life

'One Strange Rock'
By Hanneke Weitering, Space.com Staff Writer | April 9, 2018 10:40am ET
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Earth's Shields Protect Life from the Sun on 'One Strange Rock'
Nat Geo's "One Strange Rock" explores Earth's complicated relationship with the sun.
Credit: National Geographic
Planet Earth and the life it contains wouldn't exist if it weren't for the sun. But the sun also poses a serious threat to life, by constantly spewing harmful radiation into the solar system. Exactly how life on Earth managed to survive and thrive in the face of this danger is the subject of a new episode of "One Strange Rock," which airs tonight (April 9) on the National Geographic Channel.

The new series explores all the strange coincidences that allowed life to arise and flourish on Earth. Each episode is narrated by astronauts, invoking the unique perspectives of those who have seen our planet from outer space. The first two episodes focused on how Earth "breathes" and how a violent history of cosmic collisions made our lucky planet the habitable world it is today.