Parents' Guide to Birth of the Solar System

TV Max Educational 2018
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Common Sense Media Review

Marty Brown By Marty Brown , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Educational doc goes beyond the basics.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

BIRTH OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM reveals that Earth's corner of the universe wasn't always just a series of nine planets, placed neatly in order, revolving around the sun. The documentary outlines the massive and chaotic events that had to take place in order to create the solar system, as well as the research and discovery that allowed scientists to understand them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The basic layout of this corner of the Milky Way (the sun, gravity, the order of the planets) is well known, but this is an educational documentary that could seismically shift viewers' understanding. Going well beyond the basics, Birth of the Solar System makes sense of the cosmic chaos that preceded life on Earth, and unpacks the scientific process behind that knowledge.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about our solar system. What do you know about the planets? The stars? The universe beyond our solar system? What new things did you learn from the documentary? Did it change the way you think about the universe?

  • What were some of the defining moments in the creation of the solar system? What are some examples of times when the solar system didn't look like it does today? How did the changes happen?

  • How do the individual planets differ from one another? Why do these differences exist? Which planets are the most interesting to you? Why? What is your opinion about Pluto? Planet or nah?

TV Details

  • Premiere date : January 1, 2018
  • Network : Max
  • Genre : Educational
  • Topics : STEM
  • TV rating : TV-PG
  • Last updated : September 30, 2025

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