The program follows the efforts of two rival teams of astronomers as they search for exploding stars, map out gigantic cosmic patterns of galaxies, and grapple with the ultimate question: What is the fate of the universe?

Here’s the companion Web site:

Runaway Universe

History of the Universe

This interactive timeline reveals the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the time 10 ^ 100 years from now when burned-out stars and black holes will have evaporated.

Birth of a Supernova

What exactly happens in a supernova explosion? This interactive feature demonstrates, step-by-step, the sequence of events that results in Type Ia and Type II supernovae.

Tour the Universe

This VRML feature allows you to take an extensive tour of our local universe. Within this three-dimensional world, you can visit and find out about 2,000 of the galaxies that surround our own.

Moving Targets

This activity shows how astronomers use the Doppler effect and redshift to determine how fast a stellar object is moving away from or toward us.

How Big is the Universe?

Cosmologist Brent Tully answers this question and discusses some of astronomy's latest developments.

Spin a Spiral Galaxy

Included in this feature is an object VR that allows you to spin a spiral galaxy on two axes, revealing how a galaxy can appear to be elliptical, or round, or flat in shape, depending on your vantage point.

Additional Resources

Teacher’s Guide