To reach outer space, the force of gravity has to be overcome, and that requires a certain "escape" velocity. That's where launchers come in.

One way to tell if there might be life on another planet is through light. Special telescopes, by way of prisms, analyze and break down the light from distant galaxies into parts. Luca Parmitano, an astronaut of the European Space Agency, speaks to us from the Columbus International Space Station.

Luisella Giulicchi, the system manager for the ESA Copernicus Sentinel six mission, explains what an exoplanet is. Two young researchers do a simple experiment to show us how infrared rays work.

Luisella Giulicchi, manager of the European Space Agency ESA, answers questions about light, infrared rays, and lightyears.

What is light? We use it every day, but where does it actually come from? The host suggests doing a little experiment. See if you can follow the instructions in Italian and try it yourself.

The last stop on our trip around Venice is the beautiful, uninhabited island of Torcello. Marika has a few stories to tell about it.

The Venetian island of Burano is famous for its multi-colored houses and for its lace. It's time to get your camera out, if you haven't already.

A short boat ride takes us from Venice to Murano, where they make some of the most beautiful glass in the world.

Marika takes us to the piazza where Marco Polo supposedly lived. But which house is it? She asks a local. The name of the square is Corte Seconda del Milion. Il Milion is the Italian name of the book, The Travels of Marco Polo.

Everyone has heard of St. Mark's Square, but Marika gives us some interesting tidbits of information and then takes us to a see a very special staircase.

Even if we have never been to Venice, we all know a gondola when we see one, but let's find out more about this elegant Venetian symbol.

Marika takes us to see a special statue, a fish market and two famous bridges.

In Venice, the concept of "streets" and "roads" is totally different from most other places in Italy, so there are some new words to learn that apply almost exclusively to this wonderful city. Marika does some show and tell to help us get the picture.

Marika shows us a famous bookshop in Venice. It's in a critical position with respect to the water level, so special precautions are taken to protect the books when there are high tides. Fascinating!

Marika takes us to Venice where we have a look around through her "eyes." We start out near the Doge's Palace.