Cretaceous Impact Duration: 43 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

A six-mile wide asteroid slams into the northern tip of what is now the Yucatan peninsula at the close of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. This catastrophic impact may have been a factor in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Tunguska Impactor Duration: 35 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

The Tunguska impactor approaches Earth. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

Tunguska Event Scene 2 Duration: 35 seconds HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps

The Tunguska impactor begins its fiery descent into Earth's atmosphere. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

Tunguska Event Scene 3 Duration: 12 seconds HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps

A view of the Tunguska impactor from within its vapor trail. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

Tunguska Event Scene 4 Duration: 12 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The Tunguska bolide moments before detonation. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

Tunguska Event Scene 5 Duration: 30 seconds HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps

Viewed from above, the detonation of the Tunguska impactor over Siberia shortly after 7 AM on June 30, 1908. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

European Impact Duration: 25 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

A large asteroid impacts southwestern Europe.

Birth of a Star Duration: 21 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

A star is born in a protoplanetary disk (a rotating disk of gas and dust) deep within the Orion Nebula. Jets of gas, like those depicted here, are sometimes produced by such newborn stars. Orion Nebula image courtsey of NASA.

Ancient Martian Sunrise Duration: 35 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

Sunrise over the water-filled Valles Marineris canyon on ancient Mars.

Asteroid Impact on Mars Duration: 30 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The impact of an asteroid hurls martian rocks across the solar system. One such rock, ALH 84001, was found in Antarctica and bears structures similar to the fossils of microscopic life.

Martian Grand Canyon Duration: 33 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

The martian moon Phobos passes over Valles Marineris, the "Grand Canyon" of Mars.

Martian Volcanoes Duration: 30 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

Martian volcanoes erupt in the distant past.

Descent into a Black Hole Duration: 45 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

A journey into a black hole.

Comet Approaching Jupiter Duration: 25 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

A comet on a collision course with Jupiter.

Nemesis Comet Duration: 50 seconds HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps

A swarm of comets enters the inner solar system. The barrrage is triggered by Nemesis, the hypothetical dwarf companion of the sun. Earth and moon images courtesy of NASA.

Asteroid Approaching Earth Duration: 66 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

A hypothetical doomsday asteroid targets Earth. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

Comet Nucleus Duration: 25 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

Jets of gas and streams of meteoroids are emitted by the dark nucleus of a comet as it approaches the sun.

Comet and Earth Duration: 78 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The viewer is transported through the debris-strewn tail of a comet which is making a close approach to Earth. Earth images courtesy of NASA.

The Big Whack Duration: 40 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The hypothetical collision of a Mars-size protoplanet with the young Earth is thought to have been the first stage in the formation of our moon.

Moon Accretion Events Duration: 40 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

Particles in a ring of debris begin to accrete around the newly-formed Earth. Elevation map courtesy of NASA.

Impacts on the Young Moon Duration: 28 seconds HDTV 1280x720, 29.97 fps

Impact events on the newly-formed moon. Elevation map courtesy of NASA.

Primordial Moon Duration: 76 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The primitive moon orbits within a ring of debris. Elevation map courtesy of NASA.

Meteor Storm Duration: 10 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

A swarm of meteors burns up in Earth's atmosphere.

Supernova Duration: 34 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The explosion of a high-mass star produces a supernova remnant.

Formation of a Planetary Nebula Duration: 45 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

A red giant star expels its outer envelope leaving a white dwarf core surrounded by a planetary nebula.

The Solar System Duration: 124 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 29.97 fps

A journey through the solar system, from Mercury through the Asteroid Belt to Pluto and beyond. The scene ends with a view of our Milky Way galaxy. Planet images courtesy of NASA.

Galactic Journey Duration: 100 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

This "Powers of Ten" style animation transports you from Earth past the outer planets, through starfields and nebulae and ultimately to the edge of our Milky Way galaxy. This thumbnail is a composite of the opening and closing frames, since a single picture cannot capture the range of imagery in this 6,000-frame animation. Planet images courtesy of NASA.

Red Giant1 Duration: 18 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

Five billion years from now our dying sun will grow to become a red giant star.

Red Giant2 Duration: 11 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

Some scientists believe that when our sun becomes a red giant it will grow large enough to envelope Earth.

The Orion Nebula Duration: 89 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 29.97fps

This animation begins with a nighttimeview of the constellation Orion including over 200 stars down to visual magnitude 6.40. After traveling 1,500 light years we enter the Orion Nebula, closely passing the Trapezium star cluster. Our final destination is a protostar and a hypothetical, newborn planet buried deep within one of the "proplyds". Orion and Horse Head nebulae images courtesy of Robert Gendler.

Asteroid Strike Duration: 26 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

An asteroid strikes the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Asteroid Storm Duration: 18 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

A swarm of asteroids heads for Earth.

Heavy Bombardment Duration: 25 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

The primordial Earth was heavily bombarded during its formation.

Saturn Ring Passage Duration: 23 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps

Passage through Saturn's icy rings.

Saturn's Rings Duration: 30 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

Saturn's icy ring particles.

The Nebula Duration: 26 seconds HD 1080p, 29.97fps

At the heart of a huge star-forming nebula lies a giant blue star.

Venus Duration: 21 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

Venus' cloud deck fades to reveal the volcanic surface mapped by the Magellan spacecraft. Venus images courtesy of NASA.

Australian Sunrise Duration: 37 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

Sunrise over northern Australia.

Asteroid Belt Duration: 45 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

A journey into the Asteroid Belt.

Triple Asteroid 87 Sylvia Duration: 40 seconds HD 1080p, 23.976fps & 60fps

Two small asteroidal moons orbit their large parent, asteroid 87 Sylvia.

Origin of Jupiter Duration: 40 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The evolution of the planet Jupiter. Dozens of images captured by the Voyager spacecraft were used to create Jupiter's surface map. Surface map courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.

Clouds of Titan Duration: 20 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

A short flight through the upper atmosphere of Saturn's moon, Titan. Saturn maps courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.

Titan and Saturn Duration: 23.3 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

A short flight to Saturn's giant moon, Titan. Saturn maps courtesy of NASA and Bjorn Jonsson.

Solar Eclipse Duration: 68 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

Partial phase through totality. Includes Bailey's Beads and the diamond ring effect.

Lunar Eclipse Duration: 37 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The moon passes from penumbral to total eclipse, changing color as it enters Earth's shadow in this "time lapse" movie. Moon image courtesy of NASA.

Globular Star Cluster Duration: 40 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

Stars follow random paths with varying orbital speeds.

Algol Duration: 40 seconds HDTV 1920x1080, 60 fps

The two stars comprising Algol revolve around their center of mass. The orbital tilt in this scene matches that seen from Earth, allowing the stars to exhibit the mutual eclipses which have made this binary famous. The colors, diameters and relative distance between the two stars have been depicted as accurately as possible.

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