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Episode 1

Episode 1 of 3

Kate Humble and Dr Helen Czerski follow the Earth's voyage around the sun for one complete orbit, travelling first from July to the December solstice and showing its effect.

Right now you're hurtling around the sun at 64,000 miles an hour (100,000km an hour). In the next year you'll travel 584 million miles, to end up back where you started.

Presenters Kate Humble and Dr Helen Czerski follow the Earth's voyage around the sun for one complete orbit, to witness the astonishing consequences this journey has for us all.

In this first episode they travel from July to the December solstice, experiencing spectacular weather and the largest tides on Earth. To show how the Earth's orbit affects our lives, Helen jumps out of an aeroplane and Kate briefly becomes the fastest driver on Earth.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 11 Oct 2021 23:30
BBC Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:57

    Julian Fauth

    Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down

Credits

Presenter Kate Humble
Presenter Helen Czerski
Producer Dick Taylor
Director Dick Taylor
Executive Producer Jonathan Renouf
Series Producer Stephen Marsh

Broadcasts

  • Sun 4 Mar 2012 21:00
    BBC Two except Northern Ireland
  • Sun 4 Mar 2012 22:00
    BBC Two Northern Ireland
  • Tue 6 Mar 2012 23:00
    BBC HD
  • Fri 16 Mar 2012 21:00
    BBC HD
  • Sat 17 Mar 2012 00:30
    BBC HD
  • Fri 30 Mar 2012 02:55
    BBC One
  • Tue 3 Apr 2012 23:30
    BBC HD
  • Sat 5 Jan 2013 19:00
    BBC HD
  • Sun 20 Jan 2013 18:00
    BBC Two Scotland
  • Sun 20 Jan 2013 18:30
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Tue 3 Dec 2013 20:00
    BBC Four
  • Wed 4 Dec 2013 00:45
    BBC Four
  • Thu 1 May 2014 20:00
    BBC Four
  • Thu 4 Dec 2014 20:00
    BBC Four
  • Thu 31 May 2018 20:00
    BBC Four
  • Fri 1 Jun 2018 02:00
    BBC Four
  • Wed 17 Jul 2019 13:45
    BBC Two except Scotland & BBC Scotland
  • Sat 17 Jul 2021 09:00
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Mon 11 Oct 2021 23:30
    BBC Four

Earth's Extraordinary Journey blog

Earth's Extraordinary Journey blog

Find out more from the weather and meteorology experts who contributed to the series.