martians from MONSTRUM, a look at a space-themed art from ART ASSIGNMENT, an ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING episode that asks why did we plant a flag on the moon? and a video from AMERICA FROM SCRATCH that looks at whether or not we should colonize Mars.

In addition, a Summer of Space interactive hub is coming in July to pbs.org where viewers will be invited to submit videos, photographs, audio recordings and text entries sharing their love of space exploration and how they experienced the Apollo 11 mission. Educators, students and life-long learners will also find Summer of Space classroom-ready materials available on PBS LearningMedia.

An overview of STELLAR and its weekly premiere dates are as follows:

Episode 1: The Mysterious Quasar at the Beginning of the Universe

Host: Matt O'Dowd

Location: Gemini Observatory in Hawaii

Premiere Date: Thursday, June 20

In this episode, host Matt O'Dowd explores how Gemini Observatory detected the oldest and farthest object ever seen - the ancient J0439+1634 quasar. Dowd explains how humans use telescopes to expand their vision into the electromagnetic spectrum, revealing what's out there millions and billions of light years away, just by analyzing the invisible wavelengths traveling through space.

Episode 2: Detecting Black Hole Collisions from 5 Billion Years Ago

Host: Dianna Cowern

Location: LIGO Hanford Observatory in Washington

Premiere Date: Tuesday, June 25

Going beyond the EM spectrum, it is now possible to see a phenomenon that was completely theoretical and invisible to all until just a few years ago: gravitational waves. By sensing the tiniest ripples in gravity, itself, we can see violent stellar collisions like the merging of black holes and neutron stars - events that happened hundreds of millions or billions of years in the past.

Episode 3: Imaging an Impossible Object with a World Sized Telescope

Host: Joe Hanson

Location: Submillimeter Array in Hawaii

Premiere Date: Thursday, June 27

Black holes began as theoretical curiosity in the minds of early 20th century physicists and slowly moved from curiosity to reality, as both the math and observatory observations verified the necessity of their existence. But we had no idea what they looked like and no way to take an image, until now. This is the story of how a worldwide group of telescopes used radio interferometry to not only prove irrefutably that black holes exist but show us what they look like.

Episode 4: How We Discovered the Universe

Host: Matt O'Dowd

Location: Mt. Wilson Observatory in California and American Museum of Natural History in New York

Premiere Date: Thursday, July 11

At the beginning of the 20th century humans thought the Milky Way Galaxy was the entire universe. By the end of the century we discovered the universe is composed of more than 100 billion galaxies. This episode is the story of that incredible awakening to the magnitude of our universe, starting with the discoveries of Edwin Hubble at Mt. Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles.

Episode 5: Where is Everyone?

Host: Joe Hanson

Location: Mauna Kea Summit and W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii

Premiere: Thursday, July 18

In this enormous universe there must be other intelligent life, so why haven't we met them yet? We explore the Drake Equation to discover the likelihood that intelligent civilizations exist and how many of them there may be, and identify what risks they, and humanity, face as they grow into technological powers.

Episode 6: Can We Live Elsewhere in the Solar System?

Host: Dianna Cowern

Location: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California

Premiere Date: Thursday, July 25

Could we live anywhere else in our solar system? In this episode, we investigate how NASA's rovers are setting the stage for human habitations on Mars and discuss the challenges we face in both getting there and creating a sustainable colony. And we explore Jupiter's moon Europa and its ice-covered ocean, which very well may contain life.

STELLAR is produced by Kornhaber Brown, PBS Digital Studios' longtime production partner behind Space Time and PBS Idea Channel. Support for the miniseries was provided by Draper and its Hack the Moon Initiative.

About PBS Digital Studios

PBS Digital Studio
LINK: http://www.pbs.org/about/blogs/news/pbs-digital-studios-debuts-stellar...
See more stories from pbs

North America Stories

26/08/2026

Major Live Sports Events Bolster Broadcast in Nielsen's Q2 2026 Ad Supported Gauge

Ad Supported Viewing Represents 71.5% of TV in Q2 Streaming Captures Over 48% o...

26/08/2026

DAZN Accelerates U.S. Expansion with Acquisition of EverPass Media

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Truthset Brings Data Rated Audiences to FreeWheel

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Broadpeak Targets CTV Shopping with Click2Cart Launch

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

SMPTE Announces 2026 Honorees

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

MediaKind Beam selected by CNBC UK for cloud-connected li...

MediaKind today announced that CNBC UK has selected Beam to modernize its contribution and distribution infrastructure, bringing greater flexibility, resilience...

26/08/2026

Telestream Unveils the Next Phase of UP at IBC2026

Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, today announced the next evolution of Telestream UP, expanding the cloud-native platform introduced ...

26/08/2026

SMPTE Announces 2026 Honorees

SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced its 2026 Honorees, recognizing individuals and organizations whose contrib...

26/08/2026

Broadpeak launches Click2Cart to mark new era in shoppabl...

New solution bridges connected TV (CTV) and ecommerce to make shoppable performance advertising easier to scale for streaming platforms and broadcasters Broadp...

26/08/2026

Scripps Research and collaborators awarded $19.5 million to establish an open-access autonomous chemistry laboratory

LA JOLLA, CA-Recent advances in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence...

26/08/2026

How WeFX Made From's' Monsters Feel Uncomfortably Real

How WeFX Made From's' Monsters Feel Uncomfortably Real Brie Clayton August 26, 2026 0 Comments From eight-foot dolls and feathered birds to R...

26/08/2026

Eleanor Roosevelt High School Elevates Student Rallies with Blackmagic Design

Eleanor Roosevelt High School Elevates Student Rallies with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton August 26, 2026 0 Comments Student led production team uses...

26/08/2026

Grass Valley Advances Integrated Live Production for Unif...

K-Frame and Maverik X innovations extend familiar production control into AMPP, alongside new replay, audio, commentary and communications capabilities. At IBC...

26/08/2026

Magewell Expands Director and Pro Convert IP Lines at IBC...

New products continue to enable any signal, anywhere for creators...

26/08/2026

AFP and Dalet Bring Trusted Content into Every Newsroom

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a new integrated newsroom experience with Agence France-Presse (A...

26/08/2026

Bolin Technology and ITDev Join AIMS

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Enco to Highlight Caption, Translation Enhancements at IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

ZOO Digital Chooses Interra Systems BATON for Quality Control

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Gomez Criticizes FCC's Media Bureau on Political Advertising

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

Tedial to Demo AI-Driven Media Supply Chain Solutions at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/08/2026

AIMS Welcomes Bolin Technology and ITDev as Newest Member...

PTZ Camera Manufacturer and FPGA Design Specialist Join Alliance to Advance IPMX and Open AV-over-IP Standards The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today...

26/08/2026

ZOO Digital Selects Interra Systems BATON for File-Based...

BATON offers ZOO Digital advanced audio and video quality analysis, and scalable architecture Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assuran...

26/08/2026

Scottish Rugby Expands Managed Coach Communications Partn...

Riedel Communications today announced the continued expansion of its managed coach communications partnership with Scottish Rugby Union. Now entering its third ...

26/08/2026

Zixi Demonstrates Hybrid Workflows and Proven Live Video...

Zixi brings Broadcaster V19 and showcases interoperable platform on Stand 5.A76 Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, will be exhib...

26/08/2026

Scripps Research professor Jeffery Kelly elected to the European Academy of Engineering

LA JOLLA, CA-Jeffery Kelly, the H. Lutcher Brown Professor of Chemistry at Scrip...

26/08/2026

Indie Developer Launches Orty, aWindows App That Helps Freelance VideoEditors Find Better Clients

Indie Developer Launches Orty, aWindows App That Helps Freelance VideoEditors Fi...

26/08/2026

BTS on Sinners and Is God Is Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

BTS on Sinners and Is God Is Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Brie Clayton August 25, 2026 0 Comments Award winning filmmaker Travis Henry elevat...

25/08/2026

Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026

Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026 As broadcast leaders prepare to gather at the RAI Amsterdam for IBC 2026, the main ...

25/08/2026

The Big Shift: Inside NC State's Phased Move From SDI to SMPTE ST 2110

NC State's Matthew Byrd breaks down how an IP-based infrastructure is delivering greater flexibility and scalability for Wolfpack productions...

25/08/2026

Monumental Sports Network Adds DAZN as Distribution Partner for Monumental+ in the DMV

Deal expands the DTC reach in-market of Capitals, Wizards, Mystics games and oth...

25/08/2026

Jacksonville Jaguars Carlos Caceres on Producing Shows at an Ever-Evolving EverBank Stadium

The two-year renovation period will create a stadium of the future for the NFL f...

25/08/2026

Behind The Mic: Genie Bouchard Joins ESPN for 2026 US Open; NBC Sports Names College Football Announce Hosts

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

25/08/2026

LD Systems Installs L-Acoustics A Series at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston

Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has installed a new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeaker system, designed and installed by LD Systems, a Clair Global brand. The 20,...

25/08/2026

FloCollege Expands Distribution and Adds Features for 2026-27 Season

FloCollege is expanding its distribution and product offerings for the 2026-27 season, covering more than 20 NCAA partner conferences across Division I, II, and...

25/08/2026

TNA Wrestling and REVOLT Announce Content Partnership

TNA Wrestling and REVOLT have announced a content partnership bringing exclusive TNA Xplosion matches and content from TNA's library to REVOLT. Our indust...

25/08/2026

Gracenote: FAST Sports Programming Growth Outpaces Channel Growth

Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis showing that FAST sports programming is growing at more than ...

25/08/2026

Amagi Appoints Thomas dHrouville Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics

Amagi has appointed Thomas d'H rouville as Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics. Based in Paris, he will lead Amagi's growth strategy across t...

25/08/2026

IPC Appoints CCATech as Channel Partner in Brazil

IPC has appointed CCATech as its channel partner in Brazil, expanding the company's presence in Latin America. CCATech was founded in 2023 by Carlos Abrah o...

25/08/2026

FanConnect Introduces FC4 Multi-Output Media Player

FanConnect has announced the FC4, a multi-output media player designed to drive mid-sized video walls, multi-screen concession stands, and multi-display digital...

25/08/2026

JWX Launches JWX Content Hub for Publisher Video Distribution and Monetization

JWX has launched JWX Content Hub, a platform for publisher video that combines content transformation, social distribution, audience engagement, and monetizatio...

25/08/2026

Techex Appoints Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer

Techex has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer. Almond brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, media, and telecommunications, ha...

25/08/2026

IBC 2026: Grass Valley to Showcase Unified SDI, IP, and Software Infrastructure

Grass Valley will demonstrate infrastructure connecting SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, MXL, and software-based processing at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September...

25/08/2026

Taking Control: How Professional Sports Teams Are Building Their In-Market Future as the RSN Model Fractures

Franchises are taking greater ownership of production, distribution, and the fan...

25/08/2026

The PRO Tour Takes Golf Broadcasts Wireless With BMG's REMI-Driven Production Model

The first-year circuit for former professional athletes leans on LiveU, Starlink...

25/08/2026

UNIVERSAL FILM AND FOCUS FEATURES RENEW EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH SUNDANCE INSTITUTE TO SUPPORT RISING FILMMAKERS

Announcing the 2026 Sundance Institute Breakthrough | Focus Features Fellows L...

25/08/2026

BMG Taps LiveU For REMI Coverage of Golf's Pro Tour

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Rate of Subscription Fee Hikes Drops for Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Law&Crime Reconvenes Court TV on Amagi CLOUDPORT

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Akta Tech To Showcase AI-First Video Platform At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...