All language subtitles for Building The Ultimate Telescope 1080p HDTV x264 AAC MVGroup EN Sub

♪

Narrator:
MOUNTAINS, ROCKS AND DESERT

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

AN ALIEN WORLD:

RUGGED, BARREN, LONELY.

♪

BUT SOMETHING BIG
IS IN THE MAKING HERE.

♪

GIGANTIC ANTENNA DISHES ARE
MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS...

♪

ON AN EXTRAORDINARY MISSION
FOR MAN AND MACHINE--

IN A PLACE THAT’S EXTREME
IN EVERY WAY.

ON ONE OF THE HIGHEST PLATEAUS
IN THE ATACAMA DESERT

LIES THE LARGEST OBSERVATORY
ON EARTH:

ALMA--THE ATACAMA
LARGE MILLIMETER ARRAY.

♪

POWERFUL TELESCOPES PEER
INTO THE NEBULAE IN SPACE.

Woman:
IT’S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC,

IT’S AT LEAST TEN TIMES BETTER
THAN ANYTHING WE HAD BEFORE.

Narrator: 66 MASSIVE ANTENNAS

OBSERVE THE BIRTH AND DEATH
OF STARS AND PLANETS.

Man: ALMA IS GONNA BE ABLE

TO LOOK AT PLANET FORMATION
IN ACTION.

Man: ALMA IS GIVING US
THIS INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY,

THIS INCREDIBLE LEVEL OF DETAIL
TO A PART OF THE UNIVERSE

THAT WE REALLY DON’T KNOW
THAT MUCH ABOUT.

Narrator: IT’S THE WORLD’S
MOST ADVANCED TELESCOPE--

EXPLORING THE ORIGINS
OF OUR UNIVERSE.

♪

THE ATACAMA DESERT
IN NORTHERN CHILE

IS A REMOTE,
INHOSPITABLE PLACE.

IT SEEMS OTHERWORLDLY,

LIKE A DISTANT PLANET
FROM A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE.

♪

THE ARID PLATEAU
AND RUGGED VOLCANOES

ARE PART OF THE ANDES--

WHOSE PEAKS RAKE THE SKIES
AT OVER 19,000 FEET.

IN THE MIDST
OF THIS FORLORN LANDSCAPE,

NEARLY 10,000 FEET
ABOVE SEA LEVEL,

LIES THE BASE STATION OF
THE WORLD’S LARGEST OBSERVATORY.

ALMA--THE ATACAMA LARGE
MILLIMETER/SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY.

BUT THE HEART
OF THE INSTALLATION

IS ACTUALLY 17 MILES AWAY,
AND MUCH HIGHER UP.

AT 16,400 FEET,
THE CHAJNANTOR PLATEAU

IS AS HIGH AS THE BASE STATION
FOR CLIMBERS ON MOUNT EVEREST.

THIS IS THE SITE
OF ALMA’S 66 RADIO ANTENNAS.

THE VAST INSTALLATION HAS
A LONG AND FASCINATING HISTORY.

THE PROJECT BEGAN
WITH A CONVERSATION

BETWEEN SCIENTISTS
ON FOUR DIFFERENT CONTINENTS,

ACCORDING TO JOHN STOKE

OF THE U.S. NATIONAL
RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY.

John Stoke: THE HISTORY
OF THE ALMA PROJECT

GOES BACK ACTUALLY MANY DECADES,

AND IN EACH OF THE REGIONS
OF THE WORLD

THAT ARE NOW CONTRIBUTING
TO ALMA,

THERE WERE IDEAS ABOUT BUILDING
AN ARRAY OF TELESCOPES.

IT WAS MORE RECENTLY THAT ALL
OF THOSE PARTNERS GOT TOGETHER

AND DECIDED TO BUILD
ONE REALLY BIG TELESCOPE

AS OPPOSED TO EACH PARTNER
BUILDING THEIR OWN.

Narrator: ALMA IS
THE REMARKABLE PRODUCT

OF A 20-YEAR GLOBAL EFFORT

TO BUILD EARTH’S
MOST ADVANCED OBSERVATORY.

THE INSTALLATION
IS A PARTNERSHIP

OF EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA
AND EAST ASIA

IN COOPERATION WITH CHILE.

♪

THE OPERATIONS SUPPORT FACILITY,
OR OSF,

IS THE BASE STATION
AND CONTROL CENTER OF ALMA.

FROM HERE, THE ANTENNAS
ON THE HIGH PLATEAU

ARE MONITORED AND CONTROLLED--

A CHALLENGE FOR SCIENTISTS
AROUND THE WORLD.

THIS IS PIONEERING WORK;

ALMA IS OPENING A NEW WINDOW
TO THE UNIVERSE.

THE ANTENNA DISHES DON’T RECEIVE
VISIBLE LIGHT, BUT RADIO WAVES.

IN A SENSE,
THEY’RE LISTENING TO THE STARS.

THE BASE STATION
OF THE ANTENNA ARRAY

LIES IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

THE APPROACH ROADS STRETCH
FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES

ACROSS THE DESERT.

♪

ANTENNAS ARE BROUGHT HERE

FROM EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA
AND JAPAN.

OVER 40 FEET IN DIAMETER,
THE ALMA’S DISHES ARE SO BIG,

THEY CAN’T BE TRANSPORTED
IN ONE PIECE.

THEY MUST BE ASSEMBLED
AT THE BASE STATION.

♪

IT’S A LABOR-INTENSIVE PROCESS
THAT TAKES SEVERAL WEEKS

TO PREPARE A SINGLE ANTENNA
READY FOR USE.

♪

THREE SEPARATE AREAS ARE SET UP

FOR THE VARIOUS ASSEMBLY STAGES
OF THE ANTENNAS.

TEAMS FROM EUROPE, JAPAN
AND THE UNITED STATES

WORK IN THE OPEN
AND IN AN ENORMOUS HANGAR.

THE ANTENNAS ARE
INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED,

BUT THEY ALL HAVE TO MEET
THE SAME DEMANDS.

♪

THEY MUST BE
PRECISELY SYNCHRONIZED

IN ORDER TO SCAN THE HEAVENS
AS A SINGLE TELESCOPE.

♪

ASTRONOMERS HAVE HIGH HOPES
FOR ALMA:

THE UNPRECEDENTED ACCURACY
IN LONG-WAVE RADIO OBSERVATIONS

IS EXPECTED TO HELP ANSWER
MANY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

HOW ARE SOLAR SYSTEMS FORMED,
ESPECIALLY ONES LIKE OUR OWN,

STARS WITH MANY PLANETS
ROTATING AROUND THEM?

AND ARE THERE ROCKY PLANETS
SIMILAR TO THE EARTH

THAT ROTATE
AROUND THEIR CENTRAL STAR

AT JUST THE RIGHT DISTANCE
TO HAVE WATER AND SUPPORT LIFE?

THE SEARCH FOR PLANETS
SIMILAR TO OUR EARTH

HAS INTRIGUED HUMAN IMAGINATION
FOR CENTURIES.

WITH ALMA, ASTRONOMERS HOPE TO
UNDERSTAND HOW PLANETS ARE BORN.

THIS IS AARON BOLEY’S
AREA OF EXPERTISE.

THE ASTROPHYSICIST
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

AND HIS TEAM

WERE AMONGST THE FIRST
TO ACCOMPLISH OBSERVATIONS,

EVEN BEFORE ALMA
WAS FULLY COMPLETED.

Aaron Boley:
THE WAY WE THINK PLANETS FORM

IS THAT DUST FIRST COLLECTS
AND EVENTUALLY STICKS TOGETHER.

AND THOSE THEN STICK TOGETHER
TO MORE DUST,

AND EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE ROCKS.

AND THEN THOSE ROCKS
GO TO VERY LARGE OBJECTS.

AND THOSE ROCKS WE SEE
AS LEFTOVERS TODAY,

WE CALL THEM PLANETESIMALS,

AND WHEN WE LOOK OUT
AND SEE THEM TODAY

WE CALL THEM COMETS
AND ASTEROIDS.

AND THOSE EVENTUALLY
COME TOGETHER

AND THEY FORM
VERY LARGER OBJECTS,

AND SOME OF THOSE ARE
EVENTUALLY GONNA BECOME PLANETS.

Narrator: BUT HOW ARE PLANETS
ACTUALLY BORN?

FOR THE FIRST TIME,

ALMA ALLOWS SCIENTISTS
FAR MORE ACCURATE INSIGHTS,

PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN FROM THE VIEW
OF EARLIER TELESCOPES.

Aaron: WE HAVE THE UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY TO USE ALMA

TO LOOK AT PLANET FORMATION,

AND WE LOOKED
AT THE NEARBY STAR FOMALHAUT

IN ORDER TO TEST
PLANET FORMATION THEORY.

THE REASON WHY WE WANT
TO LOOK AT FOMALHAUT

IS BECAUSE IT’S
A VERY BRIGHT STAR.

IT’S ABOUT 15 TO 20 TIMES
AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN,

AND IT’S ACTUALLY FAIRLY NEARBY.

IT’S 25 LIGHT YEARS AWAY,

WHICH IS REALLY A STONE THROW
IN ASTRONOMICAL MEASUREMENTS.

Narrator: OTHER TELESCOPES
HAVE ALREADY DISCOVERED

A BROAD BAND OF DUST
AROUND THE FOMALHAUT STAR.

BUT IN THE LONG WAVELENGTH AREA
OF THE ALMA SURVEYS,

THE ASTRONOMERS HAVE DETECTED
A SHARPLY DEFINED RING.

AARON’S CALCULATIONS
AND SIMULATIONS

PRODUCED STARTLING RESULTS.

Aaron:
ONE OF THE BEST EXPLANATIONS
FOR THE FOMALHAUT RING

IS THAT THE DUST IS BEING SHAPED
BY TWO LOW-MASS PLANETS.

AND THE REASON WE THINK THAT

IS THAT THE GRAINS
ARE TRUNCATED SHARPLY

IN BOTH THE INNER
AND THE OUTER EDGES.

AND WE THINK THE BEST WAY
TO CONFINE THAT

IS TO HAVE TWO PLANETS.

Narrator:
ALMA’S UNIQUE SENSITIVITY

HAS ACTUALLY BEGUN TO OVERTURN
MANY OF THE ACCEPTED IDEAS

ABOUT THE CREATION
OF PLANETS THEMSELVES.

IN 2014, DAVID WILNER

OF THE SMITHSONIAN
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY

POINTED THE ALMA ARRAY
AT A YOUNG STAR--

450 LIGHT YEARS AWAY--
CALLED "H.L. TAURI,"

OR "H.L. TAU."

David Wilner: WHEN ALMA PUT
THIS INCREDIBLE RESOLVING POWER

ONTO H.L. TAU, WHAT WE SAW
REALLY WAS SHOCKING.

IT IS A SERIES
OF CONCENTRIC RINGS OF GAS.

BEAUTIFUL RINGS.

THESE RINGS HAD BEEN PREDICTED
AT SOME LEVEL

BY THEORIES OF PLANET FORMATION

WHERE A LITTLE PLANETARY EMBRYO
GROWS LARGE ENOUGH

TO START SWEEPING UP THE GAS
AND DUST IN ITS ORBIT

AND CLEARING OUT A DARK LANE.

BUT IN H.L. TAURI,

WE COULD SEE
AT LEAST SEVEN OR EIGHT

OF THESE DARK LANES ALL AT ONCE.

Narrator: WHAT WAS SHOCKING
ABOUT THIS DISCOVERY

IS THAT IT’S NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.

THE STAR H.L. TAURI IS
LESS THAN A MILLION YEARS OLD...

LESS THAN ONE PERCENT
OF THE AGE OF OUR SUN.

YET THE ALMA TELESCOPE REVEALED
THAT PLANETS ARE FORMING

BILLIONS OF YEARS EARLIER
THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.

WILNER’S DISCOVERY WITH ALMA
IS ALREADY HAVING AN IMPACT

ON OUR BASIC UNDERSTANDING
OF THE UNIVERSE

AND ASTRONOMY ITSELF.

David: WE DIDN’T EXPECT THERE
TO BE AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM

OF PLANET FORMATION GOING ON
AT THIS VERY EARLY TIME.

SO ALMA IS GIVING US
THIS INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY,

THIS INCREDIBLE LEVEL OF DETAIL
TO A PART OF THE UNIVERSE

THAT WE REALLY DON’T KNOW
THAT MUCH ABOUT,

AND SO I’M SURE THAT WE
WILL LEARN THE ANSWERS

TO QUESTIONS THAT WE
HAVEN’T EVEN THOUGHT OF.

Narrator: WITH ALMA,
ASTRONOMERS WILL DISCOVER MORE

ABOUT THE ORIGINS
OF OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM

AND THE EARTH ITSELF.

Aaron: ALMA IS NOT JUST
A POWERFUL TELESCOPE

FOR LOOKING AT THE END STAGES
OF PLANET FORMATION

THROUGH THE DEBRIS,
THE LEFTOVERS.

BUT FOR CAPTURING THE CHEMISTRY

AND WHAT’S HAPPENING DURING
THE THROES OF PLANET FORMATION,

’CAUSE THAT’S GONNA GIVE US
SOME IDEA

OF WHAT THE BUILDING BLOCKS
ARE MADE OF FOR PLANETS.

AND THAT’LL GIVE US SOME IDEA

OF WHAT CAN GO
INTO TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

AND EVENTUALLY PERHAPS
HABITABLE PLANETS.

Narrator: IT IS THE QUESTION
OF THE AGES...

ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?

OR MIGHT OTHER PLANETS
HARBOR LIFE AS WE KNOW IT?

FOR CENTURIES, ASTRONOMERS
HAVE LOOKED TO THE STARS

IN ORDER TO SOLVE
THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE.

NOW THE STARS
ARE BEGINNING TO ANSWER.

USING NEW TECHNOLOGY, SCIENTISTS
HAVE ALREADY DISCOVERED

THOUSANDS OF NEW PLANETS
BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

♪

AND TODAY, MANY TELESCOPES

ARE DEVOTED TO THE SEARCH
FOR A SECOND EARTH.

MOST OBSERVATORIES
AROUND THE GLOBE

INVESTIGATE THE REALM
OF VISIBLE LIGHT.

THEIR "EYES"
ARE LENSES AND MIRRORS--

AND THESE OPTICAL TELESCOPES
MAKE IT POSSIBLE

TO OBSERVE SPACE
IN THE SAME LIGHT SPECTRUM

AS IS VISIBLE TO THE HUMAN EYE.

ALMA, ON THE OTHER HAND,

CONSISTS OF DOZENS
OF ANTENNA DISHES

THAT RECORD LONG-WAVE RADIATION.

WHILE RADIO WAVES
ARE INVISIBLE TO HUMANS,

ALMA CAN RECEIVE THEM
BOTH DAY AND NIGHT.

♪

BUT A RADIO DISH
THAT COULD GIVE US AN IMAGE

AS SHARP AS A SPACE TELESCOPE

WOULD HAVE TO BE
WELL OVER 6 MILES IN DIAMETER.

TO CONSTRUCT A TELESCOPE OF THIS
MAGNITUDE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT THERE IS A SOLUTION:

A NUMBER OF ANTENNAS
LINKED TO EACH OTHER

TO MAKE THEM FUNCTION
LIKE A SINGLE HUGE TELESCOPE.

THAT IS THE ALMA CONCEPT:
POSITIONED AROUND AN AREA

WITH A CIRCUMFERENCE
OF ABOUT 10 MILES,

66 ANTENNAS RECEIVE
RADIO SIGNALS FROM OUTER SPACE.

♪

THE UNIMAGINABLE QUANTITY
OF DATA COLLECTED

IS FED INTO ALMA’S
SUPER-COMPUTER.

IT CAN PERFORM 16 QUADRILLION--
THAT IS 16 MILLION BILLION--

COMPUTATIONS PER SECOND.

IT IS THIS POWERFUL
COMPUTING ABILITY,

AND THE COMPLEX PROGRAMS
DEVELOPED

DURING YEARS OF PREPARATION,

THAT ENABLE
THE ANTENNAS’ SIGNALS

TO BE CONVERTED
INTO USEFUL IMAGES.

EVEN DURING THE SET-UP PHASE,

ASTRONOMERS
WERE ALREADY CARRYING OUT

THE FIRST OPTICAL TESTS.

THEY EXPLORED
THE ANTENNAE GALAXIES--

A SPECTACULAR
HEAVENLY PHENOMENON

IN WHICH TWO GALAXIES COLLIDE.

THE CLEAREST IMAGE SO FAR

WAS MADE BY THE HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE.

BUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS

IN THOSE DARK CLOUDS
AROUND THE COLLISION AREA

REMAINED HIDDEN
FROM OPTICAL TELESCOPES.

♪

OBSERVATIONS WITH ALMA
HAVE NOW REVEALED

FORMERLY INVISIBLE
ACTIVITY ZONES.

THIS IS WHERE NEW STARS
ARE FORMED

FROM GIGANTIC CLOUDS
OF DUST AND GAS.

♪

THE VERY FIRST TEST RUNS
BROUGHT NEW DISCOVERIES.

♪

NORMALLY, THE MILLIMETER
AND SUBMILLIMETER WAVELENGTHS

OBSERVED BY ALMA
CANNOT BE RECEIVED ON EARTH--

THEY’RE ABSORBED ALMOST ENTIRELY
BY VAPOR IN OUR ATMOSPHERE.

BUT THE AIR
IN THE ATACAMA DESERT IS SO DRY

THAT IT ALLOWS THE RADIO WAVES
TO PENETRATE.

ONE OF ALMA’S PARTNERS

IS THE EUROPEAN
SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY

NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY.

THIS IS WHERE CARLOS DE BREUCK

RESEARCHES THE MOST DISTANT
OBJECTS IN SPACE.

Carlos de Breuck:
I LOOK AT THE YOUNGEST GALAXIES

IN THE BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE

WHEN THE UNIVERSE
WAS STILL VERY YOUNG,

AND SO THEY ARE VERY DISTANT.

SO, THEY ARE ABOUT LESS THAN 10%
OF THEIR CURRENT AGE,

AND I WANT TO SEE
HOW THEY WERE FORMED

AND HOW DID THEY EVOLVE
INTO THE GALAXY THAT WE SEE NOW.

Narrator: GAZING INTO THE DEPTHS
OF OUTER SPACE

IS ALSO A VOYAGE INTO THE PAST.

IT TAKES US BACK TO THE TIME
SOME 13.75 BILLION YEARS AGO,

JUST AFTER THE BIG BANG IN WHICH
OUR UNIVERSE WAS CREATED.

AT FIRST THERE WAS ONLY
HYDROGEN AND HELIUM,

THE LIGHTEST ELEMENTS.

FROM THESE GASEOUS CLOUDS

THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF STARS
WERE FORMED.

Carlos: WHAT WE REALLY
WANT TO KNOW

IS WHEN DID THESE OBJECTS FORM
IN THE AGE OF THE UNIVERSE

AND HOW DID THEY FORM
WITHIN THE GALAXY?

DID THEY FORM IN THE CENTER?

DID THEY FORM OUTSIDE?

HOW DID THEY EVOLVE?

AND HOW DID THE HEAVY ELEMENTS

THAT WE OBSERVE
IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE,

LIKE CARBON, NITROGEN
AND OXYGEN,

HOW DID THEY FORM
FROM THE HYDROGEN AND HELIUM

THAT WAS FORMED IN THE BIG BANG?

Narrator: ASTRONOMERS CAN ALSO
DETECT THESE ELEMENTS

FAR OFF IN THE UNIVERSE,

BECAUSE ALMA ALLOWS ATOMS
AND MOLECULES TO BE IDENTIFIED

BY MEANS OF THEIR
CHARACTERISTIC RADIATION.

THE HEAVIER ELEMENTS FORM
IN THE HOT INTERIOR OF THE STAR.

MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS SEND THEM
SHOOTING INTO SPACE.

HUGE GAS AND DUST CLOUDS
RESULT--

THE RAW MATERIAL

FROM WHICH A NEW GENERATION
OF STARS DEVELOPS.

[BEEPING]

TO PEER INTO THE COSMIC DAWN
OF NEW STAR FORMATION,

ALMA’S ANTENNA DISHES
MUST BE PRECISELY ALIGNED.

IT’S A PAINSTAKING PROCESS.

TECHNICIANS USE
LASER INSTRUMENTS

TO ASSURE THAT EACH COMPONENT
IS IN THE CORRECT POSITION.

THE 120 ALUMINUM PANELS ARE
PLACED WITH METICULOUS CARE.

IT TAKES FIVE DAYS FOR ALL
THE PANELS TO BE INSTALLED.

THEN THE SURFACE IS COMPLETE.

BEFORE THE FINISHED ANTENNAS ARE
DELIVERED TO THE ALMA PROJECT,

THEY’RE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE
THEY WORK PERFECTLY--

FROM MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS
TO BROAD, SWEEPING TURNS.

THEN FURTHER TESTS
ARE CARRIED OUT

BY THE ALMA ENGINEERS.

THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE HERE

IS THE DEPUTY SYSTEM INTEGRATION
MANAGER BERNHARD LOPEZ.

Bernhard Lopez: THIS HERE
IS THE INTEGRATION AREA.

HERE WE RECEIVE THE ANTENNAS
FROM THE VENDORS;

ONCE WE VERIFY
THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE ENOUGH,

WE INTEGRATE THE SCIENTIFIC
INSTRUMENTATION INTO THEM.

AFTER THAT WE VERIFY
THAT EVERYTHING IS OKAY.

AND ONLY AFTER THAT WE DELIVER
THE ANTENNAS TO THE ALMA ARRAY.

Narrator: FIRST, THE ANTENNAS
ARE TESTED AND CALIBRATED.

USING A TRANSMISSION MAST,

A PROFILE IS MADE
OF EACH INDIVIDUAL DISH.

THE DATA IS THEN TURNED OVER
TO THE TECHNICIANS IN CHARGE.

Bernhard: IF YOU LOOK
AT THE ANTENNAS,

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT’S BUILT
BY A LOT OF PANELS.

AND EACH PANEL HAS SEVERAL HOLES

WHERE YOU CAN FIND SCREWS
AND ADJUSTERS INSIDE.

THESE ADJUSTERS ALLOW US

TO MECHANICALLY SET AND IMPROVE
THE POSITION OF THESE PANELS

AND THEIR FORM
FROM THE DEFORMATION OF THEM.

SO FROM THE HOLOGRAPHY
MEASUREMENTS

WE OBTAIN CORRECTION MAPS.

THESE CORRECTION MAPS ARE THEN
HANDED OVER TO OUR MECHANICS,

AND THEY WORK ON THE DISH
TO SET IT AND TO IMPROVE IT.

AND IT’S NOT NECESSARILY ENOUGH
TO DO IT ONCE.

WE HAVE TO TRY IT
A FEW TIMES OVER THAT

UNTIL WE REALLY REACH THE POINT
OF ACCURACY THAT WE NEED.

Narrator: EACH ANTENNA DISH
HAS HUNDREDS OF SCREWS.

EVERY ONE MUST BE ADJUSTED
BY HAND,

MOSTLY BY ONLY A FEW THOUSANDTHS
OF A MILLIMETER.

THE REQUIRED PRECISION
OF THE SURFACE

IS 25 THOUSANDTHS
OF A MILLIMETER,

LESS THAN WIDTH
OF A STRAND OF HAIR.

ONLY WHEN EVERYTHING
IS 100% PERFECT

WILL THE ANTENNAS BE INTEGRATED
INTO THE ALMA ARRAY.

IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE

THAT THE DISHES
CAN WORK TOGETHER

WITH THE NECESSARY PRECISION

DESPITE BEING PRODUCED
BY DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS.

ALL ANTENNAS MUST MOVE
WITH THE SAME TIMING.

ON COMMAND THEY MUST
PIVOT TOGETHER

TO POINT AT A TARGET
IN THE SKY--

AND DO IT WITHIN A SECOND
AND A HALF OF ONE ANOTHER.

ONLY THEN CAN WE WITNESS
THE BIRTH OF STARS.

NOW THESE EYES ON THE UNIVERSE

ARE ABOUT TO REVEAL
SHOCKING NEW DISCOVERIES

ABOUT BLACK HOLES

AND EVEN LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS.

AT THE ALMA TELESCOPE STATION
IN CHILE,

WORK NEVER STOPS.

NIGHT AND DAY THE GIANT ANTENNAS
WHIRL IN UNISON

AS THEY SEARCH THE HEAVENS.

THESE MASSIVE DISHES ARE
DESIGNED TO OPERATE COLLECTIVELY

AND SERVE AS ONE ENORMOUS EYE
PEERING OUT AT OUR UNIVERSE.

TO ACHIEVE THIS EFFECT,
EACH DISH MUST BE ABLE

TO MAKE PRECISION
TIMED MOVEMENTS ON DEMAND.

THE ENTIRE UNDERTAKING
IS AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE.

IN THE CONTROL ROOM,

SCIENTISTS WORK AROUND THE CLOCK
TO KEEP ALMA ON TRACK.

THE ASTRONOMERS
HERE AT THE BASE STATION

COORDINATE OBSERVATION REQUESTS

FROM COLLEAGUES
FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS

ARE PARTLY HEADED UP
BY ALISON PECK.

HER SPECIALTY--

APPLYING ALMA’S POWER
TO THE MYSTERY OF BLACK HOLES.

Alison Peck: SOUNDS VERY EXOTIC
WHEN WE SAY BLACK HOLE.

WHAT WE MEAN IS WHEN YOU HAVE

A LARGE AMOUNT OF MASS
IN THE CENTER OF A GALAXY

THAT COLLAPSES UNDER GRAVITY,

IT COLLAPSES AND COLLAPSES,

IT JUST GETS SMALLER
AND SMALLER AND SMALLER

UNTIL IT OCCUPIES
VIRTUALLY NO SPACE.

IT HAS ALMOST NO VOLUME.

AND SO, ALTHOUGH IT HAS
THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MASS,

IT OCCUPIES A VERY SMALL SPACE.

BUT ITS EFFECTS CAN BE FELT
AT LARGE DISTANCES

BECAUSE IT HAS A VERY STRONG
GRAVITATIONAL FIELD.

Narrator:
AN INVISIBLE MONSTER STAR

THAT SWALLOWS EVERYTHING
THAT COMES NEAR IT--

HOW CAN YOU OBSERVE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

Alison: SO NOTHING GETS OUT
OF THE BLACK HOLE, EVEN LIGHT.

SO, THE ONLY WAY
WE CAN STUDY BLACK HOLES

IS BY STUDYING
THE GAS THAT’S NEAR THEM.

AND THIS GAS VERY OFTEN

IS BEING SUCKED INTO THE CENTER
OF THE BLACK HOLE.

SO, IT’S FALLING IN,
BUT IT DOESN’T FALL DIRECTLY IN.

IT FALLS IN LIKE WATER
GOING DOWN A DRAIN.

IT SPIRALS AROUND BECAUSE IT HAS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM

AND IT HAS VISCOSITY.

SO, THAT MEANS
THAT AS IT FALLS IN

FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE GALAXY,

IT SPINS AROUND,

AND AS IT GOES IN
IT GETS HOTTER,

IT GETS MORE ENERGETIC,

AND IT RADIATES
HUGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY.

Narrator:
THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY
RELEASED AROUND A BLACK HOLE

APPEARS AS A BRIGHT,
GLARING LIGHT

THAT SURROUNDS
THE INVISIBLE CENTER.

Alison: A LOT OF MATERIAL THAT’S
FALLING TOWARD THE BLACK HOLE

DOES ESCAPE.

ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT

IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE STRONG
MAGNETIC FIELDS

WITH THIS MATERIAL
BEING DRAWN IN,

AND THIS CAN CAUSE MATTER
TO BE SHOT IN TWO DIRECTIONS

IN WHAT WE CALL JETS.

BIPOLAR JETS,
AWAY FROM THE BLACK HOLE.

Narrator: USING ALMA,
ASTRONOMERS WANT TO STUDY

THE GAS CLOUDS
SURROUNDING BLACK HOLES

AND EXPLORE THEIR PROPERTIES.

THAT ALSO APPLIES
TO THE BLACK HOLE

IN THE MIDDLE
OF OUR OWN MILKY WAY.

TO ESTABLISH ITS EXISTENCE,

ASTRONOMERS INVESTED YEARS OF
OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS.

THE FIRST STEP WAS TO OBSERVE
THE STARS IN ITS VICINITY

AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE.

ASTRONOMERS DISCOVERED THAT THE
COMPLICATED PATHS TAKEN BY STARS

AS THEY WHIZ
AROUND A CENTRAL POINT

CAN ONLY BE EXPLAINED

BY ASSUMING THE EXISTENCE
OF A HUGE MASS--

27,000 LIGHT-YEARS
FROM OUR OWN SUN,

AND FOUR MILLION TIMES HEAVIER.

A MASSIVE, INVISIBLE
CENTER OF GRAVITY.

A BLACK HOLE!

ALMA ASTRONOMER KARTIK SHETH

IS EAGER TO LEARN MORE
OF ITS SECRETS.

Kartik Sheth:
THE AMAZING THING ABOUT ALMA

IS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME
WE HAVE THE RESOLUTION

TO BE ABLE TO LOOK VERY, VERY
CLOSE TO A BLACK HOLE

BECAUSE OF ALMA’S
SUPERB RESOLUTION.

AND BY MEASURING HOW THE GAS
IS MOVING AROUND THE BLACK HOLE,

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEARN

EXACTLY WHAT IS FEEDING
THIS MONSTER

IN THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY.

HOW DOES THE BLACK HOLE EAT?

WHAT DOES IT EAT FOR BREAKFAST?

HOW DOES IT GROW OVER TIME?

THAT’S THE QUESTION
WE’RE ANSWERING.

Narrator: ASTRONOMERS
ARE CURRENTLY OBSERVING

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY:

A GAS CLOUD
IS GETTING VERY CLOSE

TO THE CENTER OF OUR MILKY WAY.

AFTER INITIAL OBSERVATIONS,

ASTRONOMERS CALCULATED HOW
THE GAS CLOUD WOULD BE DISRUPTED

BY THE BLACK HOLE
IN THE NEXT YEARS.

ONE PART OF THE CLOUD
WILL BE ABLE TO ESCAPE,

ANOTHER WILL BE SUCKED IN
AND DEVOURED

BY THE INSATIABLE
GALACTIC MONSTER.

ALMA NEEDS
TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS

TO DISCOVER HOW
THIS COSMIC DRAMA UNFOLDS.

♪

THE CHAJNANTOR PLATEAU IS IDEAL
FOR RADIO-WAVE OBSERVATIONS.

IT’S LARGE ENOUGH
FOR ALMA’S HUGE ANTENNAE FIELD,

AND AT OVER 16,000 FEET,
SO HIGH UP

THAT THE THIN ATMOSPHERE

OFFERS ALMOST NO INTERFERENCE
FOR RECEPTION.

BUT WHILE CONDITIONS ARE PERFECT
FOR THE TELESCOPE,

THEY’RE A MAJOR CHALLENGE

FOR THE HUMANS
WHO MUST LIVE AND WORK HERE.

♪

THE ROAD
TO THE ALMA BASE STATION

LEADS THROUGH THE BARREN LAND
OF THE ATACAMA DESERT.

HERE, THE ANDES MOUNTAINS
BLOCK NEARLY ALL PRECIPITATION.

WITH LESS THAN HALF AN INCH
OF RAIN PER YEAR,

THE ATACAMA IS ONE
OF THE DRIEST PLACES ON EARTH.

[MOTOR RUNNING]

EACH DAY, FOUR LARGE TANK TRUCKS
TRANSPORT TAP WATER

FOR AROUND 500 PEOPLE
AT THE CONTROL CENTER

AND AT THE ANTENNA
MAINTENANCE SITES.

VITAL DRINKING WATER
IS DELIVERED IN BOTTLES.

EVERYONE AT ALMA SEEMS TO HAVE
A BOTTLE OF WATER NEARBY.

THE EXTREME DRYNESS, AND THE LOW
OXYGEN LEVELS AT THIS ALTITUDE,

PUT AN ENORMOUS STRAIN
ON PEOPLE WORKING HERE.

THERE’S A REASON
WHY THE ANTENNAS ARE ASSEMBLED

HERE AT THE BASE STATION.

COMMISSIONING SCIENTIST
FOR THE ALMA OBSERVATORY,

DENIS BARKATS,
KNOWS THE PROBLEM WELL.

Denis Barkats: RIGHT HERE,
WE’RE AT 3,000 METERS,

I CAN THINK
MORE OR LESS COHERENTLY,

I TRY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
COHERENTLY, THAT’S OKAY.

IF WE WERE DOING THIS INTERVIEW
AT 5,000 METERS UP THERE,

THE ANSWERS WOULD BE
A LOT MORE INTERESTING,

BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN, YOUR BODY,
YOUR LUNGS,

EVERYTHING IS NOT BUILT
TO FUNCTION AT 5,000 METERS.

AND ALTHOUGH PEOPLE GO UP THERE
ON A DAILY BASIS TO WORK,

MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO
DO WORK AND REMAIN INTELLIGENT

USE OXYGEN
TO KEEP DOING THEIR WORK.

Narrator: WORKING AT THESE
ALTITUDES CAN BE DANGEROUS:

DIZZINESS, PASSING OUT
AND EVEN EDEMA OF THE LUNGS

ARE ALWAYS A THREAT.

THE LACK OF OXYGEN AFFECTS
BOTH STAMINA AND JUDGMENT.

A MISTAKE WHILE HANDLING
THESE HUGE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT

COULD PROVE FATAL...

WHICH IS WHY EVERYONE
WHO WORKS UP HERE

CARRIES A PORTABLE
OXYGEN SYSTEM.

AND THERE’S PLENTY TO DO:

THE EQUIPMENT NEEDS REGULAR
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.

BUT MOST OF THE WORK INVOLVES
REPOSITIONING THE ANTENNAS.

THAT REQUIRES UNIQUE,
ENORMOUS VEHICLES,

WHICH ARE CUSTOM BUILT
FOR THE JOB.

♪

DEPENDING ON THE TYPE
OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION,

THE ANTENNAS
ARE FREQUENTLY SHIFTED,

SOMETIMES CLOSER TOGETHER--
THEN FURTHER APART.

PRECISION IS ESSENTIAL,

ESPECIALLY WHEN MOVING
TELESCOPES

THAT WEIGH OVER 100 TONS.

ONLY THE PERFECT INTERPLAY
OF HUMANS AND TECHNOLOGY

CAN ENSURE
THAT ALMA’S OBSERVATIONS

ARE SCIENTIFICALLY USEFUL.

AND ONLY ALMA’S ACCURACY

WILL BE ABLE
TO ANSWER THE RIDDLE

OF THE BIRTH
AND DEATH OF GALAXIES.

HOW DO STARS GROW,
EXPAND, AND DIE?

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PLANETS

SURROUNDING THESE DISTANT
DYING SUNS?

ALMA RADIO DISHES IN CHILE
PROVIDE A RARE GLIMPSE

INTO THE LIFE CYCLE
OF DISTANT STARS AND GALAXIES.

♪

THIS PROCESS
OF THE DEATH OF STARS

IS WHAT ESO ASTRONOMER
MATTHIAS MERCKER IS WORKING ON

AT THE ARGELANDER INSTITUTE
IN BONN, GERMANY.

HIS RESEARCH TARGET,
FROM A GALACTIC POINT OF VIEW,

IS NOT VERY FAR AWAY:

A RED GIANT
IN THE SCULPTOR CONSTELLATION,

ONLY ABOUT 1,000
LIGHT YEARS AWAY.

Matthias Maercker: THE LIFE
CYCLE OF STARS IS BASICALLY

THAT STARS WILL FORM
IN LARGE MOLECULAR CLOUDS

WHERE THEY COLLAPSE,

AND WHEN THEY BECOME
DENSE ENOUGH

THEY WILL START BURNING
HYDROGEN INTO HELIUM.

AND THIS IS BASICALLY
WHAT MOST STARS ARE DOING.

THIS IS WHAT OUR SUN
IS DOING RIGHT NOW.

IT’S FUSING HYDROGEN
INTO HELIUM.

BUT ONCE THE HYDROGEN IS USED UP

THE STAR WILL BLOW UP
AND BECOME A RED GIANT

AND START LOSING MASS
FROM ITS SURFACE,

AND THOSE ARE THE OLD, DYING
STARS THAT I’M WORKING WITH.

Narrator:
HIS RESEARCH CONCENTRATES
ON THE VAST MASS OF MATERIAL

THAT THE DYING STAR BLASTS
INTO SPACE.

Matthias: RED GIANT STARS
WILL LOSE MASS

THROUGHOUT
THEIR ENTIRE EVOLUTION

UNTIL THEY DIE,
BUT AT RELATIVELY LOW RATES.

BUT EVERY 10,000 YEARS OR SO

THE STAR WILL GO THROUGH
A THERMAL PULSE,

WHICH MEANS THAT IT
WILL BURN HELIUM

VERY RAPIDLY INSIDE THE STAR,

AND THIS RELEASES
A BURST OF ENERGY

FOR ONLY A FEW HUNDRED YEARS,

WHICH CAUSES THE STAR
TO RESTRUCTURE

AND INCREASE ITS BRIGHTNESS.

AND THE INCREASE IN BRIGHTNESS

WILL ALSO CAUSE IT TO LOSE
A LOT MORE MASS

FOR THESE FEW HUNDRED YEARS,
AND ALSO AT A HIGHER VELOCITY,

AND SWEEP UP MATERIAL.

AND BECAUSE IT CONTINUOUSLY
SWEEPS UP MATERIAL,

IT GETS FORMED AND PUSHED
INTO A VERY THIN SHELL

THAT EXPANDS AWAY FROM THE STAR.

AND THIS SHELL IS WHAT WE CALL
A DETACHED SHELL.

Narrator: UP TILL NOW, THIS
SHELL AROUND THE CENTRAL STAR

WAS VERY HARD TO STUDY.

WITH ALMA, HOWEVER,
RESEARCHERS CAN NOW SEE

INSIDE THIS GAS ENVELOPE

AND CREATE CROSS-SECTION
IMAGES OF IT.

AND THE HIGH RESOLUTION
HAS BROUGHT SURPRISING DETAIL.

Matthias: WHEN WE PROPOSED
FOR THE OBSERVATIONS

WE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GOING
TO BE A STAR

THAT ORIGINALLY WAS VERY SIMILAR
TO OUR SUN,

POSSIBLY A LITTLE BIT
MORE MASSIVE.

BUT THE ALMA RESULTS SHOWED US

THAT IN FACT IT’S
A VERY DIFFERENT SYSTEM

COMPARED TO OUR SUN

BECAUSE IT IS NOT
ONLY A SOLITARY STAR

SITTING ALONE IN SPACE,

BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT IT HAS
A COMPANION STAR

ORBITING AROUND IT.

Narrator: THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED
COMPANION STAR--

COMPLETELY UNKNOWN UNTIL NOW--

CREATES
THE EXTRAORDINARY PATTERN

REFLECTED IN THIS
COMPUTER SIMULATION.

Matthias:
THE COMPANION IS ALREADY
FORMING THE WIND INTO A SPIRAL,

BUT AT ZERO YEARS YOU’LL SEE

THAT NOW THE STAR IS GOING
THROUGH A THERMAL PULSE,

AND YOU CAN SEE THIS VERY BRIGHT
DETACHED SHELL

EXPANDING AWAY FROM THE STAR.

AND THE COMPANION
WILL THEN SHAPE THE WIND

AFTER THE THERMAL PULSE

INTO THIS VERY CLEAR
SPIRAL STRUCTURE

WHICH IS EXPANDING
ALONG WITH THE DETACHED SHELL.

Narrator:
THE UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY
OF THE SPIRAL STRUCTURE

IS ONLY ONE EXAMPLE
OF THE NEW FINDINGS

THAT ALMA NOW MAKES POSSIBLE.

Matthias: THE ALMA DATA
THAT WE HAVE NOW

WAS TAKEN DURING THE CYCLE ZERO
OF ALMA EARLY SCIENCE

AND ONLY TAKEN WITH 16 ANTENNAS.

AND IT’S ALREADY INCREDIBLY MORE
THAN WE EVER EXPECTED TO GET.

Narrator: ALMA NEEDS 66 ANTENNAS
TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL.

♪

SPECIAL VEHICLES WERE BUILT TO
TRANSPORT THE RADIO TELESCOPES,

WHICH WEIGH
MORE THAN 100 TONS EACH.

♪

THERE ARE ONLY TWO OF THESE
VEHICLES IN THE WORLD--

ONE’S CALLED LORE;
THE OTHER, OTTO.

65 FEET LONG, 32 FEET WIDE, WITH
28 SEPARATELY DRIVEN WHEELS--

THESE MONSTER TRUCKS
SERVE A SINGLE PURPOSE:

TO TRANSPORT THE ALMA ANTENNAS.

LOADED WITH AN ANTENNA,
THE 700-HORSEPOWER TRUCK

REACHES A MAXIMUM SPEED
OF 7 1/2 MILES AN HOUR.

♪

THE 17-MILE STRETCH OF ROAD

BETWEEN THE BASE STATION
AND THE ANTENNA FIELD

IS NOT WITHOUT DANGER.

♪

WHEN THE TRANSPORT IS UNDER WAY,

ALL ONCOMING VEHICLES
HAVE TO PULL OVER AND WAIT,

FOR SAFETY REASONS.

♪

♪

AFTER A FIVE-HOUR UPHILL TREK,

THE GIANT VEHICLE REACHES
THE 16,000-FOOT-HIGH PLATEAU,

WITH ITS PRECIOUS CARGO INTACT.

[BEEPING]

THE NEXT STEP,
OFFLOADING THE ANTENNA

AND FITTING IT INTO PLACE ON
THE MASSIVE CONCRETE FOUNDATION,

TAKES A GENTLE TOUCH.

FINALLY, THE TECHNICIANS
ANCHOR THE ANTENNA

AND CONNECT IT
TO THE SUPER COMPUTER.

NOW THE ANTENNA
CAN START TO WORK,

HELPING TO SOLVE
THE MYSTERIES OF THE COSMOS.

AS ALMA BECOMES
FULLY FUNCTIONAL,

IT WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE

THE MOST PROFOUND QUESTION
IN ASTRONOMY:

THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ITSELF.

ALMA HAS REVEALED THE BIRTH AND
DEATH OF PLANETS AND EVEN STARS.

BUT THESE PROCESSES ARE
OF VITAL SIGNIFICANCE

IN THE SEARCH
FOR THE ORIGINS OF LIFE...

BECAUSE THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
THAT WE’RE ALL MADE OF

WERE CREATED IN THE CORE
OF THE STARS,

BEFORE BEING FLUNG OUT INTO
SPACE BY MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS.

♪

THIS MEANS THAT WE HUMAN BEINGS

ARE ALSO AN INTEGRAL PART
OF THE ETERNAL COSMIC CYCLE.

ANTHONY REMIJAN
IS AN ASTRO-CHEMIST

WITH THE NATIONAL
RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY

IN VIRGINIA.

HIS SPECIALTY IS THE SEARCH
FOR ORGANIC MOLECULES IN SPACE.

Anthony Remijan:
SO, WE’RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

HOW ACTUALLY ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
DOES HAPPEN IN SPACE.

IT’S NOT AS SIMPLE AS GOING INTO
A CHEMISTRY LAB HERE ON EARTH

AND TAKING A BUCKET OF THIS
AND A BOTTLE OF THAT,

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
AND FORMING ORGANIC MOLECULES.

SPACE IS DOING IT--

HAS BEEN DOING IT
FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS

AND IS FORMING SOME OF
THE LARGEST ORGANIC MOLECULES

THAT WE FIND HERE ON EARTH
AS WELL.

AND WE’RE STILL TRYING
TO FIGURE OUT

HOW SPACE IS ACTUALLY FORMING
THESE LARGE MOLECULES.

Narrator: NEW TECHNOLOGY
AND TESTING METHODS

HAVE LED TO TREMENDOUS PROGRESS.

Anthony: ALMA IS GOING TO
GIVE US THE HIGHEST RESOLUTION.

THAT MEANS WE CAN SEE
THE SMALLEST DETAILS

OF REGIONS IN THE GALAXY THAT
ARE ACTUALLY DOING CHEMISTRY.

AND ALMA IS ALSO GOING TO BE

THE MOST SENSITIVE TELESCOPE
IN THE WORLD

TO DETECT THESE LARGE MOLECULES
IN SPACE.

Narrator:
TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE
MOLECULES SUCH AS THESE,

THEIR CHARACTERISTIC RADIATION
MUST FIRST BE ESTABLISHED

IN LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS.

THESE ARE THEN COMPARED
WITH THE SIGNALS FROM SPACE,

AND THIS IS HOW
THEY’RE IDENTIFIED.

5,000 MILES AWAY FROM CHILE,
IN A BASEMENT LAB

AT THE SMITHSONIAN
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY,

MICHAEL McCARTHY AND HIS TEAM

CREATES THESE "SNAPSHOTS"
OF GALACTIC CHEMICALS.

Michael McCarthy: SO
THE MOLECULES HAVE ESSENTIALLY

A VERY SPECIFIC,

UNIQUE, WHAT WE CALL
A SPECTRAL FINGERPRINT.

AND NO TWO MOLECULES
ARE ALIKE IN THAT SENSE.

THE TYPES OF MOLECULES
WE SEE IN SPACE

ARE REALLY QUITE UNUSUAL AND
EXOTIC BY TERRESTRIAL STANDARDS.

SO THESE ARE MOLECULES THAT HAVE
A VERY SHORT LIFETIME ON EARTH

BECAUSE THEY RAPIDLY RECOMBINE
WITH OTHER SPECIES.

SO WE HAVE TO,
IN THE LABORATORY,

EFFECTIVELY REPRODUCE
THE SAME MOLECULES

THAT ARE PRODUCED
ASTRONOMICALLY.

Narrator: HERE IN THE LAB,

THESE MOLECULES ARE CREATED
UNDER CONDITIONS

THAT MIMIC THE DEEP VOID
OF SPACE.

Michael: WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO
IS WE MIX GASES TOGETHER,

SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE PUT
INTO THE EXPERIMENT,

WE PUT, FOR EXAMPLE,
METHANE OR WATER,

OR METHANOL, FOR EXAMPLE, INTO--
TYPICALLY IN THE GAS PHASE--

AND WE DILUTE IT
VERY, VERY HEAVILY.

AND THE GAS EXPANDS
INTO THE MIDDLE

OF THIS LARGE, EMPTY CHAMBER,

AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPS
FROM ROOM TEMPERATURE,

WHICH IS 300 KELVIN,

TO ABOUT ONE DEGREE
OF ABSOLUTE ZERO.

AND WE, FOR JUST A FRACTION
OF A SECOND,

PULL THE PLUNGER BACK
AND LET THIS GAS

RUSH DOWN A VERY NARROW CHANNEL

WHERE WE APPLY A VOLTAGE
BETWEEN TWO ELECTRODES.

AND THAT VOLTAGE BASICALLY,
LIKE A LIGHT BULB,

LIGHTS UP FOR A FRACTION
OF A SECOND.

AND ALL SORTS OF CHEMISTRY
OCCURS.

MOLECULAR BONDS ARE BROKEN,
AND CHEMISTRY OCCURS,

REACTIONS OCCUR,
IN SOME CASES VERY FAST.

Narrator: WITHIN FRACTIONS
OF A SECOND,

THE LAB CAPTURES A "FINGERPRINT"
OF A MOLECULE

AS IT WOULD LOOK IN DEEP SPACE.

AND THIS FINGERPRINT IS USED
BY THE RESEARCHERS AT ALMA

TO COMPARE WITH THE DATA THEY
FIND ON DISTANT SOLAR SYSTEMS.

Michael: RADIO ASTRONOMERS
KNOW EXACTLY THE FINGERPRINT

OF THESE MOLECULES
WHEN THEY LOOK FOR THEM

BY REMOTE OBSERVING,
IN THIS CASE WITH ALMA.

AND SO IT GIVES US
GREAT CONFIDENCE.

THERE’S NO AMBIGUITY

WHEN SOMEONE DOES
AN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION.

THERE’S NO WIGGLE ROOM ALLOWED.

SO IF A MOLECULE
EXISTS IN SPACE,

YOU KNOW EXACTLY
THESE FREQUENCIES.

IF IT’S THERE IN SPACE,
WE KNOW IT.

AND THAT’S REALLY WHAT ALMA
IS GONNA ALLOW US TO DO.

Narrator: ALREADY, ALMA HAS MADE
A STARTLING DISCOVERY--

ONE THAT MAY CHANGE EVERYTHING
WE THOUGHT WE KNEW ABOUT SPACE.

DEEP IN A GALAXY
LIGHT YEARS AWAY,

ALMA HAS DETECTED

THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF LIFE ITSELF.

450 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH.

IN A CLOUD OF DEBRIS AROUND
A NEWLY HATCHED STAR...

THE ALMA TELESCOPE DETECTED THE
FIRST COMPLEX ORGANIC CHEMICALS,

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE.

THE GROUND-BREAKING DISCOVERY

WAS MADE BY ASTRONOMER
KARIN OBERG.

AND SHE MADE IT BY ACCIDENT.

Karin Oberg: WE WERE LOOKING
FOR SO-CALLED HEAVY MOLECULES.

MOLECULES THAT HAVE
A DEUTERIUM ATOM

INSTEAD OF A HYDROGEN ATOM
IN THEM.

BUT WHAT WE ALSO SAW
WAS EMISSION

FROM COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES
CALLED METHYL CYANIDE--

IT BELONGS
TO THE CYANIDE FAMILY--

THAT TURNS OUT TO BE
A VERY IMPORTANT MOLECULE

WHEN YOU’RE THINKING
ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY

THAT LED TO THE ORIGINS OF LIFE.

Narrator:
SCIENTISTS HAD LONG SUSPECTED

THAT ORGANIC CHEMISTRY EXISTED
IN OTHER GALAXIES.

ALMA HAS FINALLY PROVEN IT.

THE DISCOVERY HAS ENORMOUS
IMPLICATIONS FOR SCIENCE.

Karin:
IN AN EVEN GRANDER SCHEME,

METHYL CYANIDE MOLECULE
AND OTHER MOLECULES LIKE IT

WERE VERY IMPORTANT
IN THE CHEMISTRY

LEADING TO THE ORIGINS
OF LIFE ON EARTH.

SO IT’S OF COURSE
VERY, VERY PROMISING

THAT IT’S COMMON ALSO ELSEWHERE.

IT SEEMS TO REMOVE
ONE MORE BARRIER

TOWARDS HAVING LIFE BEING COMMON
IN THE UNIVERSE.

Narrator:
IF ORGANIC CHEMICALS ARE COMMON
THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE,

IT MEANS THAT EARTH
MAY NOT BE SO SPECIAL,

AND LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
MAY ACTUALLY BE FOUND

ON DISTANT PLANETS
THROUGH TOOLS LIKE ALMA.

Karin: IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER
WHICH CULTURE YOU COME FROM,

ORIGINS OF LIFE
IS A PROFOUND QUESTION.

I MEAN, IT’S JUST ONE
OF THOSE QUESTIONS

I THINK BASICALLY EVERYONE
AT SOME POINT IN LIFE

ASKED THEMSELVES,
LIKE HOW DID WE GET HERE?

ARE THERE OTHERS LIKE US
OUT THERE?

OR AT LEAST SOMETHING SIMILAR.

Narrator:
AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT

TO BUILD A MASSIVE TELESCOPE
ON A REMOTE PLATEAU IN CHILE

HAS LED TO THE FIRST SUGGESTIONS
OF LIFE IN DISTANT GALAXIES.

Karin: ALMA IS A GAME CHANGER.

IT IS REALLY
A FANTASTIC TELESCOPE.

Narrator: ORGANIC MOLECULES
ARE A DISTANT STEP

FROM HARD EVIDENCE
OF ALIEN LIFE FORMS.

THE SCIENTISTS AT ALMA
ARE USING THIS EVIDENCE

NOT ONLY TO SEARCH
FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL BIOLOGY,

BUT ALSO TO DISCOVER THE KEYS

TO THE CREATION OF LIFE
ON OUR OWN PLANET.

Anthony: WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
IS THE BUILDING BLOCKS,

THE FUNDAMENTAL MOLECULES
THAT BUILD UP THINGS

LIKE RNA, PROTEINS
AND AMINO ACIDS.

AND SO, IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW
THESE MOLECULES FORM IN SPACE

AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW
THEY GET TO THE EARLY EARTH,

THEN WE ARE ANSWERING
THE QUESTION

IS HOW THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF THE ORGANIC MATERIAL

THAT MAKE UP YOU AND I,

HOW THE MATERIAL
THAT MAKES UP RNA,

SELF-REPLICATING MOLECULES,

ACTUALLY FORM AND CAN EVOLVE
ON EARLY PLANETS.

AND WE THINK THAT THAT STARTS
IN SPACE.

Narrator: THE SEARCH FOR ORGANIC
MOLECULES IN COSMIC GAS CLOUDS

LEADS TO FAR-REACHING QUESTIONS:

DO THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE
REALLY ORIGINATE IN SPACE?

AND IF SO, HOW DID THEY
LAND ON EARTH?

Anthony: WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS
ORGANIC MATERIAL IS CONTAINED

IN THINGS LIKE COMETS
AND METEOROIDS AND ASTEROIDS.

AND DURING THE STAGES
OF PLANET FORMATION,

DURING THE STAGES
OF STAR FORMATION,

THERE IS A PERIOD OF
WHAT’S CALLED HEAVY BOMBARDMENT,

WHERE WE KNOW THAT PLANETS
GET CONSTANTLY HIT

WITH COMETS, METEOROIDS
AND ASTEROIDS.

SO, THE SAME ORGANIC MATERIAL

THAT IS FLOATING
OUT THERE IN SPACE,

THAT GETS BOTTLED UP
ONTO COMETS AND METEOROIDS,

COULD ACTUALLY BE SEEDED
INTO THESE EARLY PLANETS.

AND SO THE SAME MATERIAL THAT
EVENTUALLY LED TO THE FORMATION

OF LIFE ON EARTH,

THE SAME ORGANIC MATERIAL

THAT WE KNOW IS
FLOATING AROUND IN SPACE,

COULD BE SEEDED ONTO PLANETS
THROUGHOUT THE GALAXY

AND POSSIBLY KICK-START
THE FORMATION OF LIFE

ON THOSE PLANETS AS WELL.

Narrator: IF WE CONSIDER
THE INCREASING NUMBER

OF NEWLY DISCOVERED PLANETS
ORBITING FOREIGN SUNS

AND THE MANY ORGANIC MOLECULES
IN SPACE,

IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT LIFE
COULD ONLY EXIST HERE ON EARTH.

♪

AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE
ALMA WILL FIND

IN THE FURTHEST REACHES
OF SPACE?

♪

THE SEARCH
FOR OUR COSMIC ORIGINS

HAS TAKEN US TO ONE OF THE MOST
ALIEN PLACES ON OUR PLANET.

♪

ALMOST LIKE AN OUTPOST OF SOME
AS YET UNCHARTED TERRITORY,

THE ALMA CONTROL CENTER NESTLES
ON THE SLOPES OF THE ANDES.

♪

WITH ALMA, ASTRONOMERS
ARE NOW BEGINNING TO SEE

PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN DETAILS,

AND THEY ANTICIPATE
THAT MORE NEW AND UNKNOWN FACTS

WILL COME TO LIGHT.

THEIR FINDINGS WILL LEAD

TO A WHOLE NEW IMAGE
OF THE UNIVERSE...

BECAUSE THE STORY OF THE STARS,
OF PLANETS AND OF LIFE ITSELF

DOES INDEED LIE
IN THE DARKNESS...

WHERE ONLY THE EYES OF ALMA
CAN SEE.