Main content
Colourful Planet
Episode 3 of 4
From space, Earth is a kaleidoscope. Turquoise plankton blooms trigger a feeding frenzy, China turns yellow with rapeseed flowers, and mysterious green lights appear in the ocean.
We think of the Earth as a blue planet, but satellite cameras reveal it to be a kaleidoscope. The astonishing colours of the aurora are towering vertical streaks, hundreds of kilometres high, phytoplankton blooms turn the ocean into works of art, triggering a feeding frenzy, and for a few weeks a year China's Yunnan province is carpeted in yellow as millions of rapeseed flowers bloom.
This is our home, as we’ve never seen it before.
Last on
Tue 29 Oct 202402:00
More episodes
Clips
![]()
Animals from space
Duration: 02:16
![]()
Phytoplankton from space
Duration: 02:10
![]()
Human colour
Duration: 03:03
![]()
Web exclusive - Dance of the Aurora
Duration: 07:25
Music Played
![]()
Pieter de Graaf
Rise and Shine
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Chiwetel Ejiofor |
| Executive Producer | Jo Shinner |
| Series Producer | Chloe Sarosh |
| Producer | Justin Anderson |
Broadcasts
- Wed 1 May 201921:00BBC One except Scotland & Scotland HD
- Wed 1 May 201923:05BBC One Scotland & Scotland HD only
- Fri 17 May 201900:15
- Mon 21 Oct 201920:00
- Thu 24 Oct 201919:00
- Mon 18 Nov 201923:15BBC One except Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland HD, Scotland, Scotland HD, Wales & 1 more
- Mon 18 Nov 201923:45BBC One Wales & Wales HD only
- Tue 19 Nov 201900:25BBC One Northern Ireland HD & Northern Ireland only
- Tue 19 Nov 201900:35BBC One Scotland & Scotland HD only
- Thu 28 May 202021:00
- Fri 29 May 202002:50
- Mon 24 May 202120:00
- Tue 25 May 202119:00
- Mon 31 May 202114:30
- Wed 11 Aug 202120:00
- Thu 12 Aug 202101:50
- Mon 23 May 202220:00
- Tue 24 May 202201:30
- Wed 6 Dec 202320:00
- Thu 7 Dec 202302:20
- Mon 28 Oct 202423:00
- Tue 29 Oct 202402:00







