How the Universe Works

Tonight on Secret World of Nebulas, the series' seventh season reaches its fifth instalment, titled “How the Universe Works”. The programme turns its cameras on the colourful clouds of gas and dust that cradle newborn stars and mark the final breaths of dying ones. Using fresh data from the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA, scientists explain how gravity squeezes matter into stellar embryos and how supernova blasts reshape the surrounding nebula. Viewers see striking images of the Orion, Eagle and Carina nebulae, while astronomers describe the chemistry that creates complex molecules. The episode also covers recent discoveries of hidden star clusters and the role of magnetic fields in sculpting these structures. With clear narration and crisp graphics, the documentary makes the physics of nebulae accessible without dumbing down the science.