1
00:00:03,433 --> 00:00:07,567
Narrator: SPACE -- A MAELSTROM
OF CHAOS AND VIOLENCE.

2
00:00:07,567 --> 00:00:10,700
STARS GOBBLING UP OTHER STARS.

3
00:00:10,700 --> 00:00:13,900
BLACK HOLES EATING UP
ENTIRE STAR SYSTEMS.

4
00:00:13,900 --> 00:00:16,867
GALAXIES COLLIDING
WITH OTHER GALAXIES.

5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,433
Narrator: THE UNIVERSE
IS A HOSTILE PLACE.

6
00:00:20,433 --> 00:00:23,500
YOU ARE BLOWING UP A STAR.

7
00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:27,033
THERE'S NO WAY TO DESCRIBE
THAT KIND OF ENERGY.

8
00:00:27,033 --> 00:00:30,533
Narrator: THE HIDDEN MECHANISM
CONTROLLING THESE PHENOMENON --

9
00:00:30,533 --> 00:00:32,267
ORBITS.

10
00:00:32,267 --> 00:00:35,067
IF YOU UNDERSTAND
ALL POSSIBLE ORBITS,

11
00:00:35,067 --> 00:00:38,400
YOU UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS
DRIVING THE UNIVERSE.

12
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,667
Narrator: ORBITS HOLD EVERYTHING
TOGETHER AND TEAR IT ALL APART.

13
00:00:42,667 --> 00:00:45,300
EXTREME ORBITS MEAN
COLLIDING GALAXIES,

14
00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:48,600
COLLAPSING DUST CLOUDS,
THE VERY CREATION OF LIFE,

15
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:49,700
AS WELL AS DESTRUCTION.

16
00:00:51,133 --> 00:00:53,267
Narrator: EXTREME ORBITS --

17
00:00:53,267 --> 00:00:55,967
MASTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
IN OUR UNIVERSE.

18
00:00:55,967 --> 00:00:58,967
-- Captions by VITAC --
www.vitac.com

19
00:00:58,967 --> 00:01:02,067
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

20
00:01:10,267 --> 00:01:12,800
THIS IS OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

21
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,967
8 PLANETS, MORE THAN 150 MOONS,

22
00:01:16,967 --> 00:01:22,667
BILLIONS OF SPACE ROCKS,
DUST, AND GAS

23
00:01:22,667 --> 00:01:25,567
ALL ORBIT A SINGLE STAR

24
00:01:25,567 --> 00:01:31,833
IN A GIANT WHIRLING DISK
10 BILLION MILES ACROSS.

25
00:01:31,833 --> 00:01:35,067
IT'S BEEN THIS WAY
FOR 4 BILLION YEARS.

26
00:01:35,067 --> 00:01:38,200
EVERYTHING MOVES AROUND
IN AN ORDERLY FASHION,

27
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,767
SERENE AND STABLE.

28
00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,700
BUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS UNUSUAL.

29
00:01:48,533 --> 00:01:53,300
ELSEWHERE IN OUR UNIVERSE,
ORBITS ARE NOTHING LIKE THIS.

30
00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:58,867
THEY'RE UNSTABLE, CHAOTIC,
EVEN DESTRUCTIVE.

31
00:02:02,467 --> 00:02:04,067
Dr. Thaller:
EVEN IN THE NEARBY UNIVERSE,

32
00:02:04,067 --> 00:02:07,467
WE SEE INCREDIBLY VIOLENT
EXAMPLES OF ORBITS --

33
00:02:07,467 --> 00:02:10,500
GIANT PLANETS THAT HURTLE IN
TOWARD THEIR STARS.

34
00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:12,533
WE SEE SHOCK WAVES
OF THOUSANDS OF DEGREES

35
00:02:12,533 --> 00:02:14,233
PERPETUATE
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE.

36
00:02:14,233 --> 00:02:15,667
THERE ARE PLANETS THAT DIP

37
00:02:15,667 --> 00:02:17,900
RIGHT OVER THE SURFACES
OF OTHER STARS,

38
00:02:17,900 --> 00:02:21,067
HUGE STARS ORBITING EACH OTHER,
MULTIPLE ORBITAL SYSTEMS,

39
00:02:21,067 --> 00:02:22,867
WHERE THERE'S JUST CHAOS,

40
00:02:22,867 --> 00:02:25,200
AND ENTIRE OBJECTS CAN BE KICKED
OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

41
00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,567
STARS GOBBLING UP OTHER STARS.

42
00:02:27,567 --> 00:02:31,067
BLACK HOLES EATING UP
ENTIRE STAR SYSTEMS.

43
00:02:31,067 --> 00:02:34,367
GALAXIES COLLIDING
WITH OTHER GALAXIES.

44
00:02:34,367 --> 00:02:35,567
THAT'S THE NORM.

45
00:02:38,100 --> 00:02:42,233
Narrator: EARTH IS AN OASIS
OF WATER AND WARMTH.

46
00:02:42,233 --> 00:02:48,300
LIFE FLOURISHES BECAUSE
OF HOW WE ORBIT THE SUN.

47
00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:52,833
EARTH'S ORBIT
IS ALMOST CIRCULAR.

48
00:02:52,833 --> 00:02:56,833
WE STAY ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE
FROM THE SUN ALL YEAR ROUND.

49
00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:03,067
THE TEMPERATURE HERE
IS RELATIVELY CONSTANT.

50
00:03:03,067 --> 00:03:05,533
AND EARTH'S ORBIT
HAS BEEN STABLE

51
00:03:05,533 --> 00:03:09,200
FOR THE PAST
4 1/2 BILLION YEARS.

52
00:03:10,767 --> 00:03:14,133
WITHOUT THIS STABILITY,
WE WOULD NOT EXIST.

53
00:03:14,133 --> 00:03:18,800
TO CREATE DNA OUT OF THE OCEANS
TAKES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS,

54
00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,733
PERHAPS EVEN A BILLION YEARS.

55
00:03:20,733 --> 00:03:24,067
AND FOR THAT STABILITY,
YOU NEED CIRCULAR ORBITS.

56
00:03:24,067 --> 00:03:27,067
AND SO WITHOUT THE STABILITY
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

57
00:03:27,067 --> 00:03:29,967
AND THE EARTH'S ORBIT,
THERE'S NO LIFE ON EARTH.

58
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,433
Narrator: WE OWE EVERYTHING
TO EARTH'S ORBIT.

59
00:03:37,433 --> 00:03:39,533
WE GET A GENTLE RIDE.

60
00:03:39,533 --> 00:03:42,933
IN AN OTHERWISE
VIOLENT UNIVERSE,

61
00:03:42,933 --> 00:03:46,567
WE'VE HIT THE ORBITAL JACKPOT.

62
00:03:46,567 --> 00:03:50,600
YET, CHAOS IS NEVER FAR AWAY.

63
00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,633
EVEN WITHIN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

64
00:03:52,633 --> 00:03:55,400
THERE ARE EXTREME
AND VIOLENT ORBITS,

65
00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,233
WHERE LIFE COULD NEVER SURVIVE.

66
00:03:59,233 --> 00:04:02,867
MERCURY --
THE CLOSEST ROCK TO THE SUN

67
00:04:02,867 --> 00:04:06,867
AND THE SMALLEST PLANET
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

68
00:04:06,867 --> 00:04:10,433
ITS ORBIT STRETCHES
INTO AN OVAL SHAPE.

69
00:04:10,433 --> 00:04:11,800
AT ITS FURTHEST POINT,

70
00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,667
MERCURY IS 43 MILLION MILES
FROM THE SUN.

71
00:04:15,667 --> 00:04:20,733
BUT AT ITS CLOSEST POINT,
IT'S JUST 28 MILLION.

72
00:04:20,733 --> 00:04:24,267
THIS CLOSE IN, IT'S HOT.

73
00:04:24,267 --> 00:04:27,767
Kaku: 800 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
HOTTER THAN A BAKER'S OVEN.

74
00:04:27,767 --> 00:04:31,200
ALSO, BECAUSE THERE'S VERY
LITTLE ATMOSPHERE ON MERCURY,

75
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:32,400
YOU'D CHOKE.

76
00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,567
AND BECAUSE
THERE'S NO AIR TO SPEAK OF,

77
00:04:34,567 --> 00:04:36,933
THE BLOOD IN YOUR BODY
WOULD BOIL

78
00:04:36,933 --> 00:04:38,867
AND IT WOULD BURST YOUR SKIN.

79
00:04:38,867 --> 00:04:41,933
YOU WOULD LITERALLY EXPLODE
ON THE SURFACE OF MERCURY.

80
00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,733
Narrator: BUT THE TEMPERATURE
CAN ALSO FALL

81
00:04:47,733 --> 00:04:51,167
TO 300 DEGREES BELOW ZERO,

82
00:04:51,167 --> 00:04:55,267
THREE TIMES COLDER THAN
THE COLDEST PLACE ON EARTH.

83
00:04:56,700 --> 00:05:00,467
MERCURY HAS THE MOST EXTREME
TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS

84
00:05:00,467 --> 00:05:03,333
OF ANY PLANET
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

85
00:05:03,333 --> 00:05:07,400
BUT IT'S ALSO PROOF
THAT ORBITS DON'T JUST LOOP.

86
00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:12,467
WITH EACH REVOLUTION AROUND
THE SUN, MERCURY'S PATH SHIFTS.

87
00:05:12,467 --> 00:05:17,200
OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE
PLANET FOLLOWS A DAISY PATTERN.

88
00:05:19,067 --> 00:05:20,967
AT THE OTHER END
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,

89
00:05:20,967 --> 00:05:25,067
THERE'S PLUTO,
4 BILLION MILES FROM THE SUN.

90
00:05:25,067 --> 00:05:30,500
THE FURTHER AWAY AN OBJECT IS,
THE SLOWER ITS ORBIT.

91
00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:36,833
PLUTO TAKES 248 YEARS
TO COMPLETE A SINGLE LOOP.

92
00:05:36,833 --> 00:05:39,767
AND PLUTO IS AN ANOMALY.

93
00:05:39,767 --> 00:05:42,167
ITS STRETCHED ORBIT

94
00:05:42,167 --> 00:05:45,800
IS ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
PLANE FROM THE MAJOR PLANETS,

95
00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:50,333
AND IT CREATES
AN AMAZING SPECTACLE.

96
00:05:50,333 --> 00:05:52,067
DURING MOST OF ITS ORBIT,

97
00:05:52,067 --> 00:05:55,967
PLUTO IS A FROZEN BLOCK OF ICE
AND ROCK.

98
00:05:55,967 --> 00:05:59,867
BUT AS IT GETS CLOSER
TO THE SUN, SUMMER BEGINS.

99
00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:07,200
WHEN PLUTO WARMS UP, THE FROZEN
ICES ON THE SURFACE OF PLUTO --

100
00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,067
THESE ARE WATER ICES,
CARBON DIOXIDE,

101
00:06:10,067 --> 00:06:14,800
EVEN SOME CARBON MONOXIDE, MAYBE
METHANE ICES -- THEY EVAPORATE.

102
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,367
AND YOU GET A FOG,
AND THE FOG GETS THICKER.

103
00:06:17,367 --> 00:06:18,933
AND THEN YOU GET THICK CLOUDS,

104
00:06:18,933 --> 00:06:21,867
AND, SUDDENLY, YOU HAVE AN
ACTUAL ATMOSPHERE AROUND PLUTO

105
00:06:21,867 --> 00:06:25,333
THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE.

106
00:06:25,333 --> 00:06:26,933
Narrator: THIS ATMOSPHERE

107
00:06:26,933 --> 00:06:29,833
IS THICKEST WHEN PLUTO
IS CLOSEST TO THE SUN.

108
00:06:29,833 --> 00:06:33,800
BUT AS THE PLANET
HEADS BACK INTO DEEP SPACE,

109
00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,867
THE TEMPERATURE PLUMMETS
TO 400 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.

110
00:06:39,833 --> 00:06:44,467
IT BEGINS TO SNOW FLAKES
OF FROZEN NITROGEN AND METHANE.

111
00:06:47,067 --> 00:06:48,800
Dr. Thaller: AS WINTER COMES,

112
00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,267
THESE GASES SLOWLY BEGIN
TO FREEZE OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

113
00:06:52,267 --> 00:06:54,667
THEY MAY RAIN DOWN
IN A SNOW-LIKE WAY,

114
00:06:54,667 --> 00:06:56,533
BUT, GRADUALLY, THEY ACCUMULATE

115
00:06:56,533 --> 00:06:59,067
SORT OF A GLASSY,
SEMITRANSPARENT LAYER,

116
00:06:59,067 --> 00:07:01,900
A FROZEN ATMOSPHERE
ON THE SURFACE OF PLUTO.

117
00:07:01,900 --> 00:07:07,067
Narrator: AFTER A BITTER WINTER,
PLUTO DRIFTS CLOSER TO THE SUN,

118
00:07:07,067 --> 00:07:11,467
AND THE 248-YEAR CYCLE
BEGINS AGAIN.

119
00:07:11,467 --> 00:07:16,600
EXTREME CHANGES LIKE THESE
REMIND US HOW LUCKY WE ARE

120
00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,367
THAT EARTH'S ORBIT IS STABLE
AND BENIGN.

121
00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,800
BUT IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE.

122
00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,067
THE SMALLEST CHANGE
COULD KILL US ALL.

123
00:07:28,067 --> 00:07:31,767
IF EARTH'S ORBIT WERE CLOSER
TO THE SUN,

124
00:07:31,767 --> 00:07:35,433
WE WOULD BE LIKE
OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR, VENUS.

125
00:07:35,433 --> 00:07:36,800
VENUS IS A PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLE

126
00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,467
OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN
TO THE EARTH

127
00:07:38,467 --> 00:07:41,067
IF OUR ORBIT SHIFTED A LITTLE
BIT IN FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW.

128
00:07:41,067 --> 00:07:43,333
VENUS HAS THIS HUGELY
THICK ATMOSPHERE

129
00:07:43,333 --> 00:07:44,900
THAT TRAPS ALL OF THE HEAT,

130
00:07:44,900 --> 00:07:47,267
AND THE SURFACE IS CLOSE
TO 900 DEGREES.

131
00:07:47,267 --> 00:07:50,267
IF WE MOVED EVEN JUST
A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE SUN,

132
00:07:50,267 --> 00:07:51,900
WE WOULD BECOME MORE LIKE VENUS.

133
00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:56,267
Narrator:
OCEANS WOULD BOIL AWAY.

134
00:07:56,267 --> 00:07:58,433
OUR PLANET WOULD BECOME
A DESERT.

135
00:07:58,433 --> 00:08:01,300
LIFE WOULD BE DESTROYED.

136
00:08:03,500 --> 00:08:07,067
A SMALL SHIFT
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION,

137
00:08:07,067 --> 00:08:11,600
AND INSTEAD OF BOILING,
WE'D FREEZE.

138
00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,733
YOU WOULD HAVE SNOWBALL EARTH,

139
00:08:13,733 --> 00:08:16,500
THE EARTH COMPLETELY ENCASED
IN ICE.

140
00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,800
AND THAT'S ONLY BY MOVING
THE EARTH

141
00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,333
A FRACTION OF ITS DISTANCE
FROM THE SUN.

142
00:08:21,333 --> 00:08:24,867
[ ICE CRACKLING ]

143
00:08:24,867 --> 00:08:27,100
[ RUMBLING ]

144
00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:30,200
Narrator:
THE POLAR ICE CAPS WOULD EXPAND.

145
00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,233
OCEANS WOULD FREEZE.

146
00:08:34,233 --> 00:08:37,400
A PERMANENT ICE AGE WOULD BEGIN.

147
00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,300
THE SMALLEST SHIFT
IN EARTH'S ORBIT,

148
00:08:40,300 --> 00:08:43,067
AND WE'D DIE BY FIRE OR ICE.

149
00:08:44,233 --> 00:08:47,067
ORBITS ALLOW LIFE TO FLOURISH.

150
00:08:50,333 --> 00:08:53,067
BUT THEY CAN ALSO CAUSE CHAOS.

151
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,300
ORBITS ARE EVEN CAPABLE
OF DESTROYING ENTIRE STARS.

152
00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:13,467
Narrator: OUR PLANET'S ORBIT
MAKES LIFE POSSIBLE.

153
00:09:13,467 --> 00:09:16,933
BUT MOST ORBITS ARE VIOLENT.

154
00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:27,067
SPACE IS A COSMIC FREEWAY.
NOTHING STANDS STILL.

155
00:09:27,067 --> 00:09:31,167
EVERYTHING MOVES
AROUND EVERYTHING ELSE,

156
00:09:31,167 --> 00:09:34,167
THANKS TO A SINGLE FORCE --
GRAVITY.

157
00:09:36,867 --> 00:09:39,800
GRAVITY IS THE UNIVERSAL FORCE
OF ATTRACTION

158
00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,700
THAT SPREADS THROUGHOUT
THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.

159
00:09:42,700 --> 00:09:45,067
IT'S THE FORCE
THAT HOLDS STARS TOGETHER.

160
00:09:45,067 --> 00:09:48,200
IT'S THE FORCE THAT BINDS
THE SOLAR SYSTEM TOGETHER.

161
00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,667
Narrator:
ALL OBJECTS HAVE GRAVITY,

162
00:09:51,667 --> 00:09:54,467
SO ALL OBJECTS
ATTRACT EACH OTHER.

163
00:09:54,467 --> 00:09:58,733
THE MORE MASS AN OBJECT HAS,
THE STRONGER ITS ATTRACTION.

164
00:09:58,733 --> 00:10:02,467
THAT'S WHY FALLING APPLES
ARE PULLED TOWARD EARTH.

165
00:10:05,133 --> 00:10:09,267
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
THE BIGGEST OBJECT IS THE SUN.

166
00:10:12,500 --> 00:10:17,867
IT'S 700 TIMES MORE MASSIVE THAN
ALL THE PLANETS PUT TOGETHER.

167
00:10:17,867 --> 00:10:21,167
THE TITANIC FORCE
OF THE SUN'S GRAVITY

168
00:10:21,167 --> 00:10:23,533
PULLS ALL THE PLANETS INWARD.

169
00:10:23,533 --> 00:10:27,367
BUT SOMETHING STOPS THEM
FROM FALLING IN.

170
00:10:27,367 --> 00:10:30,767
THE PLANETS
ARE IN CONSTANT MOTION.

171
00:10:30,767 --> 00:10:35,000
THEY FLY THROUGH SPACE
AT INCREDIBLE SPEED --

172
00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,933
NOT DIRECTLY TOWARD THE SUN
BUT SIDEWAYS,

173
00:10:38,933 --> 00:10:40,867
CREATING A TUG-OF-WAR

174
00:10:40,867 --> 00:10:45,133
BETWEEN THE SUN'S GRAVITY
AND THE PLANETS' SPEED.

175
00:10:45,133 --> 00:10:49,900
WHEN THE TWO BALANCE OUT,
THE PLANET LOOPS AROUND THE SUN.

176
00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,600
WE CALL THIS AN ORBIT.

177
00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,067
AN ORBIT IS SIMPLY THE MOTION,

178
00:10:56,067 --> 00:11:00,333
THE PATH OF AN OBJECT AROUND
ANOTHER OBJECT DUE TO GRAVITY.

179
00:11:00,333 --> 00:11:03,567
SO YOU CAN HAVE CIRCULAR ORBITS.
YOU CAN HAVE ELLIPTICAL ORBITS.

180
00:11:03,567 --> 00:11:06,300
EVEN IF I WERE TO TAKE A BALL
AND THROW IT IN THE AIR

181
00:11:06,300 --> 00:11:07,900
AND CATCH IT, VERY BRIEFLY,

182
00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:11,067
THAT BALL IS AN ORBIT AROUND
THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.

183
00:11:11,067 --> 00:11:13,367
IT'S JUST MOTION
AFFECTED BY GRAVITY.

184
00:11:13,367 --> 00:11:17,500
Narrator:
IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN

185
00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:20,633
IF THE SUN HAD NO GRAVITY.

186
00:11:20,633 --> 00:11:24,167
THE PLANETS' SPEED WOULD
SHOOT THEM OUT INTO SPACE.

187
00:11:25,767 --> 00:11:29,467
ON THE OTHER HAND,
IF THE PLANETS STOPPED MOVING,

188
00:11:29,467 --> 00:11:31,933
GRAVITY WOULD PULL THEM
INTO THE SUN.

189
00:11:38,333 --> 00:11:43,067
ALL ORBITS ARE A BALANCE
BETWEEN GRAVITY AND MOTION.

190
00:11:47,433 --> 00:11:51,200
WE LIKE TO THINK THE UNIVERSE
RUNS LIKE CLOCKWORK,

191
00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,300
EVERYTHING NEAT AND ORDERLY,

192
00:11:53,300 --> 00:11:58,667
THE PLANETS MOVING
IN COSMIC HARMONY.

193
00:11:58,667 --> 00:11:59,867
BUT THAT'S WRONG.

194
00:11:59,867 --> 00:12:04,600
ORBITS CAN BE WILD
AND UNPREDICTABLE.

195
00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,567
AND THE MORE OBJECTS THERE ARE,

196
00:12:07,567 --> 00:12:11,867
THE MORE UNPREDICTABLE
THEIR ORBITS BECOME.

197
00:12:11,867 --> 00:12:15,100
THINGS CAN GET COMPLICATED WHEN
YOU HAVE MORE THAN TWO OBJECTS

198
00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:16,767
ALL TRYING TO ORBIT
AROUND EACH OTHER.

199
00:12:16,767 --> 00:12:20,633
THEN AN ORBIT CAN ACTUALLY LOOP
BETWEEN ONE OBJECT AND ANOTHER.

200
00:12:20,633 --> 00:12:22,900
SPEEDS CAN GET FASTER
AND SLOWER.

201
00:12:22,900 --> 00:12:25,800
AN ORBIT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
JUST ONE REGULAR PATH.

202
00:12:29,633 --> 00:12:32,067
Narrator:
THE UNIVERSE'S CREATIVITY

203
00:12:32,067 --> 00:12:33,533
DEFIES THE IMAGINATION.

204
00:12:33,533 --> 00:12:39,300
TRAVEL OUT BEYOND PLUTO,
HALFWAY TO THE NEAREST STAR,

205
00:12:39,300 --> 00:12:45,600
AND YOU FIND THESE --
COMETS, CHUNKS OF ICE AND ROCK.

206
00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,300
THEY FLOAT IN VAST CLOUDS,

207
00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:53,800
FROZEN REMNANTS FROM THE DAWN
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

208
00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:58,167
EVERY SO OFTEN,
ONE FALLS TOWARDS THE SUN.

209
00:12:58,167 --> 00:13:00,467
THEY CAN START
A TRILLION MILES OUT

210
00:13:00,467 --> 00:13:03,167
AND FALL RIGHT ABOVE THE SURFACE
OF THE SUN.

211
00:13:03,167 --> 00:13:06,367
SO WHEN THEY'RE REALLY FAR AWAY,
THEY'RE HARDLY MOVING AT ALL.

212
00:13:06,367 --> 00:13:08,367
WHEN THEY'RE WHIPPING
PAST THE SUN,

213
00:13:08,367 --> 00:13:10,333
THEY'RE MOVING REALLY,
REALLY FAST.

214
00:13:10,333 --> 00:13:12,600
AND SO, THESE CAN BE SOME
OF THE MOST EXTREME ORBITS

215
00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,067
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

216
00:13:14,067 --> 00:13:17,333
THEY CAN BE SO ELONGATED,
THEY'RE ALMOST A STRAIGHT LINE.

217
00:13:18,967 --> 00:13:24,067
Narrator: COMETS TRAVEL AT
UP TO A MILLION MILES AN HOUR.

218
00:13:24,067 --> 00:13:30,433
THEY'RE COSMIC MISSILES
GUIDED BY GRAVITY AND SPEED.

219
00:13:30,433 --> 00:13:35,633
COMETS SHOW US HOW
DESTRUCTIVE ORBITS CAN BE.

220
00:13:35,633 --> 00:13:37,967
MANY PLUNGE INTO THE SUN...

221
00:13:40,500 --> 00:13:43,867
...OR CRASH INTO PLANETS.

222
00:13:43,867 --> 00:13:45,500
Kaku: IF A COMET WERE
TO HIT THE EARTH,

223
00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:49,367
PERHAPS 5, 6 MILES ACROSS...

224
00:13:49,367 --> 00:13:52,700
WATCH OUT.
IT WOULD BE A PLANET-BUSTER.

225
00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:54,200
IT WOULD BE AN OBJECT

226
00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,167
SUFFICIENT TO WIPE OUT ALL LIFE
AS WE KNOW IT ON THE PLANET.

227
00:13:58,167 --> 00:14:02,900
Narrator: BUT MOST COMETS MISS.

228
00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:05,433
THEY FLY IN FROM DEEP SPACE

229
00:14:05,433 --> 00:14:09,100
AND OUT AGAIN
ON MILLION-YEAR ORBITS.

230
00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,500
BUT MOVE BEYOND
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

231
00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:19,567
AND ORBITS BECOME
EVEN MORE VIOLENT.

232
00:14:19,567 --> 00:14:23,933
DEATH SPIRALS RIP APART
ENTIRE PLANETS...

233
00:14:25,167 --> 00:14:30,167
...SHRED STARS, AND EVEN
TEAR HOLES IN SPACE.

234
00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:52,800
Narrator: THE UNIVERSE
IS UNIMAGINABLY BIG,

235
00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,567
SO THERE SHOULD BE OTHER
EARTH-LIKE WORLDS OUT THERE.

236
00:14:56,567 --> 00:15:01,067
SCIENTISTS LOOKING
FOR HABITABLE PLANETS

237
00:15:01,067 --> 00:15:03,833
THOUGHT THEY WOULD FIND ORBITS
JUST LIKE OURS.

238
00:15:03,833 --> 00:15:05,900
THEY WERE WRONG.

239
00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:09,767
NOW WE'RE ON HD 154088.

240
00:15:09,767 --> 00:15:13,233
AND THERE IT IS.
LOOKS GOOD.

241
00:15:13,233 --> 00:15:15,867
WE HAVE DISCOVERED
HUNDREDS OF PLANETS

242
00:15:15,867 --> 00:15:19,767
OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, BUT
THEY'RE NOT LIKE EARTH AT ALL.

243
00:15:19,767 --> 00:15:26,533
THESE ARE STRANGE, ALIEN WORLDS
WITH UNFAMILIAR ORBITS.

244
00:15:26,533 --> 00:15:29,667
WHAT WE'RE FINDING
AMONG EXTRA-SOLAR PLANETS

245
00:15:29,667 --> 00:15:34,933
IS AN INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY OF
THESE ORBITAL SHAPES AND SIZES.

246
00:15:34,933 --> 00:15:38,900
SOME OF THE ORBITS ARE EXTREMELY
TIGHT AROUND THEIR HOST STAR,

247
00:15:38,900 --> 00:15:42,067
THE PLANET GOING AROUND
IN JUST HOURS OR DAYS.

248
00:15:42,067 --> 00:15:45,967
SO WE'RE SEEING INTERACTIONS
AND SHAPES AND SIZES OF ORBITS

249
00:15:45,967 --> 00:15:47,867
THAT ARE LIKE NOTHING
WE EVER IMAGINED.

250
00:15:52,067 --> 00:15:54,333
Narrator:
SOME WORLDS ARE SO HOSTILE,

251
00:15:54,333 --> 00:15:57,633
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

252
00:15:57,633 --> 00:16:02,167
THIS IS WASP-18b.

253
00:16:02,167 --> 00:16:03,900
IT'S A HOT JUPITER,

254
00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:08,533
A CLASS OF HUGE PLANETS
THAT CLOSELY ORBIT THEIR STARS.

255
00:16:11,567 --> 00:16:18,200
WASP-18b IS 50 TIMES CLOSER TO
ITS STAR THAN WE ARE TO THE SUN.

256
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:22,667
IT'S SO CLOSE, IT ORBITS
IN LESS THAN ONE DAY.

257
00:16:25,067 --> 00:16:28,633
IF YOU HAD SAID, "WHAT'S
THE WEIRDEST, LEAST-LIKELY ORBIT

258
00:16:28,633 --> 00:16:30,433
YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE?"

259
00:16:30,433 --> 00:16:32,933
I WOULD HAVE SAID,
"TAKE SOMETHING LIKE JUPITER

260
00:16:32,933 --> 00:16:36,400
AND PLOP IT DOWN RIGHT NEXT TO
A STAR, 5 MILLION MILES AWAY."

261
00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,067
AND IT TURNS OUT,
I WOULD BE TOTALLY WRONG.

262
00:16:39,067 --> 00:16:41,067
THAT IS AN EXTREMELY
COMMON THING

263
00:16:41,067 --> 00:16:42,733
THAT WE SEE IN THE UNIVERSE.

264
00:16:42,733 --> 00:16:44,367
IN FACT, MOST OF THE PLANETS

265
00:16:44,367 --> 00:16:46,067
THAT WE'RE DISCOVERING
AROUND OTHER STARS

266
00:16:46,067 --> 00:16:47,500
APPEAR TO BE IN ORBITS
LIKE THAT.

267
00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:50,367
Narrator: THIS COSMIC DUEL

268
00:16:50,367 --> 00:16:54,567
PRODUCES INCREDIBLY POWERFUL
PHYSICAL EFFECTS.

269
00:16:54,567 --> 00:16:59,400
WASP-18b BURNS AT 4,000 DEGREES.

270
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,367
THERMAL HURRICANES
BLAST ACROSS ITS SURFACE.

271
00:17:03,367 --> 00:17:05,500
AND BOTH STAR AND PLANET

272
00:17:05,500 --> 00:17:09,333
ARE DISTORTED BY VAST
GRAVITATIONAL FORCES,

273
00:17:09,333 --> 00:17:13,800
THE SAME FORCES THAT CAUSE
THE TIDES ON EARTH.

274
00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,367
EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR
WITH THE IDEA OF TIDES.

275
00:17:16,367 --> 00:17:17,667
IN THE COURSE OF A DAY,

276
00:17:17,667 --> 00:17:19,733
THE LEVEL OF THE OCEANS
GET HIGHER AND THEN LOWER.

277
00:17:19,733 --> 00:17:22,367
WELL, THAT'S FROM THE INFLUENCE
OF THE SUN AND THE MOON,

278
00:17:22,367 --> 00:17:25,233
FROM THE INFLUENCE OF ORBITS,
THINGS THAT ARE GOING AROUND US

279
00:17:25,233 --> 00:17:26,533
OR THAT WE'RE GOING AROUND.

280
00:17:26,533 --> 00:17:28,933
IF YOU BRING THINGS
CLOSER TOGETHER,

281
00:17:28,933 --> 00:17:30,567
TIDES BECOME MORE EXTREME.

282
00:17:30,567 --> 00:17:33,267
PLANETS CAN ACTUALLY GET PULLED
INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES.

283
00:17:36,467 --> 00:17:40,400
Narrator: WASP-18b WAS FORMED
IN A COLD REGION OF SPACE

284
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,067
FAR AWAY FROM ITS STAR.

285
00:17:43,067 --> 00:17:45,367
OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS,

286
00:17:45,367 --> 00:17:49,300
IT SPIRALED
INTO ITS PRESENT POSITION.

287
00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:52,100
IT'S LOCKED
IN A GRAVITATIONAL BATTLE

288
00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:54,300
THAT CAN ONLY END ONE WAY.

289
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,467
LESS THAN A MILLION YEARS
FROM NOW,

290
00:18:00,467 --> 00:18:02,400
IT WILL BE CONSUMED BY FIRE.

291
00:18:10,267 --> 00:18:13,367
THE KEY CONCLUSION
YOU HAVE TO DRAW IS --

292
00:18:13,367 --> 00:18:17,800
WHEN YOU SEE THE UNIVERSE TODAY,
IT WON'T BE THAT WAY TOMORROW

293
00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,500
AND IT WON'T BE THAT WAY
THE WEEK OR THE MILLENNIUM

294
00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:23,467
OR A BILLION YEARS LATER
BECAUSE OF GRAVITY.

295
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,100
Narrator: OUR SEARCH
FOR EARTH-LIKE PLANETS

296
00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:31,400
REVEALS A DESTRUCTIVE UNIVERSE,

297
00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,533
FROM THE DEADLY MISSILE-LIKE
ORBITS OF COMETS

298
00:18:34,533 --> 00:18:37,133
TO THE SEARING PATHS
OF HOT JUPITERS.

299
00:18:37,133 --> 00:18:40,467
THERE ARE EVEN PLANETS

300
00:18:40,467 --> 00:18:43,500
THAT DON'T SEEM TO ORBIT
ANYTHING AT ALL.

301
00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:47,167
SCIENTISTS HAVE RECENTLY
DETECTED TINY FLUCTUATIONS

302
00:18:47,167 --> 00:18:49,867
IN THE LIGHT FROM DISTANT STARS.

303
00:18:49,867 --> 00:18:51,767
THE ONLY EXPLANATION?

304
00:18:51,767 --> 00:18:55,967
A MASSIVE OBJECT
BETWEEN US AND THEM.

305
00:18:55,967 --> 00:19:00,467
THESE ROGUE PLANETS
DON'T ORBIT A PARENT STAR.

306
00:19:00,467 --> 00:19:05,767
THEY ARE PLANETARY ORPHANS,
ALL ALONE IN SPACE.

307
00:19:05,767 --> 00:19:09,433
PLANETS, BY DEFINITION,
GO AROUND STARS,

308
00:19:09,433 --> 00:19:13,100
SO, BOY, WERE WE SHOCKED
TO FIND ROGUE PLANETS.

309
00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:16,533
ROGUE PLANETS ARE
A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS --

310
00:19:16,533 --> 00:19:18,767
PLANETS WITHOUT A MOTHER STAR.

311
00:19:18,767 --> 00:19:21,067
Narrator: SCIENTISTS THINK

312
00:19:21,067 --> 00:19:24,600
EVERY ROGUE PLANET
DID ONCE ORBIT A STAR

313
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,233
UNTIL GRAVITY HURLED THEM AWAY.

314
00:19:29,433 --> 00:19:32,967
NEW SOLAR SYSTEMS
ARE CHAOTIC PLACES.

315
00:19:32,967 --> 00:19:37,667
PLANETS TUG ON EACH OTHER
AND DRAMATICALLY CHANGE COURSE.

316
00:19:37,667 --> 00:19:45,200
SOME PLANETS EVEN SPIRAL OUT
TO WANDER THE GALAXY ALONE.

317
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,067
THE PRESENCE OF ROGUE PLANETS

318
00:19:47,067 --> 00:19:50,400
SHOWS US THAT GRAVITY IS NOT
JUST THIS ATTRACTIVE FORCE

319
00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,067
WHICH BINDS THE SOLAR SYSTEM
TOGETHER.

320
00:19:53,067 --> 00:19:56,367
IT CAN ALSO FLING ENTIRE PLANETS
INTO OUTER SPACE.

321
00:19:56,367 --> 00:20:00,033
Narrator:
A RECENT SKY SURVEY SUGGESTS

322
00:20:00,033 --> 00:20:04,600
OUR GALAXY CONTAINS MORE
ROGUE PLANETS THAN STARS.

323
00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:09,200
WE'VE DISCOVERED ORBITS WE
DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WERE POSSIBLE.

324
00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,733
GRAVITY AND MOTION KEEP OUR
UNIVERSE IN CONSTANT TURMOIL.

325
00:20:17,767 --> 00:20:22,100
VAST ORBITING SUNS
CANNIBALIZE EACH OTHER.

326
00:20:22,100 --> 00:20:25,900
VIOLENT VORTEXES
DISTORT SPACE ITSELF.

327
00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:31,567
AND POWERFUL FORCES FLICK A STAR
LIKE A SPINNING TOP.

328
00:20:38,167 --> 00:20:42,300
Narrator: GRAVITY CAUSES CHAOS
ON AN EPIC SCALE...

329
00:20:45,433 --> 00:20:48,467
...HURLING PLANETS
TO THEIR DESTRUCTION

330
00:20:48,467 --> 00:20:50,667
OR FIRING THEM OFF INTO SPACE.

331
00:20:52,033 --> 00:20:57,267
BUT THE COSMIC ROLLER COASTER
GETS EVEN MORE EXTREME.

332
00:20:57,267 --> 00:21:03,733
ORBITS BECOME SO VIOLENT,
THEY RIP CHUNKS OUT OF STARS.

333
00:21:08,467 --> 00:21:10,733
THIS IS HM CANCRI,

334
00:21:10,733 --> 00:21:15,733
A BINARY STAR SYSTEM
16,000 LIGHT-YEARS FROM EARTH.

335
00:21:15,733 --> 00:21:20,500
THEY'RE WHITE DWARFS --
SMALL BUT INCREDIBLY DENSE.

336
00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:25,333
ONE TEASPOON OF WHITE-DWARF
MATTER CAN WEIGH 5 TONS.

337
00:21:25,333 --> 00:21:28,833
THE STARS ARE JUST
50,000 MILES APART,

338
00:21:28,833 --> 00:21:32,600
FIVE TIMES CLOSER THAN WE ARE
TO THE MOON.

339
00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:38,500
THEY ORBIT AT MORE THAN
A MILLION MILES AN HOUR.

340
00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:42,900
WE HAVE TWO WHITE DWARVES
AN INFINITESIMAL DISTANCE APART,

341
00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:46,333
ROTATING AROUND EACH OTHER
IN 5 1/2 MINUTES.

342
00:21:46,333 --> 00:21:50,800
THIS IS A WORLD'S RECORD FOR
AN ASTRONOMICAL BODY IN SPACE.

343
00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:56,667
Narrator:
THE FORCES ARE IMMENSE.

344
00:21:56,667 --> 00:22:00,700
GRAVITY RIPS SUPERHEATED GAS
OUT OF ONE STAR

345
00:22:00,700 --> 00:22:04,333
AND SLAMS IT INTO THE OTHER.

346
00:22:04,333 --> 00:22:08,067
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE
THIS ORBIT IS SO VIOLENT,

347
00:22:08,067 --> 00:22:11,100
IT WARPS THE FABRIC OF SPACE
ITSELF.

348
00:22:11,100 --> 00:22:16,900
IN THE PROCESS, THE STARS LOSE
ENERGY, FALLING EVEN CLOSER.

349
00:22:19,133 --> 00:22:21,600
EVENTUALLY, THEY'LL COLLIDE...

350
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,733
...CREATING A SUPERNOVA.

351
00:22:32,733 --> 00:22:36,867
Dr. Plait: A SUPERNOVA IS ONE
OF THE MOST VIOLENT,

352
00:22:36,867 --> 00:22:40,167
ENERGETIC EVENTS
IN THE UNIVERSE TODAY.

353
00:22:40,167 --> 00:22:43,700
YOU ARE BLOWING UP A STAR.

354
00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:46,267
THERE'S NO WAY TO DESCRIBE
THAT KIND OF ENERGY.

355
00:22:50,367 --> 00:22:53,067
Kaku: SOME SUPERNOVAE
ARE SO POWERFUL,

356
00:22:53,067 --> 00:22:56,067
THEY ARE SECOND ONLY
TO THE BIG BANG ITSELF

357
00:22:56,067 --> 00:22:58,667
FOR ENERGY AND SHEER POWER.

358
00:22:58,667 --> 00:23:01,067
THEY ARE SO MAGNIFICENT,

359
00:23:01,067 --> 00:23:06,367
THEY CAN OUTSHINE AN ENTIRE
GALAXY OF 200 BILLION STARS.

360
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,867
Narrator: SUPERNOVAS CAN CREATE

361
00:23:10,867 --> 00:23:15,367
ONE OF THE WEIRDEST OBJECTS
IN THE UNIVERSE...

362
00:23:15,367 --> 00:23:17,200
A PULSAR.

363
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,267
PULSARS ARE INTENSELY
MAGNETIC STARS.

364
00:23:20,267 --> 00:23:24,067
THEY FIRE OUT BEAMS
OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

365
00:23:24,067 --> 00:23:26,400
THAT SWEEP ACROSS SPACE.

366
00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,300
THERE ARE FEW THINGS
IN THE UNIVERSE

367
00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:29,667
MORE DRAMATIC THAN A PULSAR.

368
00:23:29,667 --> 00:23:32,167
IMAGINE A BALL
ABOUT 10 MILES ACROSS

369
00:23:32,167 --> 00:23:34,633
ROTATING HUNDREDS OF TIMES
A SECOND

370
00:23:34,633 --> 00:23:37,233
WITH A DENSITY
THAT'S ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE.

371
00:23:37,233 --> 00:23:39,333
1 CUBIC CENTIMETER
OF THIS MATERIAL

372
00:23:39,333 --> 00:23:42,567
WOULD HAVE AS MUCH MASS
AS MOUNT EVEREST.

373
00:23:42,567 --> 00:23:47,067
YOU WOULD FEEL A GRAVITY THAT IS
MILLIONS, MILLIONS OF TIMES

374
00:23:47,067 --> 00:23:49,733
WHAT YOU'RE FEELING SITTING
ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

375
00:23:49,733 --> 00:23:51,900
YOU WOULDN'T JUST BE
CRUSHED FLAT BY THIS.

376
00:23:51,900 --> 00:23:54,333
YOU WOULD BE CRUSHED
INTO A PASTE

377
00:23:54,333 --> 00:23:56,433
THAT IS ONLY A FEW ATOMS THICK.

378
00:23:56,433 --> 00:24:01,533
Narrator: ANYTHING THAT ORBITS
A PULSAR TOO CLOSELY

379
00:24:01,533 --> 00:24:04,200
RISKS BEING TORN TO SHREDS.

380
00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:10,067
THIS IS THE BLACK WIDOW PULSAR.

381
00:24:10,067 --> 00:24:14,700
IT RIPS THROUGH OUR GALAXY
AT 600,000 MILES AN HOUR.

382
00:24:17,633 --> 00:24:20,233
THE SHOCK WAVE IS SO VAST,

383
00:24:20,233 --> 00:24:24,667
OUR TELESCOPES CAN'T DETECT IT
5,000 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

384
00:24:24,667 --> 00:24:26,967
TRAVELING ALONGSIDE IT,

385
00:24:26,967 --> 00:24:32,300
A BROWN DWARF BIGGER THAN
A PLANET, SMALLER THAN A STAR.

386
00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:36,533
THE PAIR ARE LOCKED
IN AN ORBITAL DANCE OF DEATH.

387
00:24:36,533 --> 00:24:40,133
THE BLACK WIDOW, IN SOME SENSE,
IS LIKE A VAMPIRE,

388
00:24:40,133 --> 00:24:43,700
SUCKING THE LIFEBLOOD
FROM THIS BROWN DWARF STAR,

389
00:24:43,700 --> 00:24:46,700
EATING AWAY AT ITS HYDROGEN
AND HELIUM FUEL.

390
00:24:49,833 --> 00:24:54,133
Narrator: RADIATION BLASTS THE
BROWN DWARF'S GASES INTO SPACE.

391
00:24:56,100 --> 00:24:58,367
A PULSAR JUST 10 MILES WIDE

392
00:24:58,367 --> 00:25:02,167
IS DESTROYING AN OBJECT
BIGGER THAN JUPITER.

393
00:25:02,167 --> 00:25:07,067
EVENTUALLY, THE BROWN DWARF
WILL EVAPORATE.

394
00:25:08,900 --> 00:25:13,867
A SINGLE PULSAR HAS IMMENSE
DESTRUCTIVE POWER.

395
00:25:16,700 --> 00:25:18,733
BUT TWO PULSARS TOGETHER

396
00:25:18,733 --> 00:25:22,067
CAN CHANGE THE SHAPE
OF THE UNIVERSE.

397
00:25:22,067 --> 00:25:25,667
THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN
DOUBLE-PULSAR SYSTEM

398
00:25:25,667 --> 00:25:28,300
IN OUR GALAXY.

399
00:25:28,300 --> 00:25:32,200
ORBITING AT 700,000 MILES
AN HOUR,

400
00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:37,367
THEIR SPEED AND MASS
MAKE THEM SPIN CHAOTICALLY.

401
00:25:40,633 --> 00:25:42,833
Marcy: IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK

402
00:25:42,833 --> 00:25:45,800
OF THE ENORMOUS FORCES,
GRAVITATIONALLY,

403
00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,167
THAT THESE TWO STARS EXERT
ON EACH OTHER,

404
00:25:48,167 --> 00:25:51,367
CAUSING THE WHOLE GEOMETRY,
THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE SYSTEM

405
00:25:51,367 --> 00:25:55,333
TO CHANGE AND SPIN AROUND
LIKE A TOP ON THE TABLE.

406
00:25:59,333 --> 00:26:01,367
Narrator: THE GRAVITY
OF THE HEAVIER PULSAR

407
00:26:01,367 --> 00:26:05,200
MAKES THE SMALLER ONE
WOBBLE ERRATICALLY.

408
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,733
IT WHIPS AROUND SO VIOLENTLY

409
00:26:07,733 --> 00:26:12,800
THAT THE WHOLE STAR ALMOST TIPS
OVER, JUST LIKE A SPINNING TOP.

410
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,167
IT CAN'T LAST FOREVER.

411
00:26:17,167 --> 00:26:21,433
85 MILLION YEARS FROM NOW,
THE TWO PULSARS WILL MERGE

412
00:26:21,433 --> 00:26:24,600
TO FORM A VAST
GRAVITATIONAL ABYSS...

413
00:26:29,367 --> 00:26:34,400
...THE UNIVERSE'S ULTIMATE
MONSTER -- A BLACK HOLE.

414
00:26:52,867 --> 00:26:55,733
Narrator: A BLACK HOLE --

415
00:26:55,733 --> 00:26:59,733
THE MOST EXTREME OBJECT
IN THE UNIVERSE.

416
00:26:59,733 --> 00:27:05,100
AT ITS CENTER, THE LAWS
OF PHYSICS BREAK DOWN.

417
00:27:07,233 --> 00:27:10,567
TIME COMES TO AN END.

418
00:27:10,567 --> 00:27:14,067
GRAVITY IS INFINITE.

419
00:27:14,067 --> 00:27:16,933
A BLACK HOLE IS A BOTTOMLESS PIT
OF GRAVITY

420
00:27:16,933 --> 00:27:18,467
CAUSED BY THE DEATH OF A STAR.

421
00:27:18,467 --> 00:27:21,067
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE UNIVERSE
MORE MYSTERIOUS

422
00:27:21,067 --> 00:27:22,367
THAN HOW BLACK HOLES WORK.

423
00:27:22,367 --> 00:27:23,533
IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT

424
00:27:23,533 --> 00:27:25,267
EXTREME ORBITS
AND EXTREME GRAVITY,

425
00:27:25,267 --> 00:27:26,533
YOU'RE TALKING BLACK HOLES.

426
00:27:26,533 --> 00:27:28,233
THAT IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

427
00:27:28,233 --> 00:27:31,433
NOTHING HAS STRONGER GRAVITY
THAN A BLACK HOLE.

428
00:27:31,433 --> 00:27:34,933
IT IS THE MASS OF SOMETHING
LIKE THE SUN OR MORE

429
00:27:34,933 --> 00:27:36,867
COMPRESSED DOWN INTO A BALL

430
00:27:36,867 --> 00:27:39,667
THAT'S ONLY A COUPLE OF MILES
ACROSS.

431
00:27:39,667 --> 00:27:41,433
Narrator: 50 YEARS AGO,

432
00:27:41,433 --> 00:27:44,900
BLACK HOLES WERE DISMISSED
AS SCIENCE FICTION,

433
00:27:44,900 --> 00:27:47,300
BUT NOT ANYMORE.

434
00:27:50,133 --> 00:27:53,833
NOW WE SEE THEM
AT THE CENTER OF GALAXIES,

435
00:27:53,833 --> 00:27:55,800
WANDERING THROUGH OUTER SPACE.

436
00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:57,467
BLACK HOLES, WE NOW KNOW,

437
00:27:57,467 --> 00:28:00,533
ARE CENTRAL TO THE EVOLUTION
OF THE UNIVERSE.

438
00:28:04,167 --> 00:28:07,700
Narrator: WE NOW THINK THERE MAY
BE 100 MILLION BLACK HOLES

439
00:28:07,700 --> 00:28:10,133
IN OUR GALAXY ALONE.

440
00:28:10,133 --> 00:28:15,400
AN ENCOUNTER WITH ANY OF THEM
LEADS TO OBLIVION.

441
00:28:19,467 --> 00:28:23,533
THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND
HOTTEST STARS IN THE UNIVERSE.

442
00:28:23,533 --> 00:28:29,833
IT'S 20 TIMES MORE MASSIVE THAN
OUR SUN AND 10 TIMES HOTTER.

443
00:28:36,467 --> 00:28:39,600
STARS LIKE THIS NEVER LIVE LONG,

444
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:44,267
BUT THIS ONE IS LOCKED
IN A DIABOLIC WALTZ,

445
00:28:44,267 --> 00:28:47,400
TRAPPED IN THE GRIP
OF A BLACK HOLE.

446
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,333
THE GRAVITY HERE IS SO POWERFUL,

447
00:28:50,333 --> 00:28:54,200
THE STAR ORBITS AT
HALF A MILLION MILES AN HOUR.

448
00:28:58,133 --> 00:29:02,067
THE BLACK HOLE SUCKS
THE STAR'S OUTER LAYERS

449
00:29:02,067 --> 00:29:04,333
INTO A VAST, SWIRLING DISK,

450
00:29:04,333 --> 00:29:08,467
A DISK SO HOT
IT BLASTS OUT X-RAYS

451
00:29:08,467 --> 00:29:13,500
A MILLION TIMES MORE POWERFUL
THAN OUR SUN.

452
00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:21,200
Kaku: THIS CONFIGURATION --

453
00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,267
A STAR ORBITING AROUND
A BLACK HOLE --

454
00:29:23,267 --> 00:29:25,300
IS EXTREME AND IT'S UNSTABLE.

455
00:29:25,300 --> 00:29:27,300
FIRST OF ALL, THE BLACK HOLE

456
00:29:27,300 --> 00:29:31,133
IS EATING AWAY AT THE ATMOSPHERE
OF ITS COMPANION STAR,

457
00:29:31,133 --> 00:29:33,767
BUT THE STAR ITSELF IS UNSTABLE.

458
00:29:33,767 --> 00:29:36,933
IT WILL ONE DAY UNDERGO
A SUPERNOVA

459
00:29:36,933 --> 00:29:39,600
AND PERHAPS LEAVE A BLACK HOLE
IN ITS WAKE.

460
00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,967
AND THEN IT WILL HAVE
TWO BLACK HOLES

461
00:29:41,967 --> 00:29:44,100
ROTATING AROUND EACH OTHER,

462
00:29:44,100 --> 00:29:47,467
ONE OF THE RAREST SIGHTS
IN THE UNIVERSE.

463
00:29:47,467 --> 00:29:51,900
Narrator: EVENTUALLY,
THESE BLACK HOLES WILL MERGE

464
00:29:51,900 --> 00:29:55,133
TO CREATE A NEW, LARGER MONSTER,

465
00:29:55,133 --> 00:30:00,067
AND THE CYCLE OF DESTRUCTION
WILL CONTINUE.

466
00:30:00,067 --> 00:30:02,767
BUT THIS BLACK HOLE IS SMALL.

467
00:30:02,767 --> 00:30:08,100
OTHER BLACK HOLES TAKE VIOLENCE
TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

468
00:30:08,100 --> 00:30:11,100
IN 2011, ASTRONOMERS WITNESSED

469
00:30:11,100 --> 00:30:15,667
ONE OF THE BIGGEST EXPLOSIONS
EVER RECORDED,

470
00:30:15,667 --> 00:30:20,500
A FLASH OF RADIATION BRIGHTER
THAN 100 BILLION SUNS --

471
00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:24,000
A GAMMA-RAY BURST.

472
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,367
IT WAS A SPECTACULAR EVENT.

473
00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:35,533
THE BURST CAME FROM
A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

474
00:30:35,533 --> 00:30:38,133
AT THE CENTER
OF A DISTANT GALAXY.

475
00:30:40,933 --> 00:30:42,467
IT HAD BEEN DORMANT,

476
00:30:42,467 --> 00:30:45,567
BUT SOMETHING HAD SHOCKED IT
BACK TO LIFE.

477
00:30:48,767 --> 00:30:51,400
Kaku: IF YOU PASS BY
THE EVENT HORIZON,

478
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,500
AN IMAGINARY SPHERE
SURROUNDING THE BLACK HOLE,

479
00:30:54,500 --> 00:30:56,500
THAT'S THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

480
00:30:56,500 --> 00:30:59,167
IT'S LIKE THE ULTIMATE
ROACH MOTEL --

481
00:30:59,167 --> 00:31:02,067
EVERYTHING CHECKS IN,
NOTHING CHECKS OUT.

482
00:31:09,967 --> 00:31:13,933
Narrator: SEVERAL STARS
WERE ORBITING THE BLACK HOLE

483
00:31:13,933 --> 00:31:15,500
AT A SAFE DISTANCE.

484
00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:17,867
THEN ONE OF THEM GOT TOO CLOSE.

485
00:31:17,867 --> 00:31:21,467
THE SLEEPING GIANT
SUDDENLY AWOKE.

486
00:31:21,467 --> 00:31:24,200
IMMENSE GRAVITATIONAL FORCES

487
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:28,233
STRETCHED THE STAR
TO ITS BREAKING POINT

488
00:31:28,233 --> 00:31:31,800
UNTIL, FINALLY,
IT WAS TORN APART.

489
00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,767
DEBRIS SWIRLED AROUND
THE BLACK HOLE,

490
00:31:34,767 --> 00:31:37,833
HEATED TO MILLIONS OF DEGREES.

491
00:31:37,833 --> 00:31:42,133
TWO GIANT JETS OF GAMMA RAYS

492
00:31:42,133 --> 00:31:45,067
BLASTED INTO SPACE
AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT.

493
00:31:48,633 --> 00:31:51,100
A BLACK HOLE HAS TORN
A STAR APART,

494
00:31:51,100 --> 00:31:54,200
SWALLOWED UP HALF
OF THE MATERIAL OF THE STAR,

495
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,367
AND EJECTED THE OTHER HALF
IN AN EVENT

496
00:31:56,367 --> 00:31:59,300
THAT IS AMONG THE MOST VIOLENT
THINGS WE HAVE EVER SEEN

497
00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:00,900
IN THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY.

498
00:32:00,900 --> 00:32:04,067
Narrator:
THE EVENT WAS SO VIOLENT,

499
00:32:04,067 --> 00:32:07,733
WE SAW IT FROM EARTH,
3 BILLION LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

500
00:32:07,733 --> 00:32:09,167
[ EXPLOSION ]

501
00:32:11,667 --> 00:32:17,467
BLACK HOLES CAN SUCK IN PLANETS
AND RIP APART STARS.

502
00:32:17,467 --> 00:32:20,667
BUT GRAVITY DOESN'T ALWAYS
PULL THINGS IN.

503
00:32:22,067 --> 00:32:24,733
ANY HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENT KNOWS
THAT GRAVITY SUCKS.

504
00:32:24,733 --> 00:32:26,200
IT PULLS. IT NEVER PUSHES.

505
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,267
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY
MORE COMPLICATED.

506
00:32:28,267 --> 00:32:30,433
THAT'S TRUE WHEN YOU
JUST HAVE TWO OBJECTS.

507
00:32:30,433 --> 00:32:32,733
BUT THE MINUTE YOU HAVE
MORE THAN TWO OBJECTS,

508
00:32:32,733 --> 00:32:34,667
STRANGE THINGS CAN HAPPEN,

509
00:32:34,667 --> 00:32:37,667
AND GRAVITY CAN ACTUALLY
PUSH YOU AWAY.

510
00:32:37,667 --> 00:32:39,367
YOU CAN GET VERY CLOSE
TO A BODY,

511
00:32:39,367 --> 00:32:41,400
BUT IF YOU COME IN
AT JUST THE RIGHT ANGLE

512
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,633
AND JUST THE RIGHT SPEED,
INSTEAD OF COLLIDING TOGETHER,

513
00:32:44,633 --> 00:32:47,067
ONE OBJECT CAN SLINGSHOT
THE OTHER ONE AWAY.

514
00:32:47,067 --> 00:32:51,233
Narrator: RECENTLY,
SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED STARS

515
00:32:51,233 --> 00:32:55,600
HURTLING AWAY FROM OUR GALAXY
AT INCREDIBLE SPEED.

516
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,600
NORMAL STARS DON'T DO THIS.

517
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:04,667
SO WHAT COULD ACCELERATE
A STAR TO HYPERVELOCITY?

518
00:33:04,667 --> 00:33:07,633
THE ANSWER WAS A SURPRISE.

519
00:33:07,633 --> 00:33:11,333
YOU CAN ONLY EJECT STARS AT
THESE VERY, VERY HIGH VELOCITY,

520
00:33:11,333 --> 00:33:14,433
SO CLOSE TO 700, 800,
1,000 KILOMETERS A SECOND.

521
00:33:14,433 --> 00:33:15,900
YOU COULD ONLY EJECT THESE

522
00:33:15,900 --> 00:33:18,633
WITH INTERACTIONS
WITH A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE.

523
00:33:18,633 --> 00:33:22,467
Narrator: EACH HYPERVELOCITY
STAR WAS ORIGINALLY

524
00:33:22,467 --> 00:33:27,833
ONE OF A PAIR OF STARS ORBITING
A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE.

525
00:33:27,833 --> 00:33:31,900
WHEN THEY GOT TOO CLOSE,
GRAVITY PULLED THEM APART.

526
00:33:31,900 --> 00:33:33,933
THE BLACK HOLE CATAPULTED

527
00:33:33,933 --> 00:33:38,600
ONE STAR OUT OF THE GALAXY
AT 2 MILLION MILES AN HOUR.

528
00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:43,700
EVENTUALLY, THE OTHER WAS
SUCKED IN AND DESTROYED.

529
00:33:43,700 --> 00:33:45,133
Dr. Kollmeier:
THE INTERESTING THING HERE IS

530
00:33:45,133 --> 00:33:47,800
THAT YOU CAN GET A COMPLETE
REDISTRIBUTION OF STARS,

531
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,600
SO YOU HAVE STARS THAT ARE
IN THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY,

532
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,600
AND, SUDDENLY, THEY'RE EJECTED
OUT INTO INTERGALACTIC SPACE.

533
00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,967
Narrator: AND IT'S OUT HERE,
IN DEEP SPACE,

534
00:33:56,967 --> 00:34:00,133
THAT ORBITS ARE
AT THEIR MOST POWERFUL,

535
00:34:00,133 --> 00:34:02,967
SMASHING ENTIRE GALAXIES
TOGETHER

536
00:34:02,967 --> 00:34:06,733
TO CREATE THE STRUCTURE
OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.

537
00:34:20,433 --> 00:34:22,667
Narrator: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE,

538
00:34:22,667 --> 00:34:27,100
EXTREME GRAVITY
IS A FORCE OF DESTRUCTION.

539
00:34:27,100 --> 00:34:29,133
THE ORBITS OF PLANETS AND STARS

540
00:34:29,133 --> 00:34:32,100
CAN BE CHAOTIC,
UNPREDICTABLE, AND VIOLENT.

541
00:34:32,100 --> 00:34:36,067
BUT ON A TRULY COSMIC SCALE,

542
00:34:36,067 --> 00:34:39,100
GRAVITY IS NO LONGER
JUST A DESTROYER.

543
00:34:42,967 --> 00:34:45,633
IT ALSO CREATES NEW WORLDS.

544
00:34:45,633 --> 00:34:49,800
THESE ARE GALAXIES --
GIANT SPINNING CLUSTERS

545
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:55,433
OF STARS, GAS, AND DUST
100,000 LIGHT-YEARS ACROSS.

546
00:34:56,933 --> 00:34:59,067
GALAXIES ORBIT EACH OTHER

547
00:34:59,067 --> 00:35:02,367
IN THE SAME WAY
PLANETS ORBIT STARS.

548
00:35:02,367 --> 00:35:04,900
GRAVITY PULLS THEM TOGETHER.

549
00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:07,500
THEIR SPEED KEEPS THEM APART.

550
00:35:07,500 --> 00:35:11,233
BUT, ULTIMATELY,
GRAVITY ALWAYS WINS.

551
00:35:11,233 --> 00:35:13,467
ENTIRE GALAXIES SMASH TOGETHER.

552
00:35:13,467 --> 00:35:18,067
Dr. Plait: ONE OF THE MOST
SPECTACULAR EVENTS IN THE UNIVERSE

553
00:35:18,067 --> 00:35:19,767
IS WHEN GALAXIES COLLIDE.

554
00:35:19,767 --> 00:35:23,167
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS
OF BILLIONS OF STARS

555
00:35:23,167 --> 00:35:24,900
100,000 LIGHT-YEARS ACROSS,

556
00:35:24,900 --> 00:35:27,833
TWO OF THESE THINGS SLAMMING
INTO EACH OTHER.

557
00:35:31,767 --> 00:35:33,833
Narrator: COLLISIONS
BETWEEN ORBITING GALAXIES

558
00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:38,167
TAKE PLACE
OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS.

559
00:35:38,167 --> 00:35:41,833
GRAVITY SLOWLY
PULLS THEM TOGETHER.

560
00:35:46,967 --> 00:35:48,333
Marcy:
AND YOU GET THESE TWO GALAXIES

561
00:35:48,333 --> 00:35:51,433
THAT MERGE LIKE TWO FLUIDS
MIXING TOGETHER.

562
00:35:51,433 --> 00:35:55,600
AND YOU GET LONG TIDAL TAILS
AS THEY PASS THROUGH EACH OTHER,

563
00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:57,733
BUT THEN GRAVITY BRINGS THEM
BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.

564
00:35:57,733 --> 00:36:00,467
AND IN THE END,
YOU GET A FULL-FLEDGED,

565
00:36:00,467 --> 00:36:03,800
MORE MATURE, LARGER GALAXY
THAN YOU HAD ORIGINALLY.

566
00:36:09,967 --> 00:36:11,900
Narrator:
ON THIS INTERGALACTIC SCALE,

567
00:36:11,900 --> 00:36:16,633
GRAVITY AND MOTION ARE
NO LONGER DESTRUCTIVE FORCES.

568
00:36:16,633 --> 00:36:20,700
NOW THEY TRIGGER
THE CREATION OF LIFE ITSELF.

569
00:36:20,700 --> 00:36:23,933
Dr. Plait: YOU WOULD THINK
A GALACTIC COLLISION

570
00:36:23,933 --> 00:36:25,733
WOULD BE INCREDIBLY DESTRUCTIVE,

571
00:36:25,733 --> 00:36:27,133
AND IN ONE SENSE, IT IS,

572
00:36:27,133 --> 00:36:29,933
BUT IN ANOTHER SENSE,
IT'S A VERY CREATIVE FORCE.

573
00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:37,767
Narrator: COLLIDING GALAXIES
SMASH VAST GAS CLOUDS TOGETHER.

574
00:36:37,767 --> 00:36:42,267
HUGE SHOCK WAVES RIP
THROUGH THEM, SQUEEZING THE GAS.

575
00:36:44,767 --> 00:36:48,233
THEN SOMETHING AMAZING
HAPPENS --

576
00:36:48,233 --> 00:36:51,067
THE BIRTH OF COUNTLESS STARS.

577
00:36:53,067 --> 00:36:55,800
IT'S INCREDIBLE TO THINK
ABOUT TWO GALAXIES

578
00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:58,867
THAT GRAVITATIONALLY ATTRACT
EACH OTHER AND COLLIDE.

579
00:36:58,867 --> 00:37:00,733
WHAT COULD BE MORE DESTRUCTIVE?

580
00:37:00,733 --> 00:37:05,267
BUT, IN FACT, THERE IS A POWER
OF CONSTRUCTION IN SUCH MERGERS,

581
00:37:05,267 --> 00:37:08,200
BECAUSE AS TWO GALAXIES
COME TOGETHER,

582
00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:10,900
THE GASES ARE COMPRESSED,
AND SOMETIMES,

583
00:37:10,900 --> 00:37:14,900
THE GASES ARE COMPRESSED SO MUCH
THAT YOU GET THE BIRTH OF STARS

584
00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:18,633
AND THE ASSOCIATED PLANETS
AROUND THOSE STARS.

585
00:37:18,633 --> 00:37:22,233
AND SO, IN THE TITANIC COLLISION
BETWEEN TWO GALAXIES,

586
00:37:22,233 --> 00:37:25,133
YOU CAN GET THE BIRTH OF STARS
AND PLANETS

587
00:37:25,133 --> 00:37:28,133
AND PERHAPS EVENTUALLY
LIFE ON THOSE PLANETS.

588
00:37:32,900 --> 00:37:34,967
Narrator: SOMETIMES,
THESE COLLISIONS

589
00:37:34,967 --> 00:37:37,300
TRIGGER A CHAIN REACTION...

590
00:37:42,167 --> 00:37:45,200
...TWO SPIRAL GALAXIES
IN MID-COLLISION

591
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,667
CREATING STARS AND PLANETS.

592
00:37:51,833 --> 00:37:54,300
BUT THIS TIME,
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

593
00:38:01,067 --> 00:38:03,067
SOME OF THESE NEW STARS

594
00:38:03,067 --> 00:38:06,333
ARE MASSIVE, UNSTABLE,
AND SHORT-LIVED.

595
00:38:06,333 --> 00:38:08,100
THEY EXPLODE.

596
00:38:08,100 --> 00:38:13,067
EACH EXPLOSION BLASTS OUT
NEW SHOCK WAVES

597
00:38:13,067 --> 00:38:17,067
AND TRIGGERS THE BIRTH
OF EVEN MORE STARS.

598
00:38:17,067 --> 00:38:20,167
ASTRONOMERS CALL THIS
A STARBURST.

599
00:38:23,100 --> 00:38:27,267
IT'S THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE
OF GRAVITY'S CREATIVE POWER.

600
00:38:28,933 --> 00:38:31,433
Dr. Plait:
A STARBURST GALAXY IS ONE

601
00:38:31,433 --> 00:38:34,333
THAT IS CREATING STARS
AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE

602
00:38:34,333 --> 00:38:36,933
THAN WE USUALLY SEE
IN NORMAL GALAXIES.

603
00:38:36,933 --> 00:38:38,267
AND SO, IT'S AMAZING

604
00:38:38,267 --> 00:38:40,900
THAT YOU CAN HAVE SUCH
A BEAUTIFUL, CREATIVE PROCESS

605
00:38:40,900 --> 00:38:43,667
COMING OUT OF SOMETHING
SO VIOLENT AND DESTRUCTIVE.

606
00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:48,767
Narrator: GRAVITY AND MOTION,

607
00:38:48,767 --> 00:38:52,600
THE TWO FORCES THAT GIVE BIRTH
TO EVERY NEW STAR,

608
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:56,767
ALSO WEAVE TOGETHER THE FABRIC
OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.

609
00:39:00,067 --> 00:39:04,667
OUR COSMOS IS NOT RANDOM.
IT HAS STRUCTURE.

610
00:39:04,667 --> 00:39:10,400
THE UNIVERSE IS A VAST
THREE-DIMENSIONAL TAPESTRY.

611
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,967
EACH OF THESE THREADS
AND FILAMENTS

612
00:39:13,967 --> 00:39:16,833
CONTAINS BILLIONS OF GALAXIES.

613
00:39:16,833 --> 00:39:20,167
IT'S THE SCAFFOLDING THAT HOLDS
EVERYTHING TOGETHER,

614
00:39:20,167 --> 00:39:24,167
THE COSMIC WEB.

615
00:39:24,167 --> 00:39:26,433
AND WE THINK ABOUT SCAFFOLDING
OF A BUILDING,

616
00:39:26,433 --> 00:39:28,100
IT'S JUST SITTING THERE, STATIC.

617
00:39:28,100 --> 00:39:29,667
BUT, IN FACT, THIS SCAFFOLDING

618
00:39:29,667 --> 00:39:31,600
IS QUITE DYNAMIC
AND QUITE AMAZING

619
00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,233
BECAUSE ALL OF THE CONSTITUENTS

620
00:39:33,233 --> 00:39:35,700
ARE MOVING AROUND
AT VERY HIGH SPEEDS,

621
00:39:35,700 --> 00:39:37,467
CRASHING INTO ONE ANOTHER --

622
00:39:37,467 --> 00:39:40,200
GALAXIES, STARS,
BLACK HOLES, SUPERNOVAE --

623
00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:43,100
ALL IN THIS TREMENDOUS
COSMIC DANCE.

624
00:39:43,100 --> 00:39:48,700
Narrator: THE COSMIC WEB
IS INCOMPREHENSIBLY VAST.

625
00:39:48,700 --> 00:39:51,467
EACH THREAD IS FULL OF MOTION.

626
00:39:51,467 --> 00:39:54,867
GALAXIES FORM, ORBIT,
AND COLLIDE,

627
00:39:54,867 --> 00:39:59,467
COUNTLESS BILLIONS
IN A CONSTANT STREAM.

628
00:39:59,467 --> 00:40:01,733
EVERY FILAMENT
IS A GALACTIC FREEWAY

629
00:40:01,733 --> 00:40:08,200
WITH AN ENDLESS FLOW OF TRAFFIC,
EACH POINT OF LIGHT A GALAXY.

630
00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:16,700
IT'S RUSH HOUR 24/7, AND
SOMETIMES, THERE'S GRIDLOCK.

631
00:40:16,700 --> 00:40:19,033
EVERY BILLION LIGHT-YEARS,

632
00:40:19,033 --> 00:40:22,567
SEVERAL FILAMENTS JOIN
TO FORM A KNOT.

633
00:40:24,700 --> 00:40:28,000
WHOLE CLUSTERS COLLIDE TO FORM

634
00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:32,600
SOME OF THE LARGEST STRUCTURES
WE KNOW OF -- SUPERCLUSTERS.

635
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:39,133
THIS IS ONE OF THEM --
ABELL 2744.

636
00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:45,233
FIVE ORBITING GALAXY CLUSTERS
CRASHED TOGETHER

637
00:40:45,233 --> 00:40:49,167
IN THE SINGLE BIGGEST
COSMIC PILE-UP EVER DISCOVERED.

638
00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:59,467
GRADUALLY, THE FIVE CLUSTERS
MERGED AND FUSED

639
00:40:59,467 --> 00:41:02,833
TO FORM A SINGLE GIANT
SUPERCLUSTER

640
00:41:02,833 --> 00:41:04,967
6 MILLION LIGHT-YEARS ACROSS.

641
00:41:07,067 --> 00:41:09,200
THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF ORBITS

642
00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:14,067
CAN LITERALLY TIE THE UNIVERSE
IN KNOTS.

643
00:41:14,067 --> 00:41:17,067
STRUCTURES IN THE UNIVERSE HAVE
EVOLVED OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS

644
00:41:17,067 --> 00:41:20,600
THROUGH THEIR ORBITS AND THEIR
MUTUAL GRAVITATIONAL ATTRACTION,

645
00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,500
AND THEY'VE BUILT UP INTO LARGER
AND LARGER STRUCTURES.

646
00:41:23,500 --> 00:41:26,367
AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO THESE
SAME ATTRACTIVE FORCES

647
00:41:26,367 --> 00:41:29,367
THAT BRING THEM TOGETHER
BUT CAN ALSO TEAR THEM APART.

648
00:41:38,167 --> 00:41:40,333
Narrator: AGAIN AND AGAIN,

649
00:41:40,333 --> 00:41:43,800
WE DISCOVER ORBITS
DOMINATING THE COSMOS.

650
00:41:44,933 --> 00:41:47,567
THE ATOM IS THE BASIC UNIT
OF CHEMISTRY.

651
00:41:47,567 --> 00:41:48,933
IN THE SAME WAY,

652
00:41:48,933 --> 00:41:52,767
THE ORBIT IS THE BASIC UNIT
OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.

653
00:41:52,767 --> 00:41:55,500
IF YOU UNDERSTAND
ALL POSSIBLE ORBITS,

654
00:41:55,500 --> 00:41:58,867
YOU UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS
DRIVING THE UNIVERSE.

655
00:41:58,867 --> 00:42:03,267
Narrator:
ORBITS HAVE CREATED A COSMOS

656
00:42:03,267 --> 00:42:06,167
FULL OF RICHNESS AND COMPLEXITY.

657
00:42:06,167 --> 00:42:08,833
Krauss: ORBITS ARE CHANGEABLE.
THEY'RE CHAOTIC.

658
00:42:08,833 --> 00:42:11,267
THINGS THAT WE NEVER THOUGHT
WERE POSSIBLE

659
00:42:11,267 --> 00:42:12,500
ARE, IN FACT, POSSIBLE.

660
00:42:12,500 --> 00:42:15,167
FROM THE SMALLEST SCALE
TO THE LARGEST SCALE,

661
00:42:15,167 --> 00:42:18,067
IT'S THE GRAVITATIONAL
INTERACTIONS AND COLLISIONS

662
00:42:18,067 --> 00:42:21,633
THAT ACTUALLY MAKE OUR UNIVERSE
THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT IT IS.

663
00:42:21,633 --> 00:42:27,433
Narrator: AND BEHIND IT ALL
IS A CURIOUS PARADOX.

664
00:42:27,433 --> 00:42:30,600
EXTREME ORBITS MEAN VARIATIONS,
COLLISIONS.

665
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:32,600
THAT SEEMS VERY DESTRUCTIVE.

666
00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:35,500
BUT, ALSO, EXTREME ORBITS
MEAN COLLIDING GALAXIES,

667
00:42:35,500 --> 00:42:38,900
COLLAPSING DUST CLOUDS,
THE VERY CREATION OF LIFE,

668
00:42:38,900 --> 00:42:39,967
AS WELL AS DESTRUCTION.

669
00:42:39,967 --> 00:42:44,933
Narrator:
ORBITS ARE THE DRIVING FORCE

670
00:42:44,933 --> 00:42:50,300
BEHIND THIS NEVER-ENDING CYCLE
OF CREATION AND DESTRUCTION.

671
00:42:50,300 --> 00:42:55,167
THEY'RE AT THE VERY HEART
OF HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS.