TV series
A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.
Streaming, rental and purchase options
Checked Jul 22, 2026
How the Universe Works is available to stream on DirecTV On Demand, Discovery+ (Via Amazon Prime), HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, Max (Via Amazon Prime), Philo, YouTube TV, and Plex in United States. You can also buy it from Amazon, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Use the direct links below to open the provider.
A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.
Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.
Episode 1
New discoveries are challenging everything we know about black holes, and astronomers are beginning to question if they even exist. The latest science tries to explain how they work and what they look like, despite the fact we've never actually seen one.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 2
Planets that orbit two suns instead of one might be deadly hell worlds, but new discoveries reveal that sci-fi star systems with binary stars might be optimal places for alien life.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 3
Our solar system hides a dark and violent past, and new discoveries reveal that Earth and the planets were formed from the destruction of strange alien worlds that came before us.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 4
The Milky Way is dying, and using the latest science and discoveries, experts are investigating what's killing it.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 5
Uranus and Neptune are mysterious, icy worlds at the edge of our solar system, and new discoveries reveal that these strange planets might have helped start life on Earth.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 6
Mercury is a deadly world, facing attacks from the Sun, comets, and other planets, and even though it's the smallest planet in our solar system, it has a dangerous secret a dangerous secret that might one day threaten life on Earth.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 7
Quasars are the brightest and most powerful objects in our universe, and though they have shaped the cosmos, they might ultimately destroy everything that exists.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 8
Our solar system is home to hundreds of strange, tiny worlds called dwarf planets, and new discoveries reveal the secrets of these mysterious places.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 9
Scientists are using cutting-edge technology to stop an asteroid apocalypse, and for the first time, mankind is closer than ever to keeping Earth safe from these killer space rocks.
Where to watch How the Universe Works
Episode 10
Spacetime is the secret structure that controls our universe, and this strange four-dimensional substance controls time, light, and energy. It will also determine how our universe will end.
Guest stars Albert Einstein
Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026
Erik DellumsHimself - Narrator
Mike RoweNarrator
Hakeem Muata OluseyiSelf - Astrophysicist
ScienceUnited States
DiscoveryUnited States
DiscoveryUnited StatesMore shows like How the Universe Works.
