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Jupiter: A Shield for the Inner Planets

Related Article: Learn more about comets.

Jupiter's gravitational pull acts as a shield, catching many comets before they reach inner planets.

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The Mountains of Mars (2:27)

Scientists determine the mountains on Mars did not form by plate tectonics.

The Planets: The Sun and Solar Wind (1:54)

The sun generates powerful, electrically-charged storms that lash out across the inner planets.

Tank on the Moon: Taking Flight (1:49)

The U.S. accomplishes its mission of having men walk on the moon and the Soviet Union is left waiting in the wings. Learn more about NASA and the space race in this video.

Destiny - The Sun's Fate (1:48)

Like other stars of its type, our Sun will eventually become a planet-engulfing red giant.

The Planets: Terra Firma - Mars (3:39)

The 1976 Viking Lander touches down on the "red planet" and sends back the first close-up images of the surface. Learn more about the exploration of Mars in this video.

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The Planets: The Sun and Solar Wind (1:54)

The sun generates powerful, electrically-charged storms that lash out across the inner planets.

The Planets: The Sun and Solar Flares (1:13)

Following the discovery of solar prominences by Skylab, we now know that the most violent solar episodes are the immense Coronal Mass Ejections.

Life - Surveying the Solar System (3:53)

The first extra planetary probes report that our closest neighbors are desolate places.

Different Worlds - Accretion (2:58)

The planets are constantly bombarded by particles of all sizes, some large enough to cause catastrophic hits.

Destiny - The Sun's Fate (1:48)

Like other stars of its type, our Sun will eventually become a planet-engulfing red giant.

Destiny - Future Earth (1:51)

Over the next few billion years our planet will gradually become inhospitable for life.

Life - Surveying the Solar System (3:53)

The first extra planetary probes report that our closest neighbors are desolate places.

Mars Rising: Episode 2 (1:52)

Go behind the scenes with the European Space Agency. Learn more about the mission to Mars in this video.

Mars Rising 5 (3:35)

Once the spacecraft arrives in orbit around Mars, the tough part of the journey begins. Learn more about Mars in this video.

Mars Rising: Episode 3 (2:20)

What does the human body need to survive during a mission to Mars? Learn more about Mars in this video.