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Ah, we have visitors.
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Welcome to the International Space Station
in the year 2057.
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I'm Matt Saberneck, and I'm talking to you
from the not-too-distant future
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to give you a better insight
into the workings of our solar system.
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As you probably know, even in your time,
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mankind has undertaken numerous unmanned
missions to our neighbouring planets.
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We've even succeeded in landing
a remote-controlled vehicle on Mars,
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and these took photos
of their surroundings,
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photos just like the ones you would take
outside your front door.
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Looking at real snapshots
from faraway worlds is pretty exciting,
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and I have good news for you.
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In my time, our advanced NOMAD rovers
are out there everywhere,
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stationed throughout our solar system
and beyond.
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So let me take you on a little tour
to have a closer look
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at the eight major planets
of our solar system,
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their biggest moons,
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and of course some of the most
breathtaking views
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our galaxy has to offer.
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And while we're at it,
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we'll look for extraterrestrial life,
of course,
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a possibility which has fuelled
mankind's imagination for centuries.
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The question of how our Earth,
and even our Sun, were created originally,
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and developed into their current forms
will also be answered along the ride.
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The main focus of our mission
is the planets of our solar system:
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Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
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First of all, you may wonder where these
planets have come from originally.
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They haven't been there forever;
they emerged billions of years ago.
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We cannot look into this distant past,
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but in the almost infinite depths of space
that surrounds us,
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new suns and planets
are born virtually all the time.
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Nebulae like this one
are interstellar clouds of dust and gas.
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The area we're looking at
is spread over 200 light years.
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That means,
if we could travel at the speed of light,
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it would take us 200 years to travel
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from the left border of the screen
to the right.
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The "star dust" consists of crystals,
amorphous substances and molecular chains.
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When this diverse matter is exposed
to massive pressure,
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a chain reaction is set into motion
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that leads to the creation
of new suns and planets.
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In this case here,
the gigantic star Eta Carinae,
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is the father of numerous baby stars,
in a manner of speaking.
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Eta Carinae has a mass a hundred times
greater than our sun.
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It's so big,
it can hardly keep itself together.
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Some experts believe that Eta Carinae
could even explode within a hundred years.
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Hardly a bat of an eye
when thinking in cosmic timelines.
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Here we have the "Southern Pillars"
of the Carina Nebula.
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The dust clouds here are so dense,
that no light can pass through,
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but with our infrared cameras
depicting heat sources,
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we can lift that veil
and have a look inside.
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Now, the future baby stars
are visible as yellow or white dots.
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They are cocooned in finger-like tubes,
shown in pink.
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The star Eta Carinae is just outside
the top of the frame.
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Like all suns, it doesn't only emit light,
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but also strong radiation
and energy-charged particles.
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These "stellar winds" have blown
the stardust in front of them,
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and chaotic shapes of veins
and pillars have formed.
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Over a time period of millions of years,
new solar systems will develop here.
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Just like our own sun,
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most of these small, bright dots will have
their own planets that circle around them.
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But as long as mankind hasn't developed
any hyper-lightspeed drives,
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we better have a closer look
at our neighbouring planets instead.
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Let's start with Mars.
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As you probably know,
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the Red Planet has been the destination
of a handful of artificial visitors:
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probes, landers and rovers.
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Even the early models were equipped
with digital cameras,
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some even capable of creating
three-dimensional images.
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That way, mankind became witness
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to the wide plains
and rugged chasms of Mars.
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With the current technology, this whole
experience gets even more impressive.
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Mars is a rocky body, just like Earth.
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But it's only half the diameter
of our home planet,
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which makes it the second smallest planet
of our solar system.
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Its red colour comes from vast amounts
of iron oxide, also known as rust,
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that is spread throughout the planet
and the atmosphere.
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Speaking of which, the atmosphere
is rather thin, as opposed to Earth.
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This results in Mars not being able
to store much of the Sun's warmth.
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Near the equator, temperatures are around
32 degrees Fahrenheit during daytime.
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At night, it plummets to as cold
as minus 121.
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If you're looking to camp here,
you should definitely pack warm clothes.
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The air on Mars is very dusty
and is mainly made of carbon dioxide,
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so humans cannot breathe here.
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Also the high pressure
would make your skin boil,
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so better bring a spacesuit.
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Aside from these facts,
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Mars would surely be an interesting
holiday destination.
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After all, it's got varying weather
conditions and seasons,
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just like back on Earth.
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The southern hemisphere of Mars
is generally warmer
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than the northern counterpart.
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Between them, temperatures can vary
as much as 80 degrees.
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In summer,
the pole caps made of ice melt down,
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which allows for distinctive
cirrus clouds to form.
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We can actually see these in the sky here.
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In spring, storms are common,
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which whip up vast quantities
of Martian dust.
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With wind speeds
of up to 400 miles an hour,
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a lot of the surface
is cast under a dusty veil.
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Sometimes, even small cyclones
called Dust Devils come up.
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The extensive landscapes on Mars
have quite a bit to offer.
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Again, here are major differences
between the northern and southern regions.
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In the cooler north,
we find the low plains,
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which are broad, dust-covered flatlands
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with names like Utopia Planitia
or Amazonis Planitia.
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Dark areas have been visible
on the surface of Mars
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since early telescopes were invented;
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these were thought to be oceans.
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However,
the truth is that Mars is somewhat dry,
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with only tiny amounts of water.
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The southern hemisphere has geologically
older formations and more craters.
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For example, the highland region
of Arabia Terra is densely cratered.
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Among the numerous impact craters
in the southern region
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is the biggest Mars Crater,
called Hellas Planitia.
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The basin has a diameter of 1,300 miles
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with a low point of five miles
below the ground level of Mars,
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making it the lowest point
on the entire planet.
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Running parallel to the equator
is the Valles Marineris.
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These "Mariner Valleys" are the largest
known rift system of our solar system.
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It stretches out for over 2,500 miles,
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and is up to 440 miles wide,
and runs up to five miles deep.
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It is a giant tectonic crack
of unknown origin.
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In the western part,
called Noctis Labyrinthus,
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it develops into a chaotic entanglement
of rifts and valleys
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which are up to 12 miles wide
and up to three miles deep.
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While on the topic of proportions,
Mars holds at least two records.
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One being the giant volcano Alba Patera,
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which covers the widest area
of all volcanoes,
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with a diameter of 1,000 miles.
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With a height of around four miles,
it's not as tall as Mount Everest.
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However, Mars also has the Olympus Mons.
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Measuring an
impressive height of 16 miles,
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it dominates the surrounding plains,
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and makes it the highest elevation
in our whole solar system.
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Apart from Earth,
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Mars is by far the planet
most thoroughly explored
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and researched by mankind.
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We know that Mars must have had a much
denser atmosphere millions of years ago,
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and is likely to have had lots
of liquid water on its surface.
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Back then, it offered much better
conditions for the creation of life.
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That changed when its atmosphere
was thinned out by solar winds.
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Still, in the ice of its polar caps,
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there could primitive life
in the form of bacteria or microbes.
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After all, such life has been found
in the perpetual ice of our own poles.
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As you can see, there's a lot going on
out there in space,
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even if we haven't encountered
any aliens yet.
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But, let's start at the beginning.
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Seven thousand light years away,
in the star constellation of the serpent,
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lies the Eagle Nebula.
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It's 95 light years high,
which equals about 55 trillion miles.
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As a comparison, our solar system
is a mere 10 billion miles long.
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Or in short,
the Eagle Nebula is kind of large.
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In the Eagle Nebula, stars are born
from clouds of cold hydrogen.
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These clouds are blown apart
by the emissions
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from the already active suns,
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creating chaotic shapes
of incredible beauty.
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Sitting above the top of this structure
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are gigantic, hot suns
that illuminate these shapes,
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and thereby render
their three-dimensional shape visible.
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At the same time, their solar winds
are thinning out this gigantic object.
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This star factory must have been formed
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in a particularly dense hydrogen nebula
that eventually collapsed.
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It became denser and denser until
the high pressure triggered an explosion,
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like in an atomic bomb.
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It heated up other cold dust clouds,
eventually driving them to an ignition.
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This caused shock waves
that swept through the formation.
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The edge of one such shock wave
is visible in the brighter contour
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that defines the upper left corner
of the nebula.
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The heated gas has the effect
of a battering ram
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on denser clouds of cold gas.
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It compresses and eventually ignites them,
and the cycle continues.
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You may be asking how this cosmic
chain reaction begun in the first place?
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The infrared spectrum of the nebula
provides the answer.
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Here, we see the cold accumulations
of hydrogen in a greenish tone.
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The red hues show the hot dust,
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and its concentric distribution
provides an explanation to its inception.
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About 8,000 years ago,
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a gigantic star exploded
right in that centre,
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00:12:36,922 --> 00:12:40,593
and the energy from this explosion
triggered the chain reaction.
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At the same time,
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the shockwave generated by the explosion
also drove the cloud apart,
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which in effect caused the most
dense region to move slowest.
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The dense gas clouds have become
the birth grounds of new stars.
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Among them are the famous
"Pillars of Creation."
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This sensational photograph was taken
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by the Hubble Space Telescope
in the year 1995.
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00:13:28,474 --> 00:13:32,186
Now, this is a relatively recent picture
by human standards.
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These pillars crumbled
thousands of years ago,
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driven apart by the cosmic radiation
of the suns.
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How is this possible?
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Well, it takes light 7,000 years
to travel from there to here.
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That means, when these light rays
finally arrive
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at the sensors of our cameras,
they show a very distant past.
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00:13:55,292 --> 00:13:59,797
To get a better feeling for dimensions
as incredibly vast as these,
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let's consider the composition
of our own solar system.
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00:14:04,260 --> 00:14:08,430
As we can see here,
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are,
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00:14:08,514 --> 00:14:10,849
relatively speaking, close to one another.
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00:14:11,976 --> 00:14:15,896
If you look at the entire composition,
you could almost say they're cuddling.
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Mars is followed by an asteroid belt,
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after which the distances between
the planets grow larger and larger.
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00:14:23,821 --> 00:14:26,198
Last in line is Neptune.
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00:14:26,282 --> 00:14:29,994
Neptune is 2.7 billion miles
away from the Earth,
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00:14:30,077 --> 00:14:32,913
which doesn't even amount
to a light year in distance.
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00:14:32,997 --> 00:14:37,793
In fact, this distance is equivalent
to a mere four light hours.
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00:14:37,877 --> 00:14:42,965
To put that into context, if someone
flashed a gigantic light on Neptune,
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we would be able to see it on Earth
four hours later.
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00:14:48,804 --> 00:14:53,183
From a distance,
Neptune appears to be a blue sphere,
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00:14:53,267 --> 00:14:56,770
a colour which is reminiscent
of planet Earth's oceans.
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00:14:56,854 --> 00:15:01,150
This is why Neptune was named after
the Roman god of the seas.
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00:15:01,233 --> 00:15:03,068
Actually, the colour is due to the fact
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00:15:03,152 --> 00:15:06,780
that Neptune's atmosphere is made up
mostly of methane.
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00:15:06,864 --> 00:15:10,326
Because of its properties,
methane absorbs red light.
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00:15:10,993 --> 00:15:12,703
In the upper layers of the atmosphere,
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we see gigantic clouds
several thousand miles long.
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00:15:17,666 --> 00:15:21,670
They form in stripes because
of the high rotation speed of the planet.
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00:15:22,963 --> 00:15:25,215
At the poles, we have Auroras,
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northern lights that look much more
complex than those we have on Earth.
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00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,013
This phenomenon occurs
220
00:15:31,096 --> 00:15:35,267
when charged particles of the solar winds
enter the atmosphere.
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00:15:36,143 --> 00:15:41,899
Besides its 17 moons,
Neptune is also accompanied by its rings.
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00:15:41,982 --> 00:15:44,860
These rings are changeable
in size and shape.
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00:15:45,611 --> 00:15:48,489
The biggest one of them,
called the Adams Ring,
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00:15:48,572 --> 00:15:50,074
has a slightly red hue.
225
00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:53,744
The majority of the rings
appear rather dark though,
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00:15:53,827 --> 00:15:55,537
rendering them difficult to see.
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00:15:56,664 --> 00:15:58,165
They're mostly made up of dust
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00:15:58,248 --> 00:16:01,794
and small particles
the size of grains of sand.
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00:16:01,877 --> 00:16:04,880
Neptune is a so-called Gas Giant,
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00:16:04,964 --> 00:16:09,259
meaning that the planet is almost
exclusively made up by its atmosphere.
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00:16:09,343 --> 00:16:14,014
In this thick soup, we have wind speeds
of up to 1,200 miles per hour.
232
00:16:14,974 --> 00:16:16,684
On the way to the stony core,
233
00:16:16,767 --> 00:16:19,937
which is almost as large
as the entire planet Earth,
234
00:16:20,020 --> 00:16:22,022
the pressure grows massively.
235
00:16:22,856 --> 00:16:27,277
Our NOMAD would be squashed in
a matter of seconds if it went any lower.
236
00:16:28,028 --> 00:16:31,824
In fact, there isn't even
a defined surface due to the pressure.
237
00:16:31,907 --> 00:16:35,119
The atmosphere gets liquefied
without transition,
238
00:16:35,202 --> 00:16:38,706
which results in there not being much
to see on the way down,
239
00:16:38,789 --> 00:16:42,418
just a wild spray of methane,
ammonia and water.
240
00:16:42,501 --> 00:16:46,630
I guess it's safe to say
Neptune is not the nicest place to visit.
241
00:16:46,714 --> 00:16:50,843
Its biggest moon, Triton,
is definitely more welcoming.
242
00:16:50,926 --> 00:16:54,930
This "Son of Poseidon" is a bit smaller
than our Earth moon.
243
00:16:55,514 --> 00:16:57,266
Despite its small mass,
244
00:16:57,349 --> 00:17:01,437
it has an atmosphere which is less than
one percent as dense as ours.
245
00:17:02,104 --> 00:17:05,357
Triton's surface is covered
by a thick crust of ice.
246
00:17:06,233 --> 00:17:10,738
Cracks and deformations on the surface
make up a network of disturbances,
247
00:17:10,820 --> 00:17:13,615
which is a sign of geological activity.
248
00:17:13,699 --> 00:17:16,827
And really, there are geysers on Triton.
249
00:17:16,910 --> 00:17:21,248
They shoot up through the surface ice
forming fountains into the atmosphere,
250
00:17:21,330 --> 00:17:23,834
some as high as five miles.
251
00:17:23,916 --> 00:17:28,505
Atmospheric winds spread the icy dust
over great distances,
252
00:17:28,589 --> 00:17:32,051
until it settles back down on the side
facing away from the Sun.
253
00:17:32,634 --> 00:17:38,932
The half of Triton that is in the shade
has temperatures down to -394 degrees.
254
00:17:39,808 --> 00:17:44,354
This is the lowest temperature
ever measured in our solar system.
255
00:17:44,438 --> 00:17:47,775
Such a winter lasts for 40 years
on Triton.
256
00:17:48,317 --> 00:17:52,821
Another fascinating peculiarity is that
it moves in the opposite direction
257
00:17:52,905 --> 00:17:54,907
to Neptune's rotation.
258
00:17:54,990 --> 00:17:57,826
At the same time,
it's fairly close to Neptune,
259
00:17:57,910 --> 00:18:01,789
so incredible tidal forces are created
due to gravitation.
260
00:18:01,872 --> 00:18:04,208
These forces are believed
to be responsible
261
00:18:04,291 --> 00:18:07,002
for the "cold volcanism" of the geysers.
262
00:18:07,086 --> 00:18:10,672
In the long run, Triton isn't going
to remain in this position.
263
00:18:10,756 --> 00:18:14,218
It is forced closer and closer to Neptune.
264
00:18:14,301 --> 00:18:16,303
In a few hundred million years,
265
00:18:16,386 --> 00:18:20,349
it will collide with Neptune,
which will cause it to be ripped apart.
266
00:18:20,432 --> 00:18:24,311
The debris will form a much denser
ring system around Neptune,
267
00:18:24,394 --> 00:18:27,022
resulting in a look similar to Saturn.
268
00:18:27,106 --> 00:18:29,691
Until then, there is plenty of time
to take in
269
00:18:29,775 --> 00:18:31,860
the breathtaking view of Neptune.
270
00:18:32,903 --> 00:18:37,533
From here, we can also see
its second biggest moon, Proteus.
271
00:18:42,746 --> 00:18:47,626
Well, again, we haven't had much success
with our search for alien life out there.
272
00:18:47,709 --> 00:18:53,215
This begs the question of why so many
people believe in extraterrestrial beings?
273
00:18:54,049 --> 00:18:58,679
A statistical explanation might be given
by the laws of probability.
274
00:18:58,762 --> 00:19:00,222
Out there in space,
275
00:19:00,305 --> 00:19:05,310
there are more stars than grains of sand
on the entire planet Earth.
276
00:19:05,978 --> 00:19:07,146
With that in mind,
277
00:19:07,229 --> 00:19:11,316
how could we be the only star system
with intelligent life?
278
00:19:11,984 --> 00:19:15,487
The probability of there not being life
anywhere else in the universe
279
00:19:15,571 --> 00:19:18,615
seems about as likely as a single person
280
00:19:18,699 --> 00:19:22,870
winning a lottery jackpot
100 times in a row.
281
00:19:24,496 --> 00:19:29,001
Humans tend to see familiar shapes
in astral objects,
282
00:19:29,084 --> 00:19:34,214
like the face of the moon
or the shapes of the constellations.
283
00:19:35,966 --> 00:19:40,220
Even experts in astronomy typically
name their findings on that basis.
284
00:19:40,846 --> 00:19:44,850
That's why, for example, the Omega Nebula,
in the sign of Sagittarius,
285
00:19:44,933 --> 00:19:52,149
hasn't solely been ascribed a scientific
name such as M17 or NGC 6618.
286
00:19:52,232 --> 00:19:55,068
This phenomena has also been given more
poetic names,
287
00:19:55,152 --> 00:19:58,822
like Horseshoe Nebula or Swan Nebula.
288
00:19:58,906 --> 00:20:03,577
And we will now embark on a little
excursion to find the Hidden Dragon there.
289
00:20:04,161 --> 00:20:09,374
The Omega Nebula is so bright that
it is visible to the naked eye from Earth.
290
00:20:10,167 --> 00:20:12,544
You can only see it
as a grey lump, though.
291
00:20:12,628 --> 00:20:16,840
You'd have to use the right equipment
in order to reveal its true beauty.
292
00:20:16,924 --> 00:20:19,676
With images taken using visible light,
293
00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,764
the first thing you notice is
the very bright region at the bottom left.
294
00:20:24,473 --> 00:20:26,600
This is lit by O-stars.
295
00:20:27,267 --> 00:20:30,312
Stars are categorised
into different classes,
296
00:20:30,395 --> 00:20:33,815
with O-Stars being the heaviest
and hottest.
297
00:20:33,899 --> 00:20:35,400
They emit blue light.
298
00:20:36,401 --> 00:20:38,779
When we switch over
to the infrared camera,
299
00:20:38,862 --> 00:20:41,657
we reveal the shape
of a fantastic firedrake
300
00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:45,285
spreading its wings to take flight,
which was previously hidden.
301
00:20:46,161 --> 00:20:48,580
This is a cloud of matter so dense,
302
00:20:48,664 --> 00:20:53,043
it cannot even be penetrated by infrared
light which reveals this formation.
303
00:20:54,169 --> 00:20:58,507
The scientifical name for this cloud
is M17Swex,
304
00:20:58,590 --> 00:21:03,136
and inside, baby stars are hatching
at an amazing rate.
305
00:21:03,220 --> 00:21:06,014
So far, no O-Stars have formed there,
306
00:21:06,598 --> 00:21:11,687
but one day, they will light up
the whole area that now lies in darkness.
307
00:21:11,770 --> 00:21:16,441
It will bathe in their bright light,
just like Omega itself.
308
00:21:17,150 --> 00:21:22,990
You see, in addition to the gazillions
of possible habitats for alien lifeforms,
309
00:21:23,073 --> 00:21:26,743
many more are being created as we speak.
310
00:21:26,827 --> 00:21:30,455
It's still questionable if mankind
will ever be able to reach them,
311
00:21:30,539 --> 00:21:33,292
given the fact that
even the light of these suns
312
00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:35,585
takes thousands of years to reach us.
313
00:21:47,055 --> 00:21:49,766
Since the beginnings
of human space-travel,
314
00:21:49,850 --> 00:21:54,438
my fellow astronauts have said that
seeing the Earth from up here
315
00:21:54,521 --> 00:21:59,026
is one of the most astonishing things
you can experience with your own eyes.
316
00:21:59,109 --> 00:22:01,320
So, hold on to your seats.
317
00:22:01,403 --> 00:22:03,155
But before we travel out there,
318
00:22:03,238 --> 00:22:08,327
let's briefly take a look at how Earth
came to be in the first place.
319
00:22:08,410 --> 00:22:11,496
We are taking a little detour
to the Orion Nebula.
320
00:22:12,289 --> 00:22:17,127
Here lies a star-forming area
which is 1,500 light years away.
321
00:22:17,210 --> 00:22:20,422
It appears as the bright region
in the "Sword of Orion,"
322
00:22:20,505 --> 00:22:22,883
located in the sign of the hunter.
323
00:22:22,966 --> 00:22:26,053
In this incredible cosmic configuration,
324
00:22:26,136 --> 00:22:30,474
somewhere between 1,000
and 2,000 young stars are in the making.
325
00:22:30,557 --> 00:22:35,604
These are made by four of the largest
stars in the galaxy, called the Trapezium.
326
00:22:36,563 --> 00:22:38,482
Many of those stars
will later be surrounded
327
00:22:38,565 --> 00:22:40,859
by planets formed in the process.
328
00:22:41,443 --> 00:22:44,571
Around this trapezoid,
we find new-born suns
329
00:22:44,654 --> 00:22:49,034
that are surrounded by so-called
protoplanetary discs.
330
00:22:49,117 --> 00:22:53,747
These protoplanetary discs
are vast accumulations of material,
331
00:22:53,830 --> 00:22:56,374
perpetually drawn
to the centre of gravity.
332
00:22:57,542 --> 00:23:00,670
In that centre, a new star is forming.
333
00:23:00,754 --> 00:23:02,631
After the ignition of the star,
334
00:23:02,714 --> 00:23:06,051
leftover material
continues to circle around it.
335
00:23:06,134 --> 00:23:07,803
Through the process of accretion,
336
00:23:07,886 --> 00:23:10,597
the concentration
of these cosmic particles,
337
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,391
bigger masses of material start to form.
338
00:23:13,475 --> 00:23:17,979
As these grow larger,
they grow into what we call asteroids.
339
00:23:18,063 --> 00:23:20,941
Directed by the Sun's
gravitational attraction,
340
00:23:21,024 --> 00:23:24,027
the asteroids move around at high pace.
341
00:23:24,111 --> 00:23:26,321
They crash into each other repeatedly,
342
00:23:26,404 --> 00:23:29,574
resulting in the forming
of bigger masses of rock.
343
00:23:29,658 --> 00:23:33,036
Eventually, some of these asteroids
grow large enough
344
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,872
to have a significant gravitational pull,
345
00:23:35,956 --> 00:23:39,626
and therefore,
pick up more and more material.
346
00:23:39,709 --> 00:23:43,672
Over time, this process leads them
to become planets.
347
00:23:43,755 --> 00:23:46,466
Some of these planets even develop
an atmosphere
348
00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:50,053
by collecting particles of gas
floating through the surrounding space.
349
00:23:51,012 --> 00:23:53,140
For example, in this image,
350
00:23:53,223 --> 00:23:57,060
hydrogen and sulphur are visible
in a greenish tone,
351
00:23:57,144 --> 00:24:00,981
and carbon-rich molecules
have an orange-red hue.
352
00:24:01,064 --> 00:24:03,775
The yellow specks of light
are the young stars
353
00:24:03,859 --> 00:24:07,529
that are deeply encased in cocoons
of dust and gas.
354
00:24:09,114 --> 00:24:13,034
The Orion Nebula is also home
to some brown dwarfs.
355
00:24:13,118 --> 00:24:15,412
That's what we call "failed stars,"
356
00:24:15,495 --> 00:24:17,914
meaning that they weren't able to collect
enough mass
357
00:24:17,998 --> 00:24:20,834
to keep a constant nuclear reaction
running.
358
00:24:20,917 --> 00:24:25,088
In essence,
a sun is a gigantic fusion reactor.
359
00:24:25,172 --> 00:24:28,341
Fortunately enough,
the Earth's sun has been running steadily
360
00:24:28,425 --> 00:24:31,303
for approximately five billion years now.
361
00:24:31,386 --> 00:24:35,307
So let's have a look at this hot centre
of our solar system.
362
00:24:36,308 --> 00:24:38,476
The eight planets of our solar system
363
00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,062
are circling around
the star in their centre
364
00:24:41,146 --> 00:24:44,691
on elliptical orbits
with differing trajectories.
365
00:24:44,774 --> 00:24:48,862
Earth has a mean distance of around
100 million miles from the Sun.
366
00:24:49,821 --> 00:24:53,116
In order to be able to look at the Sun
with our human eyes,
367
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,661
we need to decrease
its luminosity by 98 percent.
368
00:24:57,537 --> 00:25:00,123
We are now looking
at the pulsating surface,
369
00:25:00,207 --> 00:25:05,253
where temperatures soar
up to 3.5 million degrees Fahrenheit.
370
00:25:05,337 --> 00:25:10,133
In the very core of the sun,
it reaches 27 million degrees
371
00:25:10,217 --> 00:25:13,386
because hydrogen is constantly fused
into helium.
372
00:25:14,596 --> 00:25:19,893
The fusion reaction causes the release
of energy in the form of photon rays.
373
00:25:20,518 --> 00:25:23,813
These photons dart around at light speed,
374
00:25:24,397 --> 00:25:26,900
but as they collide
with matter frequently,
375
00:25:26,983 --> 00:25:31,404
it takes a thousand years on average
for them to finally leave the Sun's centre
376
00:25:31,488 --> 00:25:32,614
because it's so dense.
377
00:25:33,615 --> 00:25:37,953
Compare that to the mere eight minutes
it takes for the photons to reach Earth,
378
00:25:38,036 --> 00:25:40,205
once they have escaped the sun's centre.
379
00:25:41,122 --> 00:25:42,916
In this light from the Sun,
380
00:25:42,999 --> 00:25:47,212
Earth predominantly glows
in the luscious blue of its oceans.
381
00:25:47,295 --> 00:25:50,423
The continents appear
mostly brownish and dark,
382
00:25:50,507 --> 00:25:53,218
while the second most dominating colour
is white,
383
00:25:53,301 --> 00:25:55,762
due to the white clouds in our atmosphere
384
00:25:55,845 --> 00:25:58,807
combined with the vast ice crusts
at the poles.
385
00:25:59,391 --> 00:26:03,228
Seen from space,
everything looks smooth and quiet.
386
00:26:03,311 --> 00:26:06,231
This is a stark contrast
to the violent affair
387
00:26:06,314 --> 00:26:08,566
characterizing its creation.
388
00:26:08,650 --> 00:26:13,488
After a core had formed from materials
of the sun's protoplanetary disc,
389
00:26:13,571 --> 00:26:16,825
the young Earth was subject
to a constant bombardment
390
00:26:16,908 --> 00:26:19,828
of asteroids and other celestial bodies.
391
00:26:22,914 --> 00:26:27,585
One particularly heavy asteroid
ripped off a part of the Earth's mantle.
392
00:26:27,669 --> 00:26:29,462
This rubble remained in orbit,
393
00:26:29,546 --> 00:26:32,799
and supposedly formed the moon
over the course of the millennia.
394
00:26:33,383 --> 00:26:36,177
As the rate of the bombardment
finally decreased,
395
00:26:36,261 --> 00:26:38,596
Earth slowly cooled off,
396
00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,976
resulting in the forming
of a solid crust of stone on the surface.
397
00:26:43,059 --> 00:26:47,063
Still, there were frequent
volcanic eruptions as well as gasses,
398
00:26:47,147 --> 00:26:49,399
which eventually formed an atmosphere.
399
00:26:50,483 --> 00:26:52,652
Vaporised water condensed,
400
00:26:52,736 --> 00:26:55,780
and returned to the surface
in the form of rain,
401
00:26:55,864 --> 00:26:58,867
while meteors of ice
filled up the first oceans.
402
00:27:00,076 --> 00:27:03,204
A hydrological cycle was set into motion,
403
00:27:03,288 --> 00:27:06,166
and over the subsequent millions of years,
404
00:27:06,249 --> 00:27:10,128
evaporation and rainfall
eroded the rocky surface of Earth.
405
00:27:11,254 --> 00:27:15,050
The first supercontinent broke apart
several times over,
406
00:27:15,133 --> 00:27:20,764
and in time, land masses took the shapes
of the continents we know today.
407
00:27:21,348 --> 00:27:23,683
Eventually, life appeared on Earth.
408
00:27:23,767 --> 00:27:26,728
It probably began with amoeba
in the water,
409
00:27:26,811 --> 00:27:31,775
continuing to fishes and on to land-life,
reptiles, birds and mammals,
410
00:27:31,858 --> 00:27:33,109
and eventually, man.
411
00:27:33,943 --> 00:27:39,366
Scientists are still exploring the wonder
of life's creation and its prerequisites.
412
00:27:39,449 --> 00:27:43,161
The most common assumption is that water,
oxygen and sunlight
413
00:27:43,244 --> 00:27:46,831
were the needed ingredients
to get things started here on Earth.
414
00:27:49,250 --> 00:27:54,506
But all of these wouldn't have done much
without another all-important factor:
415
00:27:54,589 --> 00:27:56,508
Earth's magnetic field.
416
00:27:57,801 --> 00:28:02,472
This huge forcefield shields us
from deadly radiation from the Sun.
417
00:28:02,555 --> 00:28:06,935
The magnetism is created
by complex geo-dynamical activity.
418
00:28:07,644 --> 00:28:10,397
It diverts solar winds around our planet,
419
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,317
preventing them from diminishing
our atmosphere and oceans.
420
00:28:14,401 --> 00:28:17,070
So without the crucial magnetic field,
421
00:28:17,153 --> 00:28:20,198
Earth would probably have become
as barren and bleak
422
00:28:20,281 --> 00:28:22,742
as our silent companion, the Moon.
423
00:28:23,785 --> 00:28:26,621
Being the closest astral body to Earth,
424
00:28:26,704 --> 00:28:31,167
the Moon has fuelled the imagination
of mankind for millennia.
425
00:28:31,251 --> 00:28:35,380
The idea of extraterrestrial life
on the Moon has been communicated
426
00:28:35,463 --> 00:28:38,133
through paintings, songs and literature.
427
00:28:38,216 --> 00:28:42,345
Even some of the first silent movies
depicted life on the Moon.
428
00:28:42,429 --> 00:28:46,975
But by the time man first set foot
on the Moon in 1969,
429
00:28:47,058 --> 00:28:49,644
it was rightly anticipated
that the astronauts
430
00:28:49,728 --> 00:28:52,772
would not encounter any moonsfolk.
431
00:28:52,856 --> 00:28:56,276
Regardless of the absence
of extraterrestrial lifeforms,
432
00:28:56,359 --> 00:28:59,362
the Moon remains truly fascinating.
433
00:28:59,446 --> 00:29:02,157
With a diameter of 2,000 miles,
434
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,494
Earth's companion is the fifth largest
moon in our solar system.
435
00:29:06,578 --> 00:29:10,081
The moon needs four weeks to orbit
once around the Earth,
436
00:29:10,165 --> 00:29:13,334
a fact that is mirrored
in our everyday language:
437
00:29:13,418 --> 00:29:16,254
the word "month" is a derivate of "moon."
438
00:29:16,838 --> 00:29:18,465
Through its gravitational pull,
439
00:29:18,548 --> 00:29:21,509
the Moon bears significant effects
on Earth.
440
00:29:21,593 --> 00:29:24,637
The most visible effect
is our tidal system.
441
00:29:24,721 --> 00:29:28,767
The Moon also plays a role
in maintaining the crucial magnetic field.
442
00:29:28,850 --> 00:29:31,978
The Moon even bears an effect
on Earth's biosphere;
443
00:29:32,061 --> 00:29:35,106
some species, including birds and insects,
444
00:29:35,190 --> 00:29:38,067
make use of the Moon
for navigational purposes.
445
00:29:38,735 --> 00:29:40,987
As far as looks are concerned,
446
00:29:41,070 --> 00:29:46,201
the Moon remains a bit dull because of it
being completely covered in grey dust.
447
00:29:46,284 --> 00:29:49,078
The dust layer is produced
by meteor strikes.
448
00:29:49,662 --> 00:29:51,664
Because of the lack of atmosphere,
449
00:29:51,748 --> 00:29:55,293
meteors crash onto the surface
of the Moon without any damping,
450
00:29:55,376 --> 00:29:57,712
and are pulverised in the process.
451
00:29:57,796 --> 00:30:01,549
The "Moon dust" produced this way
actually resembles sand,
452
00:30:01,633 --> 00:30:04,219
or scientifically speaking, regolith.
453
00:30:04,302 --> 00:30:08,765
So far, water has only been traced
in microscopic quantities.
454
00:30:09,390 --> 00:30:15,230
Nevertheless, we still group the Moon's
surface into areas of "lands" and "seas."
455
00:30:15,313 --> 00:30:18,274
We talk about lands and seas
on the Moon today
456
00:30:18,358 --> 00:30:21,152
because of earlier times'
scientific beliefs
457
00:30:21,236 --> 00:30:23,988
that the dark areas on the Moon
contained water.
458
00:30:24,072 --> 00:30:29,369
We now know that those "seas"
are in fact basins of solidified lava.
459
00:30:29,452 --> 00:30:32,705
Most likely, they were created
by heavy asteroid hits
460
00:30:32,789 --> 00:30:35,041
during the Moon's early days.
461
00:30:35,124 --> 00:30:39,170
At that time, the Moon's crust
was still molten underneath,
462
00:30:39,254 --> 00:30:42,882
and therefore the craters created
by the asteroids' impact
463
00:30:42,966 --> 00:30:45,093
became filled with lava.
464
00:30:45,176 --> 00:30:49,973
Interestingly enough, the Moon is still
geologically active today.
465
00:30:50,056 --> 00:30:51,599
To be more precise,
466
00:30:51,683 --> 00:30:57,355
the activity is so fierce that moonquakes
occur up to ten times a day.
467
00:30:57,438 --> 00:30:59,148
Most of these are moderate,
468
00:30:59,232 --> 00:31:02,944
but some reach up to Level 5
on the Richter scale.
469
00:31:03,027 --> 00:31:07,740
On Earth, this would be enough
to seriously damage unprotected buildings.
470
00:31:07,824 --> 00:31:10,618
Well, fortunately,
there are no buildings here,
471
00:31:10,702 --> 00:31:14,747
and the craters don't seem to mind
a little moonquake from time to time.
472
00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:19,002
Even if the Moon's landscape
is lacking in variation,
473
00:31:19,085 --> 00:31:21,546
you still have a great view from here.
474
00:31:21,629 --> 00:31:24,799
Our blue mother planet rises majestically,
475
00:31:24,883 --> 00:31:27,594
and you also get a perfect view
of the stars,
476
00:31:27,677 --> 00:31:30,763
without an atmosphere or light pollution
hindering the outlook
477
00:31:30,847 --> 00:31:32,557
like it does from Earth.
478
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,018
Let's head out for another visit up there.
479
00:31:38,229 --> 00:31:43,693
About 6,500 light years away,
in the star sign Cassiopeia,
480
00:31:43,776 --> 00:31:48,364
there are two neighbouring nebulas:
The Heart and the Soul Nebula.
481
00:31:49,532 --> 00:31:53,953
Here, we find several generations of stars
in a distinct configuration.
482
00:31:54,537 --> 00:31:57,415
These images provide
the most convincing evidence
483
00:31:57,498 --> 00:32:02,378
for the most widely-acknowledged theory
explaining how stars are created.
484
00:32:02,462 --> 00:32:07,425
In each of the centres of two large
cavities we find a very old star,
485
00:32:07,508 --> 00:32:10,845
both close to 10 times bigger
than our own sun.
486
00:32:10,929 --> 00:32:13,264
Over the course of millions of years,
487
00:32:13,348 --> 00:32:18,937
the radiation from these two large stars
has swept away the surrounding star dust.
488
00:32:19,020 --> 00:32:23,524
In that process, a mixture of matter
and gas is compressed,
489
00:32:23,608 --> 00:32:27,153
ultimately triggering
the ignition of new stars.
490
00:32:27,236 --> 00:32:32,909
Accordingly, the outer areas of these
two cavities are lined with young stars,
491
00:32:32,992 --> 00:32:37,455
we see them here as pink dots
at the pointy ends of the tubular pillars.
492
00:32:38,873 --> 00:32:40,792
If we go a bit closer,
493
00:32:40,875 --> 00:32:46,005
we'll discover a formation that scientists
have called the "Mountains of Creation."
494
00:32:46,089 --> 00:32:49,842
This is a reference to the
"Pillars of Creation" in the Orion Nebula
495
00:32:49,926 --> 00:32:51,511
that we saw earlier.
496
00:32:51,594 --> 00:32:54,764
The "Pillars of Creation"
are only tiny fingers
497
00:32:54,847 --> 00:32:57,183
when compared
to the "Mountains of Creation."
498
00:32:57,266 --> 00:33:01,312
Here you see the two side-by-side
with a matching in scale.
499
00:33:07,610 --> 00:33:10,279
This section alone
of the "Mountains of Creation"
500
00:33:10,363 --> 00:33:16,786
is 50 light years wide,
which is equal to 295 trillion miles.
501
00:33:16,869 --> 00:33:21,290
In the central formation,
hundreds of emerging stars are visible,
502
00:33:21,374 --> 00:33:24,085
they appear in a yellow-white tone.
503
00:33:24,168 --> 00:33:29,340
The matter visible in red
consists of aromatic hydrocarbonates.
504
00:33:29,424 --> 00:33:32,385
It's heated by the light
of the young stars,
505
00:33:32,468 --> 00:33:35,388
and thus becomes visible
to our thermal cameras.
506
00:33:37,807 --> 00:33:40,143
If we were to wait
a couple of million years,
507
00:33:40,226 --> 00:33:42,520
new planets would emerge here as well.
508
00:33:42,603 --> 00:33:45,481
But I think I don't have
the patience for that,
509
00:33:45,565 --> 00:33:48,609
so let's return to our own
stellar neighbourhood
510
00:33:48,693 --> 00:33:51,404
and inspect some existing planets.
511
00:33:51,487 --> 00:33:55,783
Now, landing a man on the moon denoted
a great triumph for mankind
512
00:33:55,867 --> 00:33:58,119
and for science in general.
513
00:33:58,202 --> 00:34:01,664
Other manned missions into space
have been in planning since then.
514
00:34:01,748 --> 00:34:04,292
The target has always been Mars.
515
00:34:04,375 --> 00:34:08,545
When you consider the fact that Venus
is actually our nearest neighbour,
516
00:34:08,629 --> 00:34:10,715
this seems a little strange.
517
00:34:10,797 --> 00:34:16,012
Fortunately, we have a NOMAD unit
right down there on Venus at this moment.
518
00:34:16,094 --> 00:34:18,889
Let's switch over
to the live action camera
519
00:34:18,973 --> 00:34:23,853
to see for ourselves why the conditions
are not too welcoming.
520
00:34:25,313 --> 00:34:28,900
Venus is the second brightest object
on our earthly sky.
521
00:34:29,859 --> 00:34:31,444
Due to its low orbit,
522
00:34:31,527 --> 00:34:34,030
Venus is hardly visible during night time
523
00:34:34,112 --> 00:34:37,449
and is therefore known
as the Evening Star.
524
00:34:37,533 --> 00:34:41,746
Sometimes it's bright enough to be
visible to the human eye during daytime.
525
00:34:41,829 --> 00:34:44,581
The reason we're able
to see Venus this clearly
526
00:34:44,665 --> 00:34:47,918
is due to its dense
and light-reflecting atmosphere,
527
00:34:48,002 --> 00:34:50,545
combined with its close proximity
to Earth.
528
00:34:50,630 --> 00:34:54,550
In fact, Venus is not only positioned
close to Earth,
529
00:34:54,634 --> 00:34:59,055
it also bears similarities with a number
of key physical properties,
530
00:34:59,138 --> 00:35:03,976
to the degree to which the two planets
are often referred to as sister planets.
531
00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:08,481
Venus has approximately
the same size, density and mass as Earth.
532
00:35:09,148 --> 00:35:12,777
Likewise, the gravitational force
is close to 90 percent.
533
00:35:12,860 --> 00:35:16,656
In spite of these resemblances,
there are major differences.
534
00:35:16,739 --> 00:35:20,243
The atmosphere is so dense
that it completely shields the surface
535
00:35:20,326 --> 00:35:22,120
from our visual field.
536
00:35:22,203 --> 00:35:26,582
Good thing we can always rely on radar
and infrared cameras.
537
00:35:26,666 --> 00:35:29,877
So let's take a closer look
at Venus's surface.
538
00:35:31,129 --> 00:35:36,467
The average surface temperature on Venus
is 867 degrees Fahrenheit,
539
00:35:36,551 --> 00:35:40,680
which makes Venus the hottest Earth-like
planet in our solar system.
540
00:35:41,681 --> 00:35:46,185
The first Russian probes to arrive here
in the second half of the 20th century
541
00:35:46,269 --> 00:35:48,980
were literally crushed
by atmospheric pressure.
542
00:35:49,730 --> 00:35:51,315
Venus has a surface air pressure
543
00:35:51,399 --> 00:35:56,571
equalling the pressures found at 4,000
feet below sea level in Earth's oceans.
544
00:35:59,407 --> 00:36:02,118
Luckily, our NOMADs are much more durable.
545
00:36:05,663 --> 00:36:08,332
Looking around down here,
it seems perfectly fair
546
00:36:08,416 --> 00:36:13,838
to agree with claims that downtown Venus
resembles popular depictions of Hell.
547
00:36:14,463 --> 00:36:16,007
Sulphuric clouds,
548
00:36:16,090 --> 00:36:21,554
acid rain, and active volcanoes
are all on the list of local attractions,
549
00:36:21,637 --> 00:36:26,434
alongside dimly-red glowing surfaces
littered with craters.
550
00:36:27,018 --> 00:36:29,854
And with the aid of radar image systems,
551
00:36:29,937 --> 00:36:32,857
we are able to investigate
the local topography.
552
00:36:34,483 --> 00:36:37,445
Logically enough,
there is no water on the surface
553
00:36:37,528 --> 00:36:39,363
because of the high temperatures.
554
00:36:40,114 --> 00:36:44,911
That doesn't prevent us from geologically
distinguishing between high and lowlands.
555
00:36:45,578 --> 00:36:49,874
The two highest plains could be described
as the continents of Venus.
556
00:36:51,209 --> 00:36:54,545
The one we see here carries the name
Ishtar Terra,
557
00:36:54,629 --> 00:36:57,757
and is placed in the northern parts
of Venus.
558
00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:00,509
This area is about the size of Australia
559
00:37:00,593 --> 00:37:03,554
and is home to the Maxwell Mountains,
among others.
560
00:37:04,138 --> 00:37:06,557
Its peaks reach over six miles,
561
00:37:06,641 --> 00:37:09,185
similar to the Himalaya mountains
back on Earth.
562
00:37:16,525 --> 00:37:20,154
The other continental formation
is named Aphrodite Terra
563
00:37:20,238 --> 00:37:23,532
and covers an area
the size of South America.
564
00:37:23,616 --> 00:37:25,451
It runs across the equator,
565
00:37:25,534 --> 00:37:29,372
shaped in a formation that looks like
the outline of a scorpion.
566
00:37:29,455 --> 00:37:33,834
This "Land of Aphrodite" consists
of three bulged formations
567
00:37:33,918 --> 00:37:37,129
called Ovda, Thetis and Atla Regio.
568
00:37:37,213 --> 00:37:40,967
The Atla Regio
is divided by gigantic trenches.
569
00:37:41,050 --> 00:37:43,761
These steep-walled valleys or chasmas
570
00:37:43,844 --> 00:37:46,305
look similar to the canyons
of North America.
571
00:37:47,139 --> 00:37:50,935
Atla Regio is adorned with huge volcanoes.
572
00:37:51,018 --> 00:37:53,271
Among them is Maat Mons,
573
00:37:53,354 --> 00:37:58,567
a giant of five miles towering over
the other Venusian volcanoes.
574
00:37:58,651 --> 00:38:02,029
In total, there are over 50,000 of them.
575
00:38:02,113 --> 00:38:05,449
It's not surprising that
the whole surface area of Venus
576
00:38:05,533 --> 00:38:09,036
is composed of shapes
made of solidified lava.
577
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,373
Among them are some rather
strange-looking specimens,
578
00:38:12,456 --> 00:38:17,211
like these circular pressure domes,
suitably called pancakes.
579
00:38:17,795 --> 00:38:22,591
Other distinctive features of Venus
are lava channels of incredible length.
580
00:38:22,675 --> 00:38:25,678
They have an average width
and depth of a mile,
581
00:38:25,761 --> 00:38:29,015
and run for thousands
and thousands of miles.
582
00:38:29,098 --> 00:38:33,978
The longest one, called Hildr Fossa,
is some 4,200 miles long,
583
00:38:34,562 --> 00:38:38,524
out-competing the reach of the Nile,
Earth's longest river.
584
00:38:39,066 --> 00:38:43,404
Another feature of Venus,
or more accurately, lack of feature,
585
00:38:43,487 --> 00:38:45,072
is the absence of a moon.
586
00:38:45,906 --> 00:38:50,286
Standing on Venus's surface, you wouldn't
have been able to see a moon anyway
587
00:38:50,369 --> 00:38:52,705
because of the thick atmosphere.
588
00:38:52,788 --> 00:38:57,084
These thick layers of clouds
not only obscure our visual field,
589
00:38:57,168 --> 00:39:00,338
but may well hide Venus's biggest secret:
590
00:39:00,421 --> 00:39:06,260
Some scientists claim that it's plausible
that microorganisms inhabit these clouds.
591
00:39:07,094 --> 00:39:10,890
Well, to be honest,
using NOMAD's advanced sensors,
592
00:39:10,973 --> 00:39:15,978
I could easily reveal the truth about
whether or not microorganisms live here.
593
00:39:16,062 --> 00:39:18,773
But, I don't want to spoil all the fun.
594
00:39:19,940 --> 00:39:22,943
But you know,
since life could somehow emerge
595
00:39:23,027 --> 00:39:27,365
in the primordial ooze of our Earth
millions of years ago,
596
00:39:27,448 --> 00:39:29,950
why shouldn't it have happened
elsewhere, too?
597
00:39:30,034 --> 00:39:33,746
Or maybe it's happening right now
as we speak.
598
00:39:33,829 --> 00:39:36,874
And why not in our nearest vicinity?
599
00:39:36,957 --> 00:39:41,170
Venus, after all,
is located only marginally outside
600
00:39:41,253 --> 00:39:44,757
the calculated "habitable zone"
of our solar system.
601
00:39:45,341 --> 00:39:50,054
Mankind can only find answers
to that big question through research.
602
00:39:50,137 --> 00:39:53,682
Satellites and probes will have to be sent
up there,
603
00:39:53,766 --> 00:39:58,396
they will have to scan,
sample and analyse large amounts of data.
604
00:39:58,479 --> 00:40:02,441
Although we live in a highly progressive
and technologically advanced time,
605
00:40:03,109 --> 00:40:07,571
large portions of our own solar system
still remain in the dark.
606
00:40:07,655 --> 00:40:08,864
As we have seen,
607
00:40:08,948 --> 00:40:13,202
there is a ring of asteroids
separating the orbits of Mars and Saturn.
608
00:40:13,994 --> 00:40:17,540
Neptune is the outermost one
of our major planets,
609
00:40:17,623 --> 00:40:20,709
but our solar system
stretches much farther.
610
00:40:20,793 --> 00:40:26,006
Behind Neptune, we find a huge
asteroid field called the Kuiper Belt.
611
00:40:26,090 --> 00:40:29,468
It's 20 times wider
than the central asteroid ring
612
00:40:29,552 --> 00:40:34,807
and is home to over 70,000 objects
of more than 60 miles in size.
613
00:40:34,890 --> 00:40:38,978
These objects are leftovers
from the creation of our solar system,
614
00:40:39,061 --> 00:40:42,940
material that wasn't included
in the formation of our planets.
615
00:40:43,023 --> 00:40:46,694
Some of these objects came very close
to transforming into planets.
616
00:40:46,777 --> 00:40:49,363
Best-known among them is Pluto.
617
00:40:49,447 --> 00:40:52,283
From 1930 until 2006,
618
00:40:52,366 --> 00:40:56,287
it was officially defined
as the ninth planet of our solar system.
619
00:40:56,370 --> 00:41:01,208
When the trans-Neptunian object Eris
was discovered in 2005,
620
00:41:01,292 --> 00:41:04,670
the media quickly announced it
to be our tenth planet.
621
00:41:04,753 --> 00:41:07,548
The scientific community
decided differently,
622
00:41:07,631 --> 00:41:12,011
and came up with a new category
to accommodate these types of objects:
623
00:41:12,094 --> 00:41:13,846
dwarf planets.
624
00:41:13,929 --> 00:41:19,477
In the process, the similar-sized Pluto
lost its status as a regular planet.
625
00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,605
As scientists look closer
into the Kuiper Belt,
626
00:41:22,688 --> 00:41:25,191
more and more dwarf planets
are discovered.
627
00:41:26,275 --> 00:41:30,279
All trans-Neptunian planets
have been named after Earthly deities.
628
00:41:30,362 --> 00:41:34,074
For example, Makemake, a Polynesian god.
629
00:41:34,158 --> 00:41:37,828
Then there is Sedna,
the Inuit goddess of the sea.
630
00:41:37,912 --> 00:41:40,998
Or the distinctively ellipsoid Haumea,
631
00:41:41,081 --> 00:41:44,752
named after the Hawaiian goddess
of childbirth.
632
00:41:44,835 --> 00:41:47,838
While our scientists act
as diligent midwives,
633
00:41:47,922 --> 00:41:51,300
finding and naming
more and more of these little rascals,
634
00:41:51,383 --> 00:41:55,304
it's near impossible to acquire any
meaningful data on these new arrivals
635
00:41:55,387 --> 00:41:57,223
while sitting here on Earth.
636
00:41:57,932 --> 00:42:00,976
Even the only dwarf planet
of the inner solar system
637
00:42:01,060 --> 00:42:03,145
remains mostly unexplored.
638
00:42:03,229 --> 00:42:09,360
Ceres sits right between Mars and Jupiter
and has a diameter of around 600 miles.
639
00:42:09,443 --> 00:42:13,239
It supposedly carries a significant amount
of water ice,
640
00:42:13,322 --> 00:42:17,243
which has led to speculation
that life may exist there.
641
00:42:17,826 --> 00:42:22,540
That's why our engineers work
around the clock to build more probes.
642
00:42:22,623 --> 00:42:24,667
Hopefully, we'll have more data on Ceres
643
00:42:24,750 --> 00:42:27,586
and the trans-Neptunian dwarf planets
in a couple of years.
644
00:42:28,170 --> 00:42:31,840
Current spacecraft take about nine years
to reach Neptune, though,
645
00:42:31,924 --> 00:42:34,093
so this might take a while.
646
00:42:41,809 --> 00:42:44,770
The view of Earth from here
is breathtaking,
647
00:42:44,853 --> 00:42:46,772
and as we have already discovered,
648
00:42:46,855 --> 00:42:52,319
outer space continues to hold
a number of surprises in store for us.
649
00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:55,447
Today, you may be surprised
by the appearance
650
00:42:55,531 --> 00:42:59,034
of some of the faraway planets
we're about to visit.
651
00:42:59,118 --> 00:43:02,288
We have even deeper insights
in store, too.
652
00:43:02,371 --> 00:43:04,707
You may recall
that we've previously unravelled
653
00:43:04,790 --> 00:43:08,168
how planets and stars come into existence,
654
00:43:08,252 --> 00:43:10,379
but as the saying goes:
655
00:43:10,462 --> 00:43:13,215
"What goes around, comes around."
656
00:43:13,299 --> 00:43:15,551
And everything has an end.
657
00:43:15,634 --> 00:43:19,138
Even incredibly powerful objects
like our sun.
658
00:43:20,055 --> 00:43:22,683
I'm going to show you
what that looks like.
659
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:29,440
The sign of Taurus is home
to one of the most interesting
660
00:43:29,523 --> 00:43:34,445
and most studied objects of visible space:
the Crab Nebula.
661
00:43:36,488 --> 00:43:39,742
The torn and furrowed appearance
of this stellar nebula
662
00:43:39,825 --> 00:43:42,703
gives a strong hint
as to what has happened here:
663
00:43:42,786 --> 00:43:44,955
a star exploded.
664
00:43:45,039 --> 00:43:50,002
As we know, the Sun can be described
as a gigantic fusion reactor.
665
00:43:50,085 --> 00:43:54,465
At any given time, helium and oxygen
detonate inside of it.
666
00:43:55,382 --> 00:43:59,303
Under most circumstances,
the detonation of helium and oxygen
667
00:43:59,386 --> 00:44:02,514
would result in a star
blowing into pieces,
668
00:44:02,598 --> 00:44:06,101
but the Sun's incredible gravity
prevents that from happening.
669
00:44:06,185 --> 00:44:10,481
Over the time of billions of years,
this interaction depletes matter.
670
00:44:11,065 --> 00:44:15,986
In the case of the Crab-Sun,
gravity eventually lost the battle.
671
00:44:16,070 --> 00:44:19,323
The Crab-Sun exploded
around a thousand years ago,
672
00:44:19,406 --> 00:44:21,700
in the year 1054 AD.
673
00:44:21,784 --> 00:44:25,954
The explosion was so bright
that it could be seen during daytime,
674
00:44:26,038 --> 00:44:28,457
according to ancient Chinese astronomers.
675
00:44:31,168 --> 00:44:34,129
During the 1,000 years
that have passed since,
676
00:44:34,213 --> 00:44:36,215
the remaining core of the Crab-Sun
677
00:44:36,298 --> 00:44:39,927
has turned into an extremely dense
neutron star.
678
00:44:40,010 --> 00:44:44,139
It continues to spawn a large number
of high-energy particles,
679
00:44:44,223 --> 00:44:47,768
and therefore the Crab Nebula
takes an ever-changing shape.
680
00:44:48,352 --> 00:44:49,478
Well, in case you're wondering:
681
00:44:49,561 --> 00:44:53,982
Yes, one day, our sun will unfortunately
share a similar fate.
682
00:44:54,066 --> 00:44:55,109
But don't worry,
683
00:44:55,192 --> 00:44:58,695
it should still be good for another
couple of billion years.
684
00:44:58,779 --> 00:45:00,072
When that day comes,
685
00:45:00,155 --> 00:45:04,827
the Sun's first victim
will be its closest planet: Mercury.
686
00:45:04,910 --> 00:45:07,621
Now, in addition to the threat
from the Sun,
687
00:45:07,704 --> 00:45:10,833
Mercury is having
a bit of a rough time in general.
688
00:45:10,916 --> 00:45:14,962
So let's not waste time talking,
let's have a closer look instead.
689
00:45:15,045 --> 00:45:19,383
After all, in a few billion years,
it might be too late.
690
00:45:19,967 --> 00:45:23,637
Mercury is the last "Earth-like" planet
in our solar system.
691
00:45:24,721 --> 00:45:28,016
Actually, apart from
having a rocky body like Earth,
692
00:45:28,100 --> 00:45:30,978
it has not many other Earthly properties.
693
00:45:31,061 --> 00:45:33,730
Visually, this planet resembles the Moon.
694
00:45:33,814 --> 00:45:36,066
This corresponds well with Mercury being
695
00:45:36,150 --> 00:45:38,861
the smallest regular planet
in our solar system.
696
00:45:40,154 --> 00:45:42,030
Mercury does not have an atmosphere,
697
00:45:42,114 --> 00:45:45,534
something which is evident
from its crater-littered surface.
698
00:45:45,617 --> 00:45:49,663
There's nothing preventing meteorites
from hitting Mercury at full speed.
699
00:45:49,746 --> 00:45:50,831
From up here,
700
00:45:50,914 --> 00:45:55,586
these craters may misguidingly
look like innocent footprints in sand,
701
00:45:55,669 --> 00:45:59,131
but if we go up close,
they reveal their true size:
702
00:45:59,214 --> 00:46:00,841
they are gigantic.
703
00:46:01,592 --> 00:46:07,347
The ten largest craters have diameters
ranging from 125 to 1,000 miles.
704
00:46:07,431 --> 00:46:10,767
The largest one is known as Caloris Basin.
705
00:46:10,851 --> 00:46:13,395
This huge dent can only have been created
706
00:46:13,479 --> 00:46:17,858
through the impact of an astral body
at least 60 miles in width.
707
00:46:17,941 --> 00:46:20,194
As a result of this brutal impact,
708
00:46:20,277 --> 00:46:22,946
the crust of Mercury's surface
was cracked,
709
00:46:23,030 --> 00:46:26,450
allowing for the basin
to be flooded with lava,
710
00:46:26,533 --> 00:46:31,580
a process very similar to those that
caused the "seas of lava" on our own Moon.
711
00:46:31,663 --> 00:46:35,459
Other indications of the brutal forces
of the meteoric impacts
712
00:46:35,542 --> 00:46:38,212
are the radial marks
surrounding the craters.
713
00:46:38,962 --> 00:46:41,298
Here, more recent, and therefore brighter,
714
00:46:41,381 --> 00:46:44,885
meteoric rudiments are scattered around
the point of impact.
715
00:46:45,427 --> 00:46:49,515
Larger craters are typically
surrounded by ring-shaped walls,
716
00:46:49,598 --> 00:46:51,141
created through folding,
717
00:46:51,225 --> 00:46:54,853
another phenomenon reminding us
of the make-up of our moon.
718
00:46:54,937 --> 00:46:58,482
A phenomena exclusive to Mercury
are the so-called Rupes:
719
00:46:59,066 --> 00:47:01,109
cliffs reaching more
than a mile in height,
720
00:47:01,193 --> 00:47:03,695
and stretching over a hundred miles.
721
00:47:03,779 --> 00:47:07,074
The Rupes cross right through
a number of the meteoric craters,
722
00:47:07,157 --> 00:47:08,909
which makes scientific experts believe
723
00:47:08,992 --> 00:47:12,871
that these cliffs may have been
caused by a shrinking of the planet.
724
00:47:12,955 --> 00:47:14,706
According to calculations,
725
00:47:14,790 --> 00:47:16,917
Mercury's overall diameter may have been
726
00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:21,672
more than two hundred thousand square
miles bigger four billion years ago.
727
00:47:21,755 --> 00:47:24,091
Despite its similarities to our moon,
728
00:47:24,174 --> 00:47:27,344
Mercury isn't exactly
a nice place to visit.
729
00:47:27,427 --> 00:47:29,972
That's because of its proximity
to the Sun.
730
00:47:30,556 --> 00:47:34,142
The Sun-facing half of Mercury
is heated to extreme temperatures
731
00:47:34,226 --> 00:47:37,563
reaching up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
732
00:47:37,646 --> 00:47:38,814
On the night side,
733
00:47:38,897 --> 00:47:43,694
temperatures go as low as to -275 degrees.
734
00:47:43,777 --> 00:47:45,779
These conditions make Mercury the planet
735
00:47:45,862 --> 00:47:48,615
with the widest range
of temperature spans.
736
00:47:48,699 --> 00:47:55,497
The day-cycles are similarly extreme,
a night on Mercury lasts pretty darn long.
737
00:47:55,581 --> 00:48:00,794
The Sun only rises every 176 days
due to Mercury's eccentric spin.
738
00:48:01,587 --> 00:48:04,506
And while you're waiting in the dark
for the morning to come,
739
00:48:04,590 --> 00:48:07,509
Mercury does two rounds around the Sun.
740
00:48:07,593 --> 00:48:08,969
At least it's safe to say
741
00:48:09,052 --> 00:48:13,473
when the Sun finally rises,
it really shines hard.
742
00:48:13,557 --> 00:48:17,561
The distance between Mercury and the Sun
is only 30 million miles,
743
00:48:17,644 --> 00:48:20,397
just one-third of the distance
between us and the Sun.
744
00:48:21,398 --> 00:48:23,191
Standing on Mercury's surface,
745
00:48:23,275 --> 00:48:25,861
you would not only be exposed
to massive heat,
746
00:48:25,944 --> 00:48:30,657
but also a lot of solar radiation,
which is very hazardous to humans.
747
00:48:30,741 --> 00:48:34,244
Luckily,
our NOMADs are not that susceptible.
748
00:48:34,328 --> 00:48:38,332
Still, I bet that little guy down there
is getting pretty warm now.
749
00:48:43,587 --> 00:48:49,134
Now, all of our comparisons about the Moon
and Mercury prompt a related question:
750
00:48:49,217 --> 00:48:51,053
What about Mercury's moon?
751
00:48:51,136 --> 00:48:56,600
Well, the answer is, just like Venus,
Mercury doesn't have a moon.
752
00:48:56,683 --> 00:48:58,935
Now, this fact has led scientists
to believe
753
00:48:59,019 --> 00:49:03,607
that perhaps Mercury once orbited Venus.
754
00:49:03,690 --> 00:49:04,983
Such a theory would explain
755
00:49:05,067 --> 00:49:10,364
why Mercury's orbital trajectory
around the Sun is so irregular.
756
00:49:10,447 --> 00:49:14,951
Geometrically speaking, Mercury's
trajectory takes a gyrational form,
757
00:49:15,035 --> 00:49:17,871
as it was observed
in the late 19th century.
758
00:49:17,954 --> 00:49:22,751
Astronomers at the time mistakenly
interpreted it as proof of the existence
759
00:49:22,834 --> 00:49:24,920
of a previously unknown planet.
760
00:49:25,003 --> 00:49:28,006
In fact, they were so convinced
by the evidence
761
00:49:28,090 --> 00:49:32,427
that they gave that phantom planet
a name: Vulcan.
762
00:49:32,511 --> 00:49:37,933
While I still hope for the Vulcanians
that they will live long and prosper,
763
00:49:38,016 --> 00:49:40,727
they would certainly have to do that
some place else.
764
00:49:41,311 --> 00:49:43,980
Another very improbable location
for their home
765
00:49:44,064 --> 00:49:47,984
would be the Helix Nebula
in the sign of Aquarius.
766
00:49:48,068 --> 00:49:52,239
This celestial object was named
Helix Nebula in the 18th century.
767
00:49:52,823 --> 00:49:54,241
Through early telescopes,
768
00:49:54,324 --> 00:49:57,744
the nebula looked similar
to gas giants like Jupiter.
769
00:49:57,828 --> 00:50:02,374
More accurately, it's the remains
of another supernova, an exploded sun.
770
00:50:09,381 --> 00:50:15,220
At the end of their life, stars blow their
gaseous components far out into space.
771
00:50:15,303 --> 00:50:18,390
The remaining core,
known as a white dwarf,
772
00:50:18,473 --> 00:50:20,809
keeps heating up these gas particles,
773
00:50:20,892 --> 00:50:24,020
and thereby drives them farther
and farther away.
774
00:50:24,938 --> 00:50:27,023
In the case of Helix Nebula,
775
00:50:27,107 --> 00:50:30,610
the result looks somewhat like
a gigantic eye.
776
00:50:30,694 --> 00:50:34,364
This similarity becomes most obvious
in infrared view mode.
777
00:50:34,990 --> 00:50:36,324
An eerie sight,
778
00:50:36,408 --> 00:50:39,619
that is somehow fitting
for the fatal events that took place
779
00:50:39,703 --> 00:50:41,705
in that extinct solar system.
780
00:50:42,247 --> 00:50:45,834
We can now see the white dwarf
as a bright spot in the middle,
781
00:50:45,917 --> 00:50:49,087
while the most recently emitted gases
are tinted in red.
782
00:50:49,921 --> 00:50:53,258
The blue-greenish elements
are much cooler gas particles.
783
00:50:54,259 --> 00:50:55,886
When the explosion happened,
784
00:50:55,969 --> 00:51:00,515
all planets and moons in that nebular
system were torn from their orbits,
785
00:51:00,599 --> 00:51:03,977
and were either ripped to pieces
by the gravitational forces
786
00:51:04,060 --> 00:51:07,189
or burnt down by the vastly expanding sun.
787
00:51:07,272 --> 00:51:09,357
At least some comets survived,
788
00:51:09,441 --> 00:51:12,694
and they continue to make their way
through the galactic rubble.
789
00:51:14,321 --> 00:51:17,324
And meanwhile,
that huge eye of the Helix Nebula
790
00:51:17,407 --> 00:51:19,701
keeps staring into space.
791
00:51:19,785 --> 00:51:22,496
Maybe it's looking for that ring,
you know?
792
00:51:22,579 --> 00:51:25,373
I mean, the rings of Saturn, of course.
793
00:51:25,457 --> 00:51:29,085
Saturn is the sixth planet
of our solar system.
794
00:51:29,169 --> 00:51:32,506
Located almost one billion miles
away from Earth,
795
00:51:32,589 --> 00:51:37,344
it's incredible that it's visible
to the plain human eye in our night sky.
796
00:51:37,427 --> 00:51:40,388
That goes to prove that Saturn
is pretty big.
797
00:51:41,306 --> 00:51:46,478
To be exact,
it has a diameter of about 75,000 miles,
798
00:51:46,561 --> 00:51:49,731
making it the second largest planet
in our solar system.
799
00:51:51,358 --> 00:51:53,985
Looking through
even the simplest of telescopes,
800
00:51:54,069 --> 00:51:57,364
the most striking feature of Saturn
can be seen from Earth:
801
00:51:57,447 --> 00:51:59,950
Saturn's distinctive ring system.
802
00:52:00,867 --> 00:52:03,495
The stylised shape of Saturn
with its rings
803
00:52:03,578 --> 00:52:05,872
has become a symbol for astronomy,
804
00:52:05,956 --> 00:52:08,166
space-faring and science-fiction alike.
805
00:52:08,917 --> 00:52:12,712
Let's take a closer look at that disc
that Saturn seems to be stuck in.
806
00:52:14,172 --> 00:52:17,050
Once we get closer,
we can differentiate between a number
807
00:52:17,133 --> 00:52:19,803
of more or less sharply defined rings.
808
00:52:21,054 --> 00:52:25,141
There are over 100,000
separate rings around Saturn,
809
00:52:25,225 --> 00:52:28,895
each with different colour tones
mirroring their composition.
810
00:52:29,896 --> 00:52:31,898
The rings are visibly separated,
811
00:52:31,982 --> 00:52:34,860
you can easily sense
the gaps between them.
812
00:52:34,943 --> 00:52:37,529
The material composition
of the individual rings
813
00:52:37,612 --> 00:52:40,782
becomes pretty evident
when we get up close,
814
00:52:40,866 --> 00:52:44,619
the rings are asteroid fields
circling around the planet.
815
00:52:44,703 --> 00:52:45,579
In these rings,
816
00:52:45,662 --> 00:52:49,875
a diverse range of compounds
of differing sizes whirl about,
817
00:52:49,958 --> 00:52:52,377
some as small as grains of sand.
818
00:52:53,086 --> 00:52:56,965
Some of the smaller moons of Saturn
are ploughing right through these rings.
819
00:52:57,048 --> 00:52:59,593
These moons are called shepherd moons,
820
00:52:59,676 --> 00:53:03,054
because their orbits ensure
that the rings are kept nicely in shape.
821
00:53:04,514 --> 00:53:07,851
Unfortunately,
we cannot set foot on Saturn.
822
00:53:07,934 --> 00:53:09,436
Like all the gas giants,
823
00:53:09,519 --> 00:53:12,606
it doesn't have an actual
physical surface.
824
00:53:12,689 --> 00:53:16,484
Its atmosphere consists mainly
of hydrogen and helium.
825
00:53:16,568 --> 00:53:18,153
Towards the planet's core,
826
00:53:18,236 --> 00:53:20,906
the pressure rises
to incredible magnitudes,
827
00:53:20,989 --> 00:53:22,866
prompting the gases to liquefy.
828
00:53:25,327 --> 00:53:29,998
What we can do is send our NOMAD
into the outer atmosphere.
829
00:53:30,081 --> 00:53:33,668
Saturn has two distinctly
separated cloud layers.
830
00:53:33,752 --> 00:53:36,838
From space,
the lower layer isn't even visible,
831
00:53:36,922 --> 00:53:39,591
because of the density of the outer layer.
832
00:53:39,674 --> 00:53:42,427
So the sight here is really rather rare.
833
00:53:44,054 --> 00:53:47,307
Now we are closing in
on the whirlwind at the south pole.
834
00:53:48,224 --> 00:53:50,977
This whirlwind is a hurricane
with a fixed position,
835
00:53:51,061 --> 00:53:54,105
and a diameter of 5,000 miles.
836
00:53:54,189 --> 00:53:56,942
The north pole offers
a similarly distinctive feature,
837
00:53:57,525 --> 00:54:01,780
a polar vortex in the shape
of very tidy hexagons.
838
00:54:01,863 --> 00:54:05,659
This phenomenon
stretches out over 15,000 miles,
839
00:54:05,742 --> 00:54:07,369
and is several hundred miles deep.
840
00:54:07,953 --> 00:54:11,957
Since our NOMAD is already out here,
it would be a wasted opportunity
841
00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:15,001
if we didn't embark
on a touchdown somewhere.
842
00:54:15,085 --> 00:54:20,215
Fortunately, some of Saturn's 62 moons
are really big fellows.
843
00:54:20,298 --> 00:54:24,386
Four of them have diameters
ranging from 500 to 1,000 miles.
844
00:54:24,469 --> 00:54:29,015
That's half the size of our own moon,
and they also look pretty familiar.
845
00:54:29,099 --> 00:54:30,517
Firstly, there's Rhea.
846
00:54:31,142 --> 00:54:37,691
Exposed to temperatures of between
-275 to -365 degrees Fahrenheit,
847
00:54:37,774 --> 00:54:41,152
its surface is made of water ice
by two thirds.
848
00:54:41,236 --> 00:54:42,862
Thanks to gas emissions,
849
00:54:42,946 --> 00:54:47,242
Rhea has a very thin atmosphere
made of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
850
00:54:47,325 --> 00:54:50,787
The surface is littered with craters
as on Earth's moon,
851
00:54:50,870 --> 00:54:53,748
but the craters appear visually softer.
852
00:54:53,832 --> 00:54:57,794
That is because Rhea's crust is more
flexible than that of our own moon.
853
00:54:57,877 --> 00:55:01,881
Rhea's smaller sister Dione
shares similar features.
854
00:55:01,965 --> 00:55:05,927
It's also mostly comprised of ice,
but has more sharply-drawn craters.
855
00:55:06,886 --> 00:55:08,972
Additionally, it has light stripes.
856
00:55:09,055 --> 00:55:12,183
They are likely to have been caused
by cold volcanism.
857
00:55:12,892 --> 00:55:14,352
Staying in the family analogy,
858
00:55:14,936 --> 00:55:18,106
Thetys could then again
be the younger brother of Dione,
859
00:55:18,189 --> 00:55:20,900
as these two moons look almost identical.
860
00:55:20,984 --> 00:55:26,364
The most striking feature of Thetys
is a giant impact crater named Odysseus.
861
00:55:26,448 --> 00:55:29,993
It covers close to 40 percent
of Thetys's surface.
862
00:55:30,076 --> 00:55:32,537
Due to the orientation of that crater,
863
00:55:32,620 --> 00:55:35,290
Thetys may remind
science-fiction enthusiasts
864
00:55:35,373 --> 00:55:37,834
of a certain deadly battle station.
865
00:55:39,794 --> 00:55:43,423
This distinctly bi-coloured moon,
Iapetus, on the other hand,
866
00:55:43,506 --> 00:55:46,676
reminds me more of
the Ying and Yang symbol.
867
00:55:46,760 --> 00:55:50,221
A big part of its icy surface
is tinted in a dark red.
868
00:55:51,097 --> 00:55:54,976
Scientists are still unsure of exactly
how this pattern developed.
869
00:55:55,060 --> 00:55:59,230
Possibly, differently coloured material
may have emerged from within Iapetus,
870
00:55:59,314 --> 00:56:03,985
through processes of volcanic activity
or meteoric impact events.
871
00:56:04,986 --> 00:56:09,741
Another striking feature of Iapetus
is a rift stretching over 800 miles.
872
00:56:10,450 --> 00:56:12,827
This formation is up to eight miles high
873
00:56:12,911 --> 00:56:16,956
and somehow makes the Moon look like
a walnut when seen from a certain angle.
874
00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:19,250
Possible explanations for this anomaly
875
00:56:19,334 --> 00:56:23,922
include tectonic activities
and crashed remains of an asteroid ring.
876
00:56:24,714 --> 00:56:28,760
The mini-moon Enceladus
also has an interesting surface.
877
00:56:28,843 --> 00:56:33,348
It's very bright, because it consists
of almost flawless water ice,
878
00:56:33,431 --> 00:56:37,852
making it reflect 99 percent
of all incoming sunlight.
879
00:56:37,936 --> 00:56:43,066
Enceladus is the most reflective
astral body in our entire solar system.
880
00:56:43,149 --> 00:56:48,696
Another source of Enceladus' ever-fresh
looks is its active cryo-volcanism.
881
00:56:48,780 --> 00:56:52,700
Geysers keep renewing the surface
by spitting out ice fountains
882
00:56:52,784 --> 00:56:54,994
of up to 300 miles in height.
883
00:56:55,078 --> 00:56:57,372
Analysis of the discharged material
884
00:56:57,455 --> 00:57:00,458
has shown a very high density
of organic chemicals.
885
00:57:01,459 --> 00:57:06,381
Such organic materials in combination
with water and moderate temperatures
886
00:57:06,464 --> 00:57:11,219
form the basic components necessary
for the creation of life.
887
00:57:11,302 --> 00:57:16,599
So it seems like the only thing preventing
life on Enceladus is warmer temperatures.
888
00:57:16,683 --> 00:57:19,018
That's quite an exciting discovery.
889
00:57:19,102 --> 00:57:24,899
But, one that will be topped by
the last stop on our little tour of moons.
890
00:57:24,983 --> 00:57:28,194
The biggest of Saturn's moons
is a really big guy.
891
00:57:28,278 --> 00:57:31,322
In fact, it's even bigger
than the planet Mercury,
892
00:57:31,406 --> 00:57:34,242
and has therefore aptly been named Titan.
893
00:57:34,826 --> 00:57:37,620
Titan holds a number
of additional features
894
00:57:37,704 --> 00:57:42,000
making it appear more like
a full-grown planet in its own rights.
895
00:57:42,083 --> 00:57:47,964
And not just any full-grown planet,
that is Titan is even Earth-like.
896
00:57:48,047 --> 00:57:52,552
Yes, in fact, Titan is the astral body
in our solar system
897
00:57:52,635 --> 00:57:55,388
that resembles Earth the most.
898
00:57:55,472 --> 00:57:57,974
But, let's start at the beginning.
899
00:57:59,517 --> 00:58:03,521
Titan has a diameter of 3,200 miles,
900
00:58:03,605 --> 00:58:07,442
and is the only known moon
to have a really dense atmosphere.
901
00:58:08,568 --> 00:58:13,156
This atmosphere is rich on clouds
and consists mainly of nitrogen,
902
00:58:13,239 --> 00:58:15,658
although it carries traces
of carbon hydride
903
00:58:15,742 --> 00:58:18,161
and other organic components, too.
904
00:58:18,244 --> 00:58:22,582
The clouds are made up of methane,
ethane and other hydrocarbons.
905
00:58:23,666 --> 00:58:24,792
At Titan's surface,
906
00:58:24,876 --> 00:58:30,173
the average temperature is as low
as -275 degrees Fahrenheit.
907
00:58:30,256 --> 00:58:34,260
Still, Titan has landscapes
that look a lot like those on Earth.
908
00:58:35,220 --> 00:58:38,348
Along the Equator, for example,
lies a region called Xanadu,
909
00:58:38,431 --> 00:58:40,391
which is about the size of Australia.
910
00:58:41,267 --> 00:58:44,646
Here we find mountains
of up to a mile in height.
911
00:58:44,729 --> 00:58:49,150
They were created by water ice
that was washed down by methane rain,
912
00:58:49,234 --> 00:58:51,402
causing them to take their current shape.
913
00:58:51,486 --> 00:58:55,073
Due to the low temperatures,
the ice is as hard as silicate rock.
914
00:58:55,657 --> 00:58:57,367
There is no water, of course.
915
00:58:57,450 --> 00:59:01,746
Instead, pools and even seas of methane
define the landscape.
916
00:59:09,170 --> 00:59:14,133
Contrasting the methane seas
are desert-like areas dominated by dunes.
917
00:59:14,926 --> 00:59:18,012
These landscapes have most likely
been formed in a similar manner
918
00:59:18,096 --> 00:59:20,390
as dunes on Earth, by wind.
919
00:59:21,307 --> 00:59:23,810
Wind speeds as low as two miles per hour
920
00:59:23,893 --> 00:59:27,480
are enough to make these sandy particles
shape into dunes.
921
00:59:27,564 --> 00:59:32,235
These dunes are several hundred miles long
and up to 500 feet high,
922
00:59:32,318 --> 00:59:36,656
and consist of sand particles
that are about a tenth of an inch small.
923
00:59:36,739 --> 00:59:38,700
These are made up of organic materials
924
00:59:38,783 --> 00:59:41,828
that dried after raining
onto Titan's surface.
925
00:59:42,412 --> 00:59:44,831
Now, with all these similarities to Earth,
926
00:59:44,914 --> 00:59:47,584
life is not out of the question.
927
00:59:47,667 --> 00:59:51,838
Because of the cold, it's impossible
for water-based lifeforms to exist,
928
00:59:51,921 --> 00:59:55,633
but recent discoveries on Earth
would suggest the possibility
929
00:59:55,717 --> 00:59:58,428
of lifeforms that are based on hydrogen.
930
00:59:59,304 --> 01:00:03,141
And Titan is practically teeming
with hydrogen.
931
01:00:03,224 --> 01:00:06,644
So, I'd say it's about time
we send a couple of more rovers up there
932
01:00:06,728 --> 01:00:09,981
to look under every piece of icy rock.
933
01:00:22,535 --> 01:00:24,996
Maybe there are some microscopic aliens
934
01:00:25,079 --> 01:00:29,000
like bacteria and microbes
up there on Titan.
935
01:00:29,083 --> 01:00:32,962
Maybe there once were in the past,
or maybe they'll emerge in the future.
936
01:00:33,046 --> 01:00:34,088
We don't know.
937
01:00:35,214 --> 01:00:39,302
No one can say with certainty
what sparks the ignition of life.
938
01:00:39,385 --> 01:00:44,599
One thing is sure though,
all life is part of an eternal cycle.
939
01:00:44,682 --> 01:00:47,518
This is true for suns as well.
940
01:00:47,602 --> 01:00:49,687
When one star explodes,
941
01:00:49,771 --> 01:00:52,357
a shockwave runs through space,
942
01:00:52,440 --> 01:00:55,485
carrying an incredible amount of energy.
943
01:00:55,568 --> 01:00:58,905
For example,
in the case of the Crab Nebula,
944
01:00:58,988 --> 01:01:02,867
it was the equivalent
of a hundred thousand suns.
945
01:01:04,285 --> 01:01:10,416
Now, this energy fuels the creation
of new stars, and with them, new planets.
946
01:01:10,500 --> 01:01:12,710
We have seen what this process looks like.
947
01:01:12,794 --> 01:01:18,007
We saw the material shot out by
dying suns form cosmic nebulas at first,
948
01:01:18,091 --> 01:01:22,011
only to later become part
of new stars and planets.
949
01:01:22,095 --> 01:01:24,972
This is the cycle of cosmic creation.
950
01:01:25,056 --> 01:01:28,601
The by-product
is sights of incredible beauty.
951
01:01:28,685 --> 01:01:31,979
So why don't we let some of them
unfold before us?
952
01:01:37,819 --> 01:01:40,488
Here we have the American Nebula,
for example,
953
01:01:40,571 --> 01:01:44,117
clearly named for its resemblance
to the North American continent.
954
01:01:45,034 --> 01:01:48,788
This likeness is only noticeable
in the visible light spectrum though,
955
01:01:48,871 --> 01:01:52,250
in infrared view,
the whole thing looks entirely different.
956
01:01:52,333 --> 01:01:53,626
But no less fascinating.
957
01:02:08,766 --> 01:02:12,979
A totally different visual experience
is provided by the Rho Oph Nebula.
958
01:02:13,646 --> 01:02:18,609
A mere 407 light years away,
it's the star factory closest to Earth.
959
01:02:19,569 --> 01:02:25,324
The 300 suns we find here
have an average age of 300,000 years.
960
01:02:25,408 --> 01:02:28,578
That really makes them babies,
from a star's point of view.
961
01:02:28,661 --> 01:02:31,164
After all, the oldest discovered stars
962
01:02:31,247 --> 01:02:34,375
have been around
for over 12 billion years.
963
01:02:39,589 --> 01:02:42,383
The Pleiades,
also known as The Seven Sisters,
964
01:02:42,467 --> 01:02:44,761
are also readily visible from Earth.
965
01:02:44,844 --> 01:02:48,848
That makes them the subject
of many old scriptures and legends.
966
01:02:48,931 --> 01:02:52,602
These suns were created when dinosaurs
were still roaming the Earth,
967
01:02:52,685 --> 01:02:54,562
about a hundred million years ago.
968
01:02:54,645 --> 01:02:57,690
That makes the Pleiades
quite a bit younger than our own sun,
969
01:02:57,774 --> 01:03:00,651
which has about five billion years
on the meter.
970
01:03:00,735 --> 01:03:02,528
Some experts believe that our sun
971
01:03:02,612 --> 01:03:06,407
was born in a dense, star-forming region
like the Pleiades,
972
01:03:06,491 --> 01:03:08,868
and then later moved
to its current position
973
01:03:08,951 --> 01:03:10,787
over the course of millions of years.
974
01:03:11,370 --> 01:03:14,582
As you can see, there really is quite
a lot going on out there in space,
975
01:03:14,665 --> 01:03:18,377
even if we haven't encountered
any real aliens yet.
976
01:03:18,461 --> 01:03:22,548
But we still have two stops to make
on our galactic tour de force.
977
01:03:22,632 --> 01:03:23,966
One of them is Jupiter,
978
01:03:24,050 --> 01:03:27,428
no less than the largest planet
in our solar system.
979
01:03:27,512 --> 01:03:30,389
And we have over 80 moons
to take a look at.
980
01:03:42,735 --> 01:03:46,030
Hey, welcome back
to the International Space Station,
981
01:03:46,113 --> 01:03:48,074
in the year 2057.
982
01:03:48,783 --> 01:03:52,787
We've been looking for alien life
in our solar system and beyond.
983
01:03:52,870 --> 01:03:56,624
We've learned many interesting things
about our neighbouring planets so far,
984
01:03:56,707 --> 01:04:01,254
and also found some possible habitats
for extraterrestrial beings,
985
01:04:01,337 --> 01:04:04,590
at least at the level of bacteria
and microorganisms.
986
01:04:04,674 --> 01:04:07,260
Now today, I have another
surprising highlight,
987
01:04:07,343 --> 01:04:09,512
one that you possibly
didn't even know existed.
988
01:04:09,595 --> 01:04:11,097
But, more on that later on.
989
01:04:12,682 --> 01:04:15,518
We've learned about the creation
of suns and their planets,
990
01:04:15,601 --> 01:04:17,478
as well as their demise.
991
01:04:17,562 --> 01:04:22,441
These are objects of incredible
proportions, magnitude and distances.
992
01:04:22,525 --> 01:04:27,530
Every huge object out there seems to have
an even bigger sibling hidden somewhere.
993
01:04:28,197 --> 01:04:33,286
Today, let's begin by looking at our
home world from really far away.
994
01:04:33,369 --> 01:04:38,082
By doing this, we can get a better feeling
for the scale of our solar system
995
01:04:38,165 --> 01:04:40,585
and its context in the galaxy.
996
01:04:40,668 --> 01:04:42,962
We are now looking at our own solar system
997
01:04:43,045 --> 01:04:45,840
with the Sun,
the eight planets and their moons,
998
01:04:45,923 --> 01:04:49,302
as well as some asteroids,
and the dwarf planet Ceres.
999
01:04:49,385 --> 01:04:51,721
At the far reaches lie the Kuiper Belt,
1000
01:04:51,804 --> 01:04:55,683
more dwarf planets
and many, many more asteroids.
1001
01:04:55,766 --> 01:05:01,439
All of this covers an area of more than
4.7 billion miles in diameter.
1002
01:05:01,522 --> 01:05:04,191
On one hand, this sounds incredibly large,
1003
01:05:04,275 --> 01:05:05,318
but on the other,
1004
01:05:05,401 --> 01:05:08,571
it's just a tiny fraction
of the Milky Way.
1005
01:05:08,654 --> 01:05:13,075
In our night sky, you can see parts
of the Milky Way with your own eyes.
1006
01:05:13,159 --> 01:05:16,078
It's visible in rural areas
with little light pollution,
1007
01:05:16,162 --> 01:05:19,457
looking like a brush of milky fog
across the sky.
1008
01:05:20,374 --> 01:05:25,296
What we actually see is the light
of millions of faraway stars.
1009
01:05:25,379 --> 01:05:27,840
They all belong to our galaxy,
1010
01:05:27,924 --> 01:05:32,511
a word that has its origin
in the Greek word for milk: gala.
1011
01:05:32,595 --> 01:05:36,599
The ancient Greeks believed in a legend
about the creation of the Milky Way.
1012
01:05:36,682 --> 01:05:42,313
Supposedly, their chief god Zeus had tried
to make his mortal bastard son Heracles
1013
01:05:42,396 --> 01:05:44,565
breastfeed from his wife Hera.
1014
01:05:44,649 --> 01:05:46,359
She pushed the infant away,
1015
01:05:46,442 --> 01:05:49,904
causing some milk
to be spilled across the skies.
1016
01:05:49,987 --> 01:05:52,490
We see this scene here
in an interpretation
1017
01:05:52,573 --> 01:05:56,202
by the Italian painter Jacopo Tintoretto.
1018
01:05:56,285 --> 01:05:58,746
The streak we can see in our night sky
1019
01:05:58,829 --> 01:06:01,791
only represents a small fraction
of the Milky Way.
1020
01:06:02,416 --> 01:06:04,210
Since we reside inside it,
1021
01:06:04,293 --> 01:06:08,381
it's not possible to get a real photograph
of the entire Milky Way.
1022
01:06:08,464 --> 01:06:12,927
Still, observations, calculations
and comparisons with other galaxies
1023
01:06:13,010 --> 01:06:15,388
have given scientists
a good representation
1024
01:06:15,471 --> 01:06:17,765
of what our Milky Way looks like.
1025
01:06:17,848 --> 01:06:20,059
Emerging from a central streak,
1026
01:06:20,142 --> 01:06:24,146
two mighty spiral arms
define its appearance.
1027
01:06:24,230 --> 01:06:28,401
These arms are occupied
by particularly bright stars.
1028
01:06:28,484 --> 01:06:32,780
Our own solar system lies far out
from the centre of our galaxy.
1029
01:06:32,863 --> 01:06:35,741
In this depiction,
it can be found in the southeast.
1030
01:06:37,118 --> 01:06:42,289
Altogether, our galaxy has a diameter
of about 100,000 light years.
1031
01:06:42,373 --> 01:06:48,087
So if we travelled at light speed,
around 671,000,000 miles an hour,
1032
01:06:48,170 --> 01:06:52,508
it would take 100,000 years
to get from one end to the other.
1033
01:06:54,010 --> 01:06:56,137
This pretty much defies our imagination,
1034
01:06:56,220 --> 01:06:59,724
so I'll scale it down to sizes
that we can better grasp.
1035
01:07:00,558 --> 01:07:04,437
Let's assume our galaxy
was 10 miles square.
1036
01:07:05,062 --> 01:07:11,944
In that case, our solar system would have
the width of a single strand of hair.
1037
01:07:12,028 --> 01:07:14,989
It would be just barely visible
to the naked eye.
1038
01:07:15,072 --> 01:07:19,285
And our Earth would be the size
of a single atom.
1039
01:07:20,703 --> 01:07:24,040
But before we get dizzy from imagining
the proportions
1040
01:07:24,123 --> 01:07:28,919
of how vast the Milky Way is
or how incredibly small we are,
1041
01:07:29,003 --> 01:07:31,338
let's take a look closer to home.
1042
01:07:31,422 --> 01:07:35,718
Even here, the scales are still hard
to fully appreciate.
1043
01:07:36,302 --> 01:07:40,639
The planet Uranus
is roughly three billion kilometres away.
1044
01:07:40,723 --> 01:07:45,019
A supersonic jet would need at least
200 years to cover that distance.
1045
01:07:45,895 --> 01:07:47,396
As we have already heard,
1046
01:07:47,480 --> 01:07:50,399
Earth and Venus are considered
to be sister planets,
1047
01:07:50,483 --> 01:07:52,526
because of their many similarities.
1048
01:07:52,610 --> 01:07:58,032
Neptune even has a twin,
it's been classed as Uranus.
1049
01:07:58,115 --> 01:08:01,911
Like all twins, the two of them
can be easily confused.
1050
01:08:01,994 --> 01:08:04,914
Uranus is named
after the god of the skies,
1051
01:08:04,997 --> 01:08:08,125
because compared to the deep blue shade
of Neptune,
1052
01:08:08,209 --> 01:08:10,878
it appears light-blue
with a touch of green.
1053
01:08:11,754 --> 01:08:14,048
This is for the same reason as Neptune.
1054
01:08:14,131 --> 01:08:17,301
The methane in the atmosphere
is responsible for the colour
1055
01:08:17,384 --> 01:08:18,969
as it absorbs red light.
1056
01:08:19,595 --> 01:08:23,474
Uranus and Neptune are richer with water,
ammonium and methane
1057
01:08:23,557 --> 01:08:26,644
than the two other gas giants,
Saturn and Jupiter.
1058
01:08:27,435 --> 01:08:31,148
That is why they are in the sub-class
of the Ice Giants.
1059
01:08:31,232 --> 01:08:35,736
And really, it's with good reason,
as it is blistering cold on Uranus.
1060
01:08:35,819 --> 01:08:37,363
For reasons still unknown,
1061
01:08:37,446 --> 01:08:42,118
Uranus is the only planet that doesn't
have an internal heat source of any kind.
1062
01:08:42,868 --> 01:08:44,828
All of its energy comes from the Sun,
1063
01:08:44,912 --> 01:08:48,082
which is not much,
given it's two billion miles out.
1064
01:08:48,165 --> 01:08:49,332
To be precise,
1065
01:08:49,416 --> 01:08:53,962
Uranus receives only a four-hundredth
of the total energy reaching Earth.
1066
01:08:54,046 --> 01:08:57,466
Due to the low amount of heat
reaching the atmosphere of Uranus,
1067
01:08:57,550 --> 01:09:01,136
it doesn't display
as many weather effects as Neptune.
1068
01:09:01,220 --> 01:09:06,015
There are the occasional cloud bands
as large as 18,000 miles in length,
1069
01:09:06,100 --> 01:09:08,685
but they dissolve pretty quickly.
1070
01:09:08,769 --> 01:09:10,938
Possibly, the inner cold of Uranus
1071
01:09:11,020 --> 01:09:13,983
may have something to do
with a horrendous meteor strike.
1072
01:09:14,066 --> 01:09:16,068
This is a conclusion drawn from the fact
1073
01:09:16,152 --> 01:09:19,654
that the axis of Uranus
is severely tilted.
1074
01:09:19,738 --> 01:09:24,660
Therefore, we mostly see Uranus top-down
when we look at it from Earth.
1075
01:09:24,743 --> 01:09:25,995
In this perspective,
1076
01:09:26,078 --> 01:09:29,747
the ring system makes it
look a bit like an archery target
1077
01:09:29,832 --> 01:09:34,086
while the moons circle around their planet
like hands on a clock.
1078
01:09:34,670 --> 01:09:37,046
Having a ring system
is common for gas giants,
1079
01:09:37,131 --> 01:09:40,593
and again, Uranus's rings
are similar to Neptune's.
1080
01:09:41,260 --> 01:09:44,430
They're made up of very small,
dark particles.
1081
01:09:44,513 --> 01:09:47,433
The rings My and Ny are somewhat special,
1082
01:09:47,515 --> 01:09:52,563
because their composition makes them
appear slightly red and blue respectively.
1083
01:09:52,645 --> 01:09:54,815
All the other rings are a dark grey.
1084
01:09:55,733 --> 01:09:58,360
Again, we find some shepherd moons here,
1085
01:09:58,444 --> 01:10:01,447
that help keep the rings in shape
by ploughing through them.
1086
01:10:01,530 --> 01:10:04,116
In total, Uranus has 27 moons,
1087
01:10:04,200 --> 01:10:07,995
with diameters ranging from
six to 1,000 miles.
1088
01:10:08,078 --> 01:10:11,123
Their small sizes means
that they are pretty lightweight.
1089
01:10:11,207 --> 01:10:14,668
Together, they weigh less than
Neptune's moon Triton alone.
1090
01:10:15,502 --> 01:10:22,259
The five major moons, Miranda,
Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon,
1091
01:10:22,343 --> 01:10:24,136
all look relatively similar,
1092
01:10:24,220 --> 01:10:28,015
and visually, they could be
smaller versions of our own moon.
1093
01:10:28,098 --> 01:10:30,434
To look at it,
the most interesting is Miranda,
1094
01:10:30,517 --> 01:10:33,354
because she has some very different
surface structures,
1095
01:10:33,437 --> 01:10:36,690
including heavy displacements,
fragmentation patterns,
1096
01:10:36,774 --> 01:10:40,527
and a labyrinth of canyons
that runs up to 12 miles deep.
1097
01:10:41,278 --> 01:10:45,199
This makes Miranda a unique astral body
within our solar system.
1098
01:10:46,492 --> 01:10:50,329
There are different theories about how
these formations have been created.
1099
01:10:50,412 --> 01:10:53,999
The most probable one suggests
that Miranda once travelled into
1100
01:10:54,083 --> 01:10:57,253
the gravitational reach of Umbriel
and Ariel.
1101
01:10:57,336 --> 01:10:59,421
These forces heated Miranda up,
1102
01:10:59,505 --> 01:11:02,424
and because she is made
of 80 percent water ice,
1103
01:11:02,508 --> 01:11:05,261
this led to strong tectonic effects.
1104
01:11:05,344 --> 01:11:07,763
After a while,
Miranda broke free from those forces
1105
01:11:07,846 --> 01:11:10,349
to assume her current orbit around Uranus.
1106
01:11:10,933 --> 01:11:12,726
Well, I don't know about you,
1107
01:11:12,810 --> 01:11:15,980
but I feel slightly disappointed
by Uranus.
1108
01:11:16,063 --> 01:11:19,900
No actual surface to land on,
no impressive weather effects,
1109
01:11:19,984 --> 01:11:22,152
and the moons aren't too exciting either,
1110
01:11:22,236 --> 01:11:24,738
if you have been to our Earth's moon,
that is.
1111
01:11:24,822 --> 01:11:27,408
So I think we deserve to treat
ourselves now,
1112
01:11:27,491 --> 01:11:31,495
and fortunately, space gives us
plenty of opportunities for that.
1113
01:11:31,578 --> 01:11:34,164
Since we have been looking
at our Milky Way today,
1114
01:11:34,248 --> 01:11:35,916
I'm going to additionally show you
1115
01:11:36,000 --> 01:11:40,170
some of the most beautiful,
distant galaxies out there.
1116
01:11:47,219 --> 01:11:49,471
Let's start with Messier 74.
1117
01:11:51,348 --> 01:11:55,602
It's a classical spiral-shaped galaxy,
not unlike our own.
1118
01:11:55,686 --> 01:12:00,274
However, the arms of M74
are decorated with bright pink areas.
1119
01:12:02,568 --> 01:12:06,947
Those are clouds of gases,
lit up by the light from young stars.
1120
01:12:09,241 --> 01:12:12,619
These regions produce
a large amount of ultraviolet light,
1121
01:12:12,703 --> 01:12:14,163
hence the pink colour.
1122
01:12:20,169 --> 01:12:24,214
Much more asymmetrical is the appearance
of Messier 66,
1123
01:12:24,298 --> 01:12:26,884
the biggest galaxy of the "Leo Triplets."
1124
01:12:27,968 --> 01:12:29,928
Its displaced looks are owed
1125
01:12:30,012 --> 01:12:32,806
to the gravitational forces
of its two siblings,
1126
01:12:32,890 --> 01:12:37,394
that are relatively close by,
at least when speaking in galactic terms.
1127
01:12:43,150 --> 01:12:45,319
Galaxies are drifting through space,
1128
01:12:45,402 --> 01:12:49,114
which allows for occasional
breathtaking compositions.
1129
01:12:49,198 --> 01:12:53,494
For example, this pair of galaxies
known as Arp 273.
1130
01:12:54,036 --> 01:12:59,083
Scientists assume that the smaller galaxy
has fully passed through the bigger one,
1131
01:12:59,166 --> 01:13:03,420
and as result, created a form
that reminds us of a rose.
1132
01:13:04,463 --> 01:13:06,048
In a couple of billion years,
1133
01:13:06,131 --> 01:13:09,927
our own galaxy may collide
with our neighbour Andromeda.
1134
01:13:10,010 --> 01:13:13,555
Something similar has happened
with the Antenna Galaxies.
1135
01:13:13,639 --> 01:13:16,892
These two galaxies merged
when they crashed into one another,
1136
01:13:16,975 --> 01:13:21,188
and the resulting forces have spawned
billions of new suns,
1137
01:13:21,271 --> 01:13:25,734
most of them in tightly-packed groups
called super star clusters.
1138
01:13:26,902 --> 01:13:29,530
Those were some truly impressive images.
1139
01:13:29,613 --> 01:13:32,199
It's a pity these galaxies are so far away
1140
01:13:32,282 --> 01:13:34,701
it keeps us from taking
an even closer look at them.
1141
01:13:35,536 --> 01:13:40,374
Nevertheless, we still do have one
major planet left in our own Milky Way,
1142
01:13:40,457 --> 01:13:44,586
and this one is almost a solar system
in its own right.
1143
01:13:44,670 --> 01:13:47,256
How is that possible? Let me show you.
1144
01:13:48,966 --> 01:13:53,220
We are now visiting the biggest planet
of our system: Jupiter.
1145
01:13:53,303 --> 01:13:57,015
It alone weighs more than all of our other
planets added together.
1146
01:13:57,933 --> 01:14:03,105
It is so huge, that despite being
480 million miles from Earth,
1147
01:14:03,188 --> 01:14:06,108
it's one of the brightest objects
in our night sky.
1148
01:14:07,276 --> 01:14:10,279
It was named after the Roman god Jupiter,
1149
01:14:10,362 --> 01:14:13,532
a very long time before the invention
of the telescope.
1150
01:14:13,615 --> 01:14:16,452
The Babylonians called it the King's Star,
1151
01:14:16,535 --> 01:14:21,206
and indeed, Jupiter reigns over
its own little realm.
1152
01:14:21,290 --> 01:14:25,752
With its 63 moons,
some nearly planet-sized themselves,
1153
01:14:25,836 --> 01:14:28,839
it can almost be described
as a solar system of its own.
1154
01:14:29,673 --> 01:14:32,676
Really, if Jupiter had only gained
a little more mass,
1155
01:14:32,759 --> 01:14:36,054
it probably would have ignited
and become a sun itself.
1156
01:14:36,722 --> 01:14:40,559
While that would have been spectacular,
it obviously hasn't happened,
1157
01:14:40,642 --> 01:14:43,187
but Jupiter does,
at least, have a ring system.
1158
01:14:43,729 --> 01:14:46,607
However, it's not too visually impressive.
1159
01:14:46,690 --> 01:14:50,944
It's made of tiny particles
almost comparable to cigarette smoke.
1160
01:14:51,028 --> 01:14:55,407
These little grains are mostly black
and therefore hard to see.
1161
01:14:55,491 --> 01:14:59,870
Their origin is interesting, as they are
made up of dust from the adjacent moons.
1162
01:15:00,662 --> 01:15:04,333
Dust is produced from these moons
when they are hit by meteors.
1163
01:15:04,416 --> 01:15:06,668
Due to the low gravity of these moons,
1164
01:15:06,752 --> 01:15:09,421
the debris is blown out
into Jupiter's orbit,
1165
01:15:09,505 --> 01:15:13,175
which has resulted in the main ring
being mostly made up of dust
1166
01:15:13,258 --> 01:15:16,178
from the moons of Adrastea and Metis.
1167
01:15:16,261 --> 01:15:18,222
Another interesting fact is that the rings
1168
01:15:18,305 --> 01:15:21,391
are moving closer to Jupiter
on a spiral path.
1169
01:15:22,142 --> 01:15:25,896
This happens because
the strong magnetic field of the planet
1170
01:15:25,979 --> 01:15:28,482
slows down the dust particles.
1171
01:15:28,565 --> 01:15:33,529
In a far future, the rings will therefore
be swallowed up by Jupiter.
1172
01:15:33,612 --> 01:15:35,280
When we take a close look at the planet,
1173
01:15:35,364 --> 01:15:38,116
the first thing we notice
is the colourful atmosphere,
1174
01:15:38,200 --> 01:15:40,327
that looks somewhat like marbled rock.
1175
01:15:41,078 --> 01:15:44,581
This hull of gas makes up almost
the entire planet,
1176
01:15:44,665 --> 01:15:47,125
because as with all gas giants,
1177
01:15:47,209 --> 01:15:50,546
it becomes liquefied due
to the rising pressure on the way down
1178
01:15:50,629 --> 01:15:52,256
towards the planet's core.
1179
01:15:53,048 --> 01:15:56,176
This core consists of a mixture
of rock and ice,
1180
01:15:56,260 --> 01:15:59,388
and is about twenty times
heavier than our Earth.
1181
01:15:59,471 --> 01:16:03,058
This means once again,
we have nowhere to land on Jupiter,
1182
01:16:03,141 --> 01:16:06,562
so let's take an even closer look
at the atmosphere instead.
1183
01:16:07,437 --> 01:16:09,940
The most distinctive feature
is the cloud bands
1184
01:16:10,023 --> 01:16:12,109
that run in parallel to the equator.
1185
01:16:12,192 --> 01:16:14,278
Then there is the "Big Red Spot,"
1186
01:16:14,361 --> 01:16:17,239
a gigantic whirlwind
with a fixed position.
1187
01:16:17,322 --> 01:16:19,825
Its diameter is three times that of Earth,
1188
01:16:19,908 --> 01:16:24,371
and inside, the wind speeds
reach to 375 miles per hour.
1189
01:16:24,454 --> 01:16:28,875
Its existence was already recorded
in the year 1664.
1190
01:16:29,918 --> 01:16:33,547
Sending our NOMAD through
the outer atmosphere gives us a nice view,
1191
01:16:33,630 --> 01:16:37,509
as Jupiter has two sharply separated
cloud layers.
1192
01:16:37,593 --> 01:16:40,637
The reason for this separation
is differing temperatures.
1193
01:16:44,975 --> 01:16:47,936
No less impressive
is Jupiter's magnetic field.
1194
01:16:48,020 --> 01:16:51,648
Like all things Jupiter, it is gigantic.
1195
01:16:51,732 --> 01:16:54,985
It's 14 times stronger than Earth's
magnetic fields,
1196
01:16:55,068 --> 01:16:58,614
and its outer measurable limits
almost reach out to Saturn.
1197
01:16:59,197 --> 01:17:02,326
Of course, you cannot directly see
a magnetic field,
1198
01:17:02,409 --> 01:17:08,415
but interference with Jupiter's main moons
causes gigantic auroras at the north pole.
1199
01:17:08,498 --> 01:17:13,378
These four moons orbit Jupiter
fully enclosed by its magnetic field,
1200
01:17:13,462 --> 01:17:16,256
and are thereby shielded
from solar radiation.
1201
01:17:16,965 --> 01:17:20,594
Because of this,
the moons seem particularly inviting.
1202
01:17:20,677 --> 01:17:22,804
However, it took some real effort
1203
01:17:22,888 --> 01:17:26,516
to make our NOMAD's electronics work
in this environment.
1204
01:17:26,600 --> 01:17:28,852
That dealt with, let's take the tour.
1205
01:17:31,021 --> 01:17:35,817
At one million miles away from Jupiter,
Callisto is its most distant moon.
1206
01:17:36,401 --> 01:17:39,029
Actually, it looks pretty similar to our
own moon,
1207
01:17:39,112 --> 01:17:41,573
so I guess it's enough if we do a flyby.
1208
01:17:46,328 --> 01:17:49,623
Closing in on Jupiter,
we come across Ganymede next.
1209
01:17:49,706 --> 01:17:52,668
At over 3,700 miles in diameter,
1210
01:17:52,751 --> 01:17:55,962
this is the biggest moon
of our solar system.
1211
01:17:56,046 --> 01:17:59,675
It is even considerably larger
than the planet Mercury.
1212
01:17:59,758 --> 01:18:03,053
With its crater-littered surface
and the very thin atmosphere,
1213
01:18:03,136 --> 01:18:05,764
it also looks quite a bit like Mercury.
1214
01:18:05,847 --> 01:18:09,768
Still, it is a bit more interesting,
as far as looks are concerned.
1215
01:18:09,851 --> 01:18:12,646
Due to a mixture
of different surface area types,
1216
01:18:12,729 --> 01:18:16,358
it almost looks like it's been painted
with a very wide brush.
1217
01:18:18,110 --> 01:18:21,571
The next stop on our little tour is Io.
1218
01:18:21,655 --> 01:18:25,409
It orbits Jupiter
at a distance of 250,000 miles
1219
01:18:25,492 --> 01:18:28,537
and needs 42 hours to complete one orbit.
1220
01:18:33,625 --> 01:18:38,463
Even when looking from quite a distance,
you might describe it as a hell of a moon.
1221
01:18:38,547 --> 01:18:42,551
After all, the most distinctive structures
on its surface are volcanoes
1222
01:18:42,634 --> 01:18:46,221
and lava pools of gigantic dimensions.
1223
01:18:46,304 --> 01:18:48,724
There are seas of liquefied sulphur,
1224
01:18:48,807 --> 01:18:52,561
an element covering the entire planet
in various aggregate states,
1225
01:18:52,644 --> 01:18:55,063
from gaseous to liquid to solid.
1226
01:18:55,772 --> 01:18:58,358
This gives Io
a pretty colourful appearance,
1227
01:18:58,442 --> 01:19:00,527
with yellow being the predominant hue.
1228
01:19:04,406 --> 01:19:08,243
Surface photographs of Io
separated by only 20 years
1229
01:19:08,326 --> 01:19:10,954
show vastly different features.
1230
01:19:11,037 --> 01:19:12,664
On taking a closer look,
1231
01:19:12,748 --> 01:19:16,543
it becomes clear why its surface
is subject to constant change.
1232
01:19:17,210 --> 01:19:22,174
Of all bodies in our solar system,
Io has the most active volcanism.
1233
01:19:22,257 --> 01:19:24,718
The constant eruptions hurl lava
1234
01:19:24,801 --> 01:19:29,639
that is 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit
up to 180 miles into the air.
1235
01:19:33,935 --> 01:19:38,106
Aside from the lava pools
that are up to 250 miles wide,
1236
01:19:38,190 --> 01:19:40,192
there are also rivers of lava,
1237
01:19:40,275 --> 01:19:44,154
with temperatures of up to
3,500 degrees Fahrenheit
1238
01:19:44,237 --> 01:19:46,072
that flow hundreds of miles.
1239
01:19:48,658 --> 01:19:51,703
Despite the heat generated
by the volcanoes,
1240
01:19:51,787 --> 01:19:57,918
the average surface temperature of Io
is a low -236 degrees Fahrenheit.
1241
01:19:58,001 --> 01:20:01,880
I guess you could really call this
a harsh environment,
1242
01:20:01,963 --> 01:20:06,927
so if there should be any life on Io,
it's definitely got to be tough as nails.
1243
01:20:09,262 --> 01:20:11,681
Still, it's getting even more exciting.
1244
01:20:11,765 --> 01:20:14,226
We're closing in on Europa.
1245
01:20:14,309 --> 01:20:18,605
This moon lies 370,000 miles
away from Jupiter
1246
01:20:18,688 --> 01:20:22,108
and is covered with an ice crust
six miles deep.
1247
01:20:22,192 --> 01:20:25,862
This makes Europa look a lot like
Neptune's moon Triton.
1248
01:20:25,946 --> 01:20:29,866
Europa has a very thin atmosphere,
mostly made up of oxygen.
1249
01:20:29,950 --> 01:20:33,328
The red colouring
is caused by accumulation of minerals.
1250
01:20:33,411 --> 01:20:36,873
Europa's surface is among
the smoothest and youngest.
1251
01:20:36,957 --> 01:20:39,960
There are hardly any structures
that rise more than 300 feet
1252
01:20:40,043 --> 01:20:42,003
above the surrounding grounds.
1253
01:20:42,087 --> 01:20:46,716
Still, the network of chaotic ridges
and trenches is visually striking.
1254
01:20:46,800 --> 01:20:50,387
These so-called "Linea"
are up to 12 miles wide
1255
01:20:50,470 --> 01:20:54,057
and are strongly reminiscent
of ice fields on Earth.
1256
01:20:54,140 --> 01:20:56,351
Since the positions
and alignments of the Linea
1257
01:20:56,434 --> 01:20:59,479
cannot be explained
by geological processes,
1258
01:20:59,563 --> 01:21:04,109
they are a clue to one of the biggest
secrets of our solar system:
1259
01:21:04,192 --> 01:21:09,823
under Europa's icy crust
lies a vast ocean of liquid water.
1260
01:21:09,906 --> 01:21:14,452
This water interacts with the surface,
and the Linea are created.
1261
01:21:14,536 --> 01:21:17,038
Due to the irregular orbit of Europa,
1262
01:21:17,122 --> 01:21:21,501
strong tidal forces affect the ice
and heat up the inside.
1263
01:21:22,460 --> 01:21:25,130
So, it's time to do
a couple of miles of drilling
1264
01:21:25,213 --> 01:21:27,924
and to activate NOMAD's submarine mode.
1265
01:21:29,217 --> 01:21:32,304
As I said, the prerequisites
for the creation of life
1266
01:21:32,387 --> 01:21:35,891
are organic chemicals, water and warmth,
1267
01:21:35,974 --> 01:21:40,145
and all of this is theoretically available
in Europa's ocean.
1268
01:21:40,228 --> 01:21:45,483
On Earth, there are examples of organisms
that are totally independent of sunlight.
1269
01:21:45,567 --> 01:21:48,445
Such lifeforms
are only very primitives of nature,
1270
01:21:48,528 --> 01:21:50,655
like microbes or endoliths.
1271
01:21:50,739 --> 01:21:54,826
Yet, there are theories that suggest
that cosmic radiation may cause
1272
01:21:54,910 --> 01:21:57,162
release of oxygen in Europa's water.
1273
01:21:57,746 --> 01:22:01,124
The waters here
could already be more oxygen-rich
1274
01:22:01,207 --> 01:22:03,877
than our Earthly oceans,
which would mean--
1275
01:22:03,960 --> 01:22:06,630
What the? Did you see that? What in--
1276
01:22:06,713 --> 01:22:07,589
[roaring]
1277
01:22:10,258 --> 01:22:14,095
I'm sorry about that, but I'm afraid
I just couldn't resist a little joke.
1278
01:22:14,888 --> 01:22:17,349
Of course, this was only fiction,
but maybe after all,
1279
01:22:17,432 --> 01:22:19,726
not that far from reality.
1280
01:22:19,809 --> 01:22:21,436
Speaking for myself,
1281
01:22:21,519 --> 01:22:25,732
I'm absolutely sure that
somewhere out there, there is life.
1282
01:22:25,815 --> 01:22:27,817
Maybe even intelligent life.
1283
01:22:27,901 --> 01:22:30,195
And having heard about
distant galaxies today,
1284
01:22:30,278 --> 01:22:34,908
you may be intrigued about the possibility
of life elsewhere yourself.
1285
01:22:34,991 --> 01:22:39,287
So, I'll just let more images
argue my case.
1286
01:22:39,871 --> 01:22:41,289
Look at this image.
1287
01:22:41,373 --> 01:22:45,627
At first glance, you might think
it's a typical snapshot of our night sky,
1288
01:22:45,710 --> 01:22:47,337
with a lot of stars.
1289
01:22:47,420 --> 01:22:50,298
Actually, this isn't too far off.
1290
01:22:50,382 --> 01:22:52,217
The surprise lies in the fact
1291
01:22:52,300 --> 01:22:55,428
that it represents only
an incredibly small fraction
1292
01:22:55,512 --> 01:22:58,390
of what is actually floating around
in our night sky.
1293
01:22:59,265 --> 01:23:00,350
To be precise,
1294
01:23:00,433 --> 01:23:04,479
it's only a tenth of the space
the moon takes up in our field of view.
1295
01:23:04,562 --> 01:23:07,607
And what we see shining there
aren't just stars,
1296
01:23:07,691 --> 01:23:11,569
most stars would be much too small
and dim to be seen here.
1297
01:23:11,653 --> 01:23:16,282
No, all these little lights
are full-blown galaxies.
1298
01:23:17,283 --> 01:23:18,868
Just imagine this.
1299
01:23:19,536 --> 01:23:23,373
Behind a piece of our
sky about the size of a fingernail,
1300
01:23:23,456 --> 01:23:26,584
there are more than 10,000 galaxies.
1301
01:23:26,668 --> 01:23:30,088
And I'm talking galaxies,
not solar systems.
1302
01:23:30,171 --> 01:23:35,301
Each of these contains up to 100 million
solar systems, just like our Milky Way.
1303
01:23:36,011 --> 01:23:38,680
So even if sceptics are right
in their assumption
1304
01:23:38,763 --> 01:23:43,518
that there is no other case of intelligent
lifeforms in our entire galaxy,
1305
01:23:43,601 --> 01:23:48,648
what about the probability when
we multiply these chances by a trillion?
1306
01:23:48,732 --> 01:23:52,360
These odds are why no one
can rip me from my belief.
1307
01:23:52,944 --> 01:23:56,781
You've probably noticed that I'm a big fan
of our planets, moons,
1308
01:23:56,865 --> 01:23:59,993
and the secrets
waiting to be discovered in space.
1309
01:24:00,076 --> 01:24:03,538
I hope that I've been able to pass on
some of my enthusiasm.
1310
01:24:03,621 --> 01:24:05,165
Yet, it saddens me a bit to see
1311
01:24:05,248 --> 01:24:08,793
that the golden days of space faring
seem to be over.
1312
01:24:09,544 --> 01:24:12,172
I hope that you will reflect
on what you've learned.
1313
01:24:12,255 --> 01:24:16,301
Maybe even ponder a bit
on the idea of possible aliens,
1314
01:24:16,384 --> 01:24:19,304
or just acknowledge the place
of our little Earth
1315
01:24:19,387 --> 01:24:21,598
in this gigantic cosmos.
1316
01:24:22,307 --> 01:24:25,560
On that note, I'm sorry to say
it is time to leave.
1317
01:24:26,102 --> 01:24:28,438
It's been a pleasure being your guide
around the cosmos,
1318
01:24:28,521 --> 01:24:31,441
and I hope you've learned a great deal.
1319
01:24:31,524 --> 01:24:33,651
So for now, I'll be saying goodby--
1320
01:24:33,735 --> 01:24:35,361
[machine beeping]
1321
01:24:35,445 --> 01:24:37,655
[chuckles] Sure.
1322
01:24:37,739 --> 01:24:39,991
NOMAD asked me to tell you goodbye, too.
1323
01:24:40,075 --> 01:24:43,203
So, take care.
From me, Matt Saberneck and…
1324
01:24:43,286 --> 01:24:44,454
-[machine beeping]
-…NOMAD.
1325
01:24:44,996 --> 01:24:46,581
See you again. Bye-bye.
115142
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