The Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this telephoto view taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft

The Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this telephoto view taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft. Season three of NASA's "On a Mission" podcast looks at Earth from all angles, including from the perspectives of the pioneering astronauts. Credit: NASA

Get ready to take an audio journey to an exotic planet: Earth. You may think you know all about our planet, but you're in for some surprises as season three of NASA's "On a Mission" podcast shares insights from researchers who explore the highest heights and the deepest depths, weaving together a saga of the strange yet familiar place we call home.

Hosted by Leslie Mullen of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the 10 episodes take us from deep space, where Earth looks like a pale blue dot, to below our home planet's surface. The audio journeys show not just how the planet's volcanoes, earthquakes, oceans, rivers, atmosphere, and climate work, but how they are all interconnected.

"It's a perfect year to look at Earth," Mullen said, noting the pandemic, raging wildfires, and record-setting storms. "The different systems on Earth are tied together in an intricate pattern. What happens when you pull on one thread - how does it affect something else?"

You can find "On a Mission" at NASA or Soundcloud. And don't miss the first two award-winningseasons, which focus on the Mars InSight mission and asteroids.