Astronaut Tim Peake is about to take another trip to space, but this time he’s taking us along. He’s the presenter of a new documentary that, in three parts, will tackle some of the most compelling mysteries of the universe. Each episode will focus on a specific subject, both iconic and intriguing: The Planets, Stars & Black Holes, and Living in Space.

The series mixes real space observations, state-of-the-art visualizations, and a large ensemble of experts from around the world and across different disciplines. This combination allows the ever-charismatic Peake to truly get into the cutting edge of the most exciting research that is currently happening in astronomy. From the emergence of life on Earth and if that might happen on other planets, to the formation of stars and what it’s like for humans to live in space, the documentary doesn’t shy away from tackling the important questions. 

Despite the complexity of both questions and answers, the work is extremely accessible even for the younger members of the audience. The balance struck is sure to be a winner; Secrets Of Our Universe will fascinate those who have already an interest in space, as well as people who are not at all familiar with the topic. 

During a Q&A, IFLScience asked Major Peake to tell us his favourite topic that he covered in the show. After joking that it was a bit like picking a favorite child, he had an answer for us.

“If I had to pick one, it's probably black holes coming in episode two, just because black holes are something that started out as just a mathematical theory, a question. Look at the maths. The maths says that if you grab enough stuff together, a star blows up in a supernova and then collapses. It could completely collapse on itself and become this theoretical thing out there in the universe,” Peake told us.

“And since that theory about 100 years ago, we've now taken photographs of a black hole. We know them to exist everywhere. We know them to be at the centre of most galaxies, supermassive black holes. And this is an area of fascinating research, and I think black holes are actually going to unlock some of the secrets we don't yet know about why our theories don't quite make sense.”

Secrets Of Our Universe with Tim Peake will begin airing on Tuesday, September 19 on Paramount's Channel 5.