All language subtitles for NASAs.Unexplained.Files.S04E08.Marss.Deepest.Secret.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264-BATMAN_track3_[eng]

Narrator: NASA's MISSION
IS TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN.

Teitel:
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSE

IS A TINY FRACTION
OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY OUT THERE.

Narrator:
IN THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS,

IT LAUNCHES ITS SCIENTISTS
INTO SPACE,

ITS CRAFT BEYOND THE LIMITS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

Lee: WE HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT'S OUT THERE.

THERE MIGHT BE DANGERS
LURKING IN THE DARKNESS.

WE RUN ACROSS MORE MYSTERIES
THAN DISCOVERIES.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S
GONNA THROW AT US NEXT.

Narrator: A DEADLY GAS LEAK
ON BOARD THE I.S.S...

IT COULD BE
THE SMELL OF DEATH.

Narrator:...STRANGE STREAKS
ON THE SURFACE OF MARS

THAT HINT
AT SOMETHING INCREDIBLE...

McKay:
THERE MIGHT BE LIFE ON MARS,

AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING
IN THE WRONG PLACE.

Narrator: ...AND IS SOMEONE
SEEDING CHEMTRAILS

INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE?

Jeras: SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE

THAT THERE'S
A SINISTER PLOT GOING ON

THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY SPRAYING
CHEMICALS IN THE SKY.

Narrator: THESE ARE
NASA's UNEXPLAINED FILES.

--Captions by VITAC--
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

A SOVIET SPACECRAFT
LANDS ON THE MOON.

THE SPACE RACE IS ON.

AND THE MOON
IS THE NEXT BIG PRIZE.

Narrator:
IT SENDS BACK PICTURES

AS PROOF
OF ITS INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT.

THESE ARE THE FIRST PICTURES
FROM THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

Narrator: BUT THE RUSSIANS
ARE ABOUT TO GET SCOOPED.

Nichols:
THIS WOULD BE LIKE

NEIL ARMSTRONG'S
FIRST WORDS FROM THE MOON

BEING BROADCAST
OVER RADIO MOSCOW.

Narrator: 1966.

THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA

ARE LOCKED IN A GLOBAL STRUGGLE
FOR HEARTS AND MINDS.

WHILE THE WORLD WORRIES ABOUT
THE GROWING NUCLEAR THREAT,

PROPAGANDA IS AN INCREASINGLY
POTENT WEAPON.

AND NOTHING BETTER CAPTURES
THE WORLD'S ATTENTION

THAN SUCCESS IN SPACE.

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

BY THIS POINT IN THE MID-1960s,

THE SPACE RACE
IS ESSENTIALLY A TIE.

BOTH SIDES HAVE HAD
GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS.

BUT EACH SIDE IS STILL LOOKING
FOR THAT ONE MORE STEP

THAT'S GOING TO GIVE THEM
THE EDGE.

THE SPACE RACE IS ON.

AND THE MOON
IS THE NEXT BIG PRIZE.

Schultz: WE'RE RACING
AGAINST THE SOVIETS.

WHO'S GONNA DEMONSTRATE

THAT THEY CAN GET THERE FIRST
AND ACTUALLY CAN LAND?

Narrator: IN JANUARY 1966,

THE RUSSIANS LAUNCH
AN UNMANNED SPACECRAFT

CALLED LUNA 9.

U.S. INTELLIGENCE IS DESPERATE
TO DISCOVER ITS MISSION.

THE SOVIETS ONLY RELEASE

INFORMATION
ABOUT THEIR SPACE PROGRAM

THAT'S TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.

THEY ONLY TELL US
WHAT THEY WANT US TO KNOW.

Narrator: THE U.S. ACTIVATES
A GLOBAL NETWORK OF ASTRONOMERS

TO TRACK THE SMALL SPACECRAFT.

THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

IS UTILIZING RADIO TELESCOPES
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

TO ESSENTIALLY EAVESDROP
ON THE SOVIET SPACE PROGRAM.

BASICALLY, A LOT OF
THE WORLD'S TOP ASTRONOMERS

ARE ACTING AS SPIES
FOR THE C.I.A.

Nichols: THEY'RE KIND OF
OUTSOURCING IT TO THEIR ALLIES

INCLUDING TO THE FOLKS
AT JODRELL BANK IN THE U.K.

WHO RUN THE LARGEST
RADIO TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD.

Narrator:
THE AMERICANS' WORST FEARS
ARE CONFIRMED

WHEN A LISTENING STATION
IN ERITREA

CAPTURES LUNA 9'S
TELEMETRY DATA.

IT'S ON COURSE
TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE MOON.

Nichols;
THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL
FOR ANY SPACE PROGRAM

BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME,

A MAN-MADE OBJECT
IS GOING TO BE ABLE

TO ENGAGE
IN A CONTROLLED DESCENT

AND ACTUALLY LAND
ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON

INSTEAD OF CRASHING ON IT.

Narrator: PROBES, LIKE
THE AMERICAN RANGER PROGRAM,

HAVE PREVIOUSLY
REACHED THE MOON,

BUT ONLY BY CRASHING INTO IT.

Ferreira:
IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT

TO SOFT LAND AND THEN
TRANSMIT PICTURES

ACTIVELY FROM THE SURFACE
OF THE MOON.

Narrator:
IF THE RUSSIANS CAN PROVE

THAT THEY HAVE SOFT-LANDED
ON THE MOON,

IT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST
PROPAGANDA VICTORY

SINCE YURI GAGARIN
BECAME THE FIRST MAN IN SPACE.

Nichols: THIS IS HOW THE SOVIETS
ARE GONNA GET BACK ON TOP,

NOT JUST IN THE SPACE RACE,
BUT IN THE COLD WAR ITSELF.

Narrator: IN THE U.K.,

JODRELL BANKS ASTRONOMERS
LISTEN INTENTLY

TO THE STREAM OF DATA
COMING FROM LUNA 9.

BUT AS IT HURDLES
TOWARDS THE MOON,

SUDDENLY,
THE STREAM VANISHES.

THE SIGNAL FROM LUNA 9
GOES DEAD.

WHAT'S HAPPENED?
HAS IT CRASHED?

Narrator:
THE ASTRONOMERS-TURNED-SPIES
HOLD TIGHT.

AFTER FOUR MINUTES OF SILENCE,
THERE IS STILL NO SIGNAL.

SOVIET LUNA PROBES
DON'T HAVE A GREAT RECORD.

SOME OF THEM
MISSED THE MOON ENTIRELY.

SO WHEN LUNA 9 GOES SILENT,

IT'S A GOOD ASSUMPTION
THAT IT MAY HAVE CRASHED.

ACTUALLY,
IT'S JUST TAKING A PAUSE

TO START SENDING
A DIFFERENT SIGNAL.

Orwoll:
THE SIGNAL COMES BACK.

LUNA 9 IS ALIVE.

BUT THE TRANSMISSION MODE
HAS SHIFTED.

Narrator:
AS AN ALIEN BURST OF SOUND

ECHOES AROUND
THE JODRELL BANK OBSERVATORY,

THE TEAM OF ASTRONOMERS
FRANTICALLY TRY

TO DECIPHER
THE UNFAMILIAR TRANSMISSION.

THE PROBE MUST BE SENDING

SOME KIND OF MESSAGE
BACK TO EARTH.

BUT THE QUESTION IS,
WHAT IS IT?

Narrator: ONE OF THE ASTRONOMERS
RECOGNIZES THE UNUSUAL SIGNAL.

THE TINY SPACECRAFT
IS SENDING A FAX.

Orwoll: A BRITISH SCIENTIST
SPYING FOR THE C.I.A.

IS LISTENING TO A SOVIET PROBE

SENDING A FAX SIGNAL
FROM THE MOON.

Narrator: THIS IS LONG BEFORE
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION.

FAX MACHINES
ARE EXTREMELY RARE.

THE SCIENTISTS GET ON THE PHONE

SEARCHING FOR A FAX MACHINE
THEY CAN USE

TO DECIPHER THE SIGNAL.

ONE OF THEM CONTACTS
A POPULAR BRITISH NEWSPAPER

CALLED THE DAILY EXPRESS.

THEY HAVE A FAX.

SENSING A SCOOP,

THE PAPER RUSHES IT
OVER TO THE OBSERVATORY.

AND BRITAIN'S
MOST SOPHISTICATED TELESCOPE

PLUGS INTO A FAX MACHINE.

THE SECONDS TICK BY

AS ASTRONOMERS AND JOURNALISTS
WAIT TO SEE

WHAT DATA THE SOVIET CRAFT
IS SENDING BACK.

AS THE PAPER
CRAWLS THROUGH THE MACHINE,

A WEIRD, UNEARTHLY SHAPE
BEGINS TO TAKE FORM.

THE SIGNAL
ISN'T CARRYING A MESSAGE.

IT'S CARRYING PICTURES.

AND NOT JUST ANY PICTURES,

THESE ARE THE FIRST PICTURES
FROM THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

Narrator:
LUNA 9 HAS DONE IT.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY,

A SPACECRAFT HAS SURVIVED
A LANDING ON ANOTHER WORLD

AND IS SENDING BACK THE PROOF,

AND IT'S THE SOVIETS
WHO HAVE DONE IT.

THIS IS AN ENORMOUS MILESTONE
IN SPACE EXPLORATION.

Narrator: THE SOVIETS ARE HOPING
TO REAP A PROPAGANDA COUP

FROM THEIR
TECHNOLOGICAL TRIUMPH.

BUT ONE THING
STANDS IN THEIR WAY.

BECAUSE OF THE CURVATURE
IN THE ROTATION OF THE EARTH,

THE SIGNAL FROM THE MOON
IS HITTING BRITAIN FIRST

BEFORE IT GETS
TO THE SOVIET UNION.

THEY CAN INTERCEPT
THE SOVIET DATA

BEFORE THE KREMLIN GETS IT.

Narrator:
THE PURE DUMB LUCK OF GEOGRAPHY

HAS PUT THE BRITISH IN PLACE

TO STEAL THE GLORY
OF THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT

IN THE SPACE RACE SO FAR.

NOW IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME

TO PREPARE THE PICTURES
FOR PUBLICATION

BEFORE THE SIGNAL
GETS TO THE SOVIETS.

Nichols:
THESE ARE GOING TO BE

THE MOST IMPORTANT PICTURES
IN THE SOVIET SPACE PROGRAM

SINCE THE LAUNCH OF
THEIR FIRST PERSON INTO SPACE.

Narrator: WITHIN HOURS,
THE FIRST IMAGES

FROM THE SURFACE OF THE MOON
ARE PUBLISHED,

NOT IN SOVIET PAPERS,
BUT IN BRITISH JOURNALS.

THE SOVIETS GOT SCOOPED ON
THEIR OWN HISTORIC MOON IMAGES.

Nichols: THE DAILY EXPRESS

GETS THE BIGGEST SCOOP
IN SPACE NEWS HISTORY.

COULD YOU IMAGINE...
[CHUCKLES]

...HAVING THE ONE THING

YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON
FOR SO LONG,

TO GET THE FIRST IMAGE
OF THE MOON ON THE SURFACE,

AND SOMEBODY PUBLISHES IT FIRST?

I WOULD BE MAD AS HELL.

Nichols:
THIS HAD TO HAVE BEEN

A HUGE HUMILIATION
FOR THE SOVIETS.

THIS WOULD BE LIKE
THE AMERICANS

HEARING NEIL ARMSTRONG'S
FIRST WORDS FROM THE MOON

BEING BROADCAST OVER
RADIO MOSCOW.

Narrator: UP NEXT,
MODERN PLANETARY SCIENTISTS

ARE SURE OF ONE THING
ABOUT MARS...

WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE
STANDING WATER ON MARS.

Bell:
MARS IS A REALLY DRY PLACE.

IT IS A DESERT
IN THE EXTREME, EXTREME WAYS.

Narrator:
BUT EXCITING NEW EVIDENCE

SUGGESTS LIQUID WATER

IS FLOWING ON THE SURFACE
OF THE RED PLANET.

WHERE THERE'S LIQUID WATER,
AT LEAST ON EARTH,

THERE'S ALWAYS LIFE.

Narrator: FOR CENTURIES,

WE HAVE SPECULATED ABOUT
LIFE ON MARS AND FEARED IT.

WE ALWAYS THINK OF LIFE ON MARS
AS LITTLE GREEN MEN.

BUT MORE THAN LIKELY,
IF THERE IS LIFE,

IT MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT

THAN WHAT WE FIND BACK HERE
ON OUR OWN PLANET EARTH.

Narrator: NOW A NASA PROBE
OVER THE RED PLANET

PRODUCES NEW EVIDENCE

SHOWING THIS COULD BE
A REAL POSSIBILITY.

THERE MIGHT BE LIFE ON MARS.

AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING
IN THE WRONG PLACE.

Narrator:
SINCE SEPTEMBER 2006,

THE MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER

HAS BEEN TAKING
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES

OF THE SURFACE
OF THE RED PLANET.

FIVE YEARS INTO ITS MISSION,

THE PROBE CAPTURES
SOMETHING PUZZLING.

LONG STREAKS APPEAR
ON THE MARTIAN SLOPES,

AND NO ONE KNOWS
WHAT THEY ARE.

THE ODD THING
IS THAT THESE SURFACE MARKINGS

DISAPPEAR, REAPPEAR,
AND THEN DISAPPEAR AGAIN.

THESE STREAKS ARE A BIG MYSTERY.

WE DON'T KNOW
EXACTLY HOW THEY FORM,

AT LEAST, NOT ALL OF THEM.

SOMETIMES, THEY'RE THERE.

SOMETIMES, THEY DISAPPEAR.

Narrator: MARS HAS FEARSOME,
POWERFUL STORMS

THAT SCOUR ITS SURFACE.

COULD THEY BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THESE MYSTERIOUS STREAKS?

AS THE ORBIT OF MARS
DRAWS CLOSER TO THE SUN,

WE SEE MORE DUST STORMS

ACROSS THE SURFACE
OF THE PLANET.

THE SUN HEATS THE SURFACE,
THE AIR RISES,

AND DUST, SOMETIMES COVERING
HALF THE ENTIRE PLANET,

CAN RAGE FOR MONTHS.

IMAGINE YOU'RE EXPLORING
THE SURFACE.

OFF IN THE DISTANCE,

YOU WOULD SEE IT
GROW DARKER AND DARKER.

A MONSTROUS CLOUD,
300, 600 FEET HIGH,

WOULD BE APPROACHING YOU.

[ THUNDER CRASHES ]

IN THIS CLOUD
WOULD BE LIGHTNING BOLTS

SNAPPING THE GROUND.

THIS WOULD BE A HUGE GLOBAL,
MARTIAN DUST STORM

COMING YOUR WAY.

Narrator:
BUT EVIDENCE FROM MARS ROVER

SUGGEST THAT DUST STORMS
SCOUR A SURFACE CLEAN.

THEY DON'T LEAVE
LOCALIZED STREAKS

ACROSS THE GROUND.

ON EARTH,
SIMILAR-LOOKING STREAKS

ARE CAUSED BY WATER
INTERACTING WITH SALT

IN A DESERT ENVIRONMENT.

IN 2015, A NASA PROBE

PHOTOGRAPHS STREAKS
IN ANOTHER MARTIAN CRATER.

IT PICKS UP THE SPECTROGRAPHIC
SIGNATURE OF SALT.

WHEN IT PASSES OVER AGAIN,
THE STREAKS HAVE GROWN.

Lee: ONE PASS, IT TAKES
A PICTURE OF THESE GULLIES.

OVER THE NEXT PASS,
A FEW MONTHS LATER,

NOW, THERE'S AN EXPANSIVE PATCH
OF SALT.

Narrator:
THIS CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING.

WATER SOMEHOW
HAD TO HAVE FLOWED OUT

AND DEPOSITED THE SALT.

Narrator: BUT THERE ISN'T
SUPPOSED TO BE ANY WATER

ON THE SURFACE OF MARS.

D'Antonio:
WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T
HAVE STANDING WATER ON MARS.

IT'S A WELL-KNOWN FACT THAT

THE PRESSURE ISN'T HIGH ENOUGH,
THE TEMPERATURE'S TOO LOW.

Bell:
MARS IS A REALLY DRY PLACE.

IT IS A DESERT
IN THE EXTREME, EXTREME WAY.

Narrator:
THE VERY PRESENCE OF SALT WATER

TURNS ACCEPTED WISDOM
ON ITS HEAD.

WE HAD BEEN THINKING
THAT MARS WAS A PLACE

THAT WAS SO COLD, SO DRY

THAT IT RENDERED THE FLOW
OF LIQUID WATER IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY
PUT ENOUGH OF

A SPECIAL KIND OF SALT
INSIDE THIS WATER,

IF YOU DISSOLVE IT,

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU ALLOW THAT WATER

TO REMAIN LIQUID
EVEN AT VERY LOW TEMPERATURES.

Narrator: ANALYSIS OF THE LIGHT
REFLECTED FROM THE DEPOSITS

REVEAL WHAT IT'S MADE OF.

THE CLOSEST MATCH
IS A SALT CALLED PERCHLORATE.

PERCHLORATES IN
HIGH CONCENTRATIONS
IN LIQUID WATER

CAN LOWER THE FREEZING
TEMPERATURE OF WATER

DOWN TO MINUS-70 DEGREES C.

THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

Narrator:
MINUS 70 DEGREES CELSIUS

IS MINUS 94 DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT.

REMARKABLY, PERCHLORATES
CAN KEEP WATER FLOWING

EVEN AT SUCH
EXTREME TEMPERATURES.

THIS WOULD EXPLAIN
WHY THE WATER COULD LAST

AS LONG AS IT DID
TRAVELING DOWNSLOPE

BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED
AND VANISHED.

Narrator:
BUT IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN

WHERE THE WATER CAME FROM
IN THE FIRST PLACE.

UP-CLOSE ANALYSIS OF THE IMAGES

SUGGESTS AN EXCITING
POSSIBILITY.

THESE STREAKS DON'T ORIGINATE
AT THE TOP OF THE CRATER.

THEY ACTUALLY SEEM TO BE
COMING OUT PARTWAY DOWN.

THIS CORRESPONDS
TO AN UNDERGROUND LEVEL,

MAYBE AN AQUIFER --
RUNNING WATER UNDERGROUND.

IT'S COMING FROM UNDERNEATH
THE SURFACE OF MARS.

IT'S UNDERGROUND WATER
THAT'S COMING OUT.

Narrator:
THE IMPLICATIONS ARE PROFOUND.

Lee: SO THIS WAS
AN IMPORTANT OBSERVATION

BECAUSE IT TELLS YOU
THAT LIQUID WATER

IS STILL FLOWING
AT THE SURFACE OF MARS TODAY.

AND WHERE THERE'S LIQUID WATER,
AT LEAST ON EARTH,

THERE'S ALWAYS LIFE.

Narrator: FOR LIFE ON MARS,
CONDITIONS WOULD BE EXTREME.

SOME MICROBES ON EARTH
LIKE PERCHLORATES.

THEY DON'T MIND BEING
IN AN ENVIRONMENT

RICH IN PERCHLORATES,

BUT NOT AT THE CONCENTRATIONS
THAT ARE NEEDED

TO KEEP WATER LIQUID ON MARS.

BUT WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE
A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

MIGHT NOT BE THAT HOSTILE

FOR ALL KINDS
OR ALL FORMS OF LIFE.

MAYBE IT CAN FIND A WAY
TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE

IN THAT KIND OF
EXTREME ENVIRONMENT.

Narrator: ON EARTH,

FISH THRIVE IN
THE BOILING HOT SULFUR POOLS

OF THE MARIANAS TRENCH

SHOWING THAT LIFE
ALWAYS FINDS A WAY.

CERTAINLY,
AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFE,

WE LEARN THAT IT CAN TOLERATE
MORE EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS

THAN WE THOUGHT,

CERTAINLY,
MORE EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS

THAN WE HUMANS TEND TO THINK OF
AS HABITABLE.

SO I WOULD NOT EXCLUDE
THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE ON MARS

EVEN TODAY.

Narrator:
THE DISCOVERY OF SALTY WATER

OOZING FROM
BELOW THE MARTIAN SURFACE

OPENS UP
AN IMPORTANT NEW AVENUE

IN OUR SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS.

McKay:
THERE MIGHT BE LIFE ON MARS

AND WE'RE JUST NOT FINDING IT

BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY
ON THE SURFACE,

AND IT'S UNDERGROUND.

WE'RE LOOKING
IN THE WRONG PLACE.

Narrator: UP NEXT,
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

WITNESS WEIRD PINK LIGHTS
GLOWING OVER AREA 51.

ARE THESE SOME PREVIOUSLY
UNKNOWN PHENOMENON FROM SPACE?

Narrator: THE U.S. MILITARY
OFFERS NO EXPLANATION.

SO WHETHER IT'S INTERESTING
SCIENCE OR EVIL SCIENCE,

THAT'S THE QUESTION,
AND I DON'T KNOW.

Narrator:
A BIZARRE, GLOWING CLOUD APPEARS
OVER THE ARIZONA DESERT.

THESE DON'T LOOK LIKE ANYTHING
THAT COME FROM EARTH.

Narrator: THE INTERNET
IS FULL OF WILD THEORIES.

Pope:
WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE STATE

NEXT TO PLACES
LIKE ROSWELL AND AREA 51,

THESE ARE THE SORT OF THINGS
THAT GO THROUGH YOUR MIND.

Narrator: BUT THE TRUTH
IS FURTHER OUT THERE

THAN ANYONE COULD IMAGINE.

Narrator: FEBRUARY 2015.

A STRANGE, PINK CLOUD SUDDENLY
LIGHTS UP ARIZONA'S NIGHT SKY.

THESE CLOUDS ARE AMAZING,

LIKE NOTHING ANYONE'S
EVER SEEN BEFORE.

THEY'RE INTENSE COLOR,
ALMOST GLOWING.

IT'S A COMPLETE MYSTERY.

Narrator:
THE LOCATION OF THE SIGHTING

IMMEDIATELY CATCHES
THE ATTENTION OF SOME.

Guarino:
THIS IS U.F.O. CENTRAL.

THIS IS THE BIRTHPLACE
OF U.F.O. CULTURE.

THESE DON'T LOOK LIKE ANYTHING
THAT CAN COME FROM EARTH.

AND YOU MIGHT ASK,

"ARE THESE SOME PREVIOUSLY
UNKNOWN PHENOMENON FROM SPACE?"

Pope:
WELL, WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE STATE

NEXT TO PLACES
LIKE ROSWELL AND AREA 51,

THESE ARE THE SORT OF THINGS
THAT GO THROUGH YOUR MIND.

Narrator: IN THE SEARCH FOR
A MORE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION,

SOME OBSERVERS WONDER
IF THE EERIE GLOW

MIGHT BE SOME KIND
OF ATMOSPHERIC EFFECT.

THEORY NUMBER ONE
IS IT'S AN AURORA BOREALIS.

WHEN A SOLAR STORM OCCURS,

IT CAN GET DIRECTED
TOWARDS THE EARTH.

AND ALL OF THOSE
ENERGIZED PARTICLES

WILL INTERACT WITH
THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH

AND GET DRIVEN TOWARDS THE PULL

AND CREATE
THESE BEAUTIFUL LIGHT DISPLAYS.

Narrator:
SUPER-CHARGED PARTICLES
FROM THE SUN

BOMBARD OUR ATMOSPHERE,

CREATING
A SPECTACULAR LIGHT SHOW

AS THEY EXPLODE
ABOVE OUR WORLD.

BUT FOR AN AURORA
TO BE SEEN SO FAR SOUTH,

A TRULY MASSIVE SOLAR STORM

WOULD HAVE TO ERUPT
ON THE SURFACE OF THE SUN.

THERE WAS
NO UNUSUAL SOLAR ACTIVITY

ON THE DAY CONCERNED.

SO THE SUN
HAS BEEN BEHAVING NORMALLY.

Narrator: IT SEEMS
THE MOST LIKELY EXPLANATION

IS THAT THIS CLOUD
IS MAN-MADE.

COULD THE GOVERNMENT
BE USING ARIZONA

AS A TESTING GROUND FOR SOME
NEW FORM OF BIOLOGICAL WEAPON?

IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME
THIS HAS HAPPENED.

IN 1955, THE U.S. AIR FORCE
CARRIED OUT A TRIAL

CODE-NAMED OPERATION BIG BUZZ

TO TEST WHETHER INSECTS
COULD BE USED

TO SPREAD BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS.

IT DROPPED
330,000 BLOOD-THIRSTY MOSQUITOES

ON THE UNSUSPECTING
STATE OF GEORGIA

TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE
THEY WOULD BITE.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

COULD HAVE CONDUCTED EXPERIMENTS
ON THE POPULATION OF ARIZONA?

WELL, THEY'VE DONE
SUCH THINGS BEFORE.

WHO'S TO SAY
THEY WOULDN'T DO THEM AGAIN?

Narrator:
SOME BEGIN TO SUSPECT

THE MILITARY COULD
STILL BE CARRYING OUT

EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS
ON U.S. SOIL.

Jeras: SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE

THAT THERE'S A SINISTER PLOT
GOING ON WITH THE GOVERNMENT

THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY
SPRAYING CHEMICALS IN THE SKY

THAT WOULD CREATE
THESE TRAILS OF CLOUDS

POSSIBLY IN DIFFERENT COLORS.

Narrator: SOME EVEN WONDER

IF THESE CHEMTRAILS CONTAIN
MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCES.

THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION.

WHAT'S A CHEMTRAIL?

I KNOW PEOPLE
WHO THINK THEY'RE POISONOUS.

Narrator:
BUT NOT EVERYONE IS CONVINCED

THE PINK CLOUD
IS A CHEMTRAIL.

THERE'S NO EVIDENCE
THAT CHEMTRAILS ARE REAL.

IN FACT,
IF YOU WANTED TO DISPERSE

A MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCE,

YOU WOULDN'T DO IT AT THE HEIGHT
THAT AIRPLANES FLY.

BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT NASA

HAS BEEN SPRAYING CHEMICALS
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

IT EVEN ISSUED A PRESS RELEASE
EXPLAINING WHY.

AT 5:26 A.M.
ON FEBRUARY 25th,

NASA LAUNCHED A ROCKET FROM
THE WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE.

NASA LAUNCHED A ROCKET
HIGH UP INTO THE ATMOSPHERE

AND RELEASED CHEMICALS
WHICH CREATED THE COLORED CLOUD.

Narrator: THE ROCKET WAS
CARRYING A CHEMICAL COMPOUND

CALLED SUMERIAN VAPOR.

IT'S A CHEMICAL THAT
WHEN IT REACTS WITH

THE CHARGED PARTICLES
IN THE IONOSPHERE

TURNS PINK.

Narrator:
THE ROCKET WAS DESIGNED TO REACH
AN ALTITUDE OF 100 MILES

BEFORE IT SPRAYED
THE SUMERIAN VAPOR

INTO THE IONOSPHERE.

THE VAPOR SIMULATES THE PLASMA
THAT ENVELOPES OUR WORLD

FORMED BY
EARTH'S ELECTRICAL FIELD.

BY ANALYZING HOW THIS HAPPENS,

NASA HOPES TO LEARN

HOW THE OUTERMOST LAYER
OF OUR ATMOSPHERE WAS FORMED.

IT TURNS OUT,

NASA HAS BEEN SEEDING
THE ATMOSPHERE WITH CHEMICALS

FOR DECADES.

Guarino: SINCE THE '50s,

NASA'S BEEN RELEASING
COLORFUL VAPORS INTO THE AIR

FOR SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS.

Narrator:
THIS ATMOSPHERIC EXPERIMENT

IS JUST THE LATEST
IN A LONG LINE

GOING BACK
MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY

TO THE EARLIEST DAYS
OF NASA.

COMING UP,
THE SOVIET SPACE WEAPON

THAT THREATENS AMERICA'S SKIES.

Jurek:
IT CAN LAUNCH WITHOUT WARNING.

IT'S DEATH FROM THE SKY.

Narrator: THE SOVIETS
LAUNCH A WEAPON INTO SPACE.

IT WAS THE BIGGEST WEAPON
ANYONE'S EVER PUT INTO SPACE.

Narrator:
THE U.S. FEARS THE WORST.

Jurek:
THE REAL FEAR IS THAT

THEY'VE SEIZED THE HIGH GROUND
FROM SPACE.

Narrator: 1974,
THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR.

THE U.S.A. AND THE SOVIET UNION

ARE LOCKED
IN A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE.

IT'S A DANGEROUS SHADOW GAME
OF BLUFF AND COUNTER BLUFF.

Obert: THE STANDOFF BETWEEN

THE UNITED STATES
AND THE SOVIET UNION

LED TO A WORLDWIDE CONCERN
OVER A NUCLEAR EXCHANGE

THAT WOULD AFFECT
THE ENTIRE PLANET.

WE HAVE BOTH SIDES
BRAINSTORMING VARIOUS METHODS

OF USING SPACE FOR GETTING
SOME KIND OF MILITARY ADVANTAGE.

Narrator: IN JUNE,
THE SOVIET UNION ANNOUNCES

THE LAUNCH OF THE SALYUT 3,

AN EXPERIMENTAL SPACE STATION
MANNED BY TWO COSMONAUTS.

THE PENTAGON GOES ON HIGH ALERT.

THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT WAS
GOING ON ABOARD THESE STATIONS.

THEY HAD SUSPICIONS.

Jurek:
THE REAL FEAR IS THAT

THEY'VE SEIZED
THE HIGH GROUND FROM SPACE.

Narrator: THERE'S NO QUESTION

THE RUSSIAN SPACE STATION
HAS MILITARY CAPABILITIES.

THERE'S A CREDIBLE THREAT

THAT SALYUT 3
COULD GET THE DROP ON THE U.S.A.

HANGING OVER THE ENTIRE COLD WAR
WAS THE CONCERN

THAT SPACE WAS GONNA BE THE WAY
YOU DELIVER NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

Jurek:
THESE ARE THE DARKEST DAYS
OF THE COLD WAR.

AND YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED
WHEN THE SOVIET'S GO INTO SPACE,

HAVE THEY TAKEN
A WEAPON WITH THEM?

Narrator:
THERE ARE OBVIOUS ADVANTAGES

TO EXECUTING A NUCLEAR STRIKE
FROM SPACE.

YOU CAN LAUNCH WITHOUT WARNING.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
IT'S DEATH FROM THE SKY.

Narrator: BUT DROPPING
A NUCLEAR BOMB FROM SPACE

IS FAR EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

Oberg: YOU'RE IN AN ORBIT

THAT ONLY PASSES
OVER POTENTIAL TARGETS

A FEW MINUTES,
SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

AND THE REST OF THE TIME,

YOU'RE COMPLETELY OUT OF RANGE
OF EVERY PLACE ON EARTH.

SO PUTTING A WEAPON UP THERE
WILL ONLY BE USEFUL

UNDER VERY NARROW WINDOWS.

Jurek:
THE AMERICANS QUICKLY DECIDE

THAT THE RUSSIANS
DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY

TO LAUNCH NUCLEAR WEAPONS
FROM SPACE.

BUT THAT DOESN'T RULE OUT
THE POSSIBILITY

IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

Narrator:
EVEN IF THE RUSSIANS HAVEN'T
BUILT A NUCLEAR DELIVERY SYSTEM,

IT'S POSSIBLE THAT SALYUT 3
COULD BE DESIGNED

TO STOP U.S. MISSILES
GETTING THROUGH.

WHEN AN INTERCONTINENTAL
BALLISTIC MISSILE IS FIRED,

THE TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET

MEANS THE WARHEAD BRIEFLY
LEAVES THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

IT'S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY
TO DESTROY IT.

INTERCEPTING A NUCLEAR MISSILE
ONCE IT RE-ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE

IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

THE TIME TO CAPTURE IT
AND TO INTERCEPT IT

WILL BE
WHEN IT'S STILL UP IN SPACE.

Narrator: U.S. MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE INDICATES

THE SOVIET SPACE PROGRAM

COULD BE TAKING THIS
TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

THE SOVIETS WERE WORKING ON
A MEGA LASER.

DURING THIS SALYUT 3 LAUNCH,

ONE OF THE SPACE WEAPONS
WAS A LASER DEATH RAY.

Narrator: BUT IN THE 1970s,

LASER WEAPONRY STILL LIES
IN THE REALM OF SCIENCE FICTION.

Jurek: THE REALITY IS

A LASER INTERCEPT PLATFORM
FROM SPACE

JUST WOULDN'T WORK.

THE RUSSIANS,
AND THE AMERICANS FRANKLY,

DIDN'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY.

Narrator: U.S. INVESTIGATORS
REMAIN IN THE DARK

UNTIL THE 1990s WHEN
THE FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION

RELEASES FILES
THAT SHED NEW LIGHT

ON SALYUT 3'S TRUE PURPOSE.

THE COSMONAUTS WERE SPIES.

Oberg:
BOTH COUNTRIES KEPT AN EYE
ON EACH OTHER'S FORCES

MOSTLY THROUGH SPY SATELLITES.

SALYUT 3 WAS THEIR
MILITARY RECONNAISSANCE
SATELLITE PROGRAM.

BUT THE SOVIET SPY SATELLITES

ARE NOT NEARLY AS SOPHISTICATED
AS THE AMERICANS'.

FOR THE SOVIETS,
THE ANSWER SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN

A MANNED VEHICLE
THAT THEY WILL PUT INTO SPACE.

AND IT WILL KEEP WATCH --

CAREFUL WATCH
ON THE UNITED STATES.

Narrator: EVEN IN SPACE,

THE KREMLIN BELIEVE
COSMO-SPIES ON SALYUT 3

WEREN'T COMPLETELY OUT OF
THE REACH OF THE U.S. MILITARY.

TO PROTECT
THE ORBITING RUSSIAN SPIES,

THE SOVIETS TOOK
THE FIRST DANGEROUS STEP

TOWARD WEAPONIZING SPACE.

THE SOVIETS KNEW THE AMERICANS
WOULD THINK IT WAS SO IMPORTANT,

THEY MIGHT BE TEMPTED
TO ATTACK IT.

PARANOIA,
WHICH WE FACE AT THIS TIME,

IS THAT
AN AMERICAN DESTROYER SATELLITE

CAN COME VERY CLOSE
TO THE MILITARY SPACE STATION

AND LET THEM TO RAM IT
OR EVEN DESTROY IT.

Oberg: TO PREVENT THAT,

THE NEXT OBVIOUS STEP
FOR THE SOVIETS

WAS TO ARM THE STATION
WITH A DEFENSIVE GUN.

Narrator:
SALYUT 3 MADE HISTORY

AS THE FIRST SPACE STATION ARMED
WITH AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT CANNON

THAT COULD FIRE
HIGH-EXPLOSIVE SHELLS

AT CLOSE TO
1,500 MILES PER HOUR --

AN R-23M KARTECH INTERCEPTOR.

THE CANNON THAT THE SOVIETS
PUT ON THEIR MILITARY SATELLITES

WAS THE BIGGEST WEAPON
ANYONE'S EVER PUT INTO SPACE.

IT WAS DESIGNED TO SHOOT DOWN
ANY AMERICAN SPACECRAFT

TRYING TO APPROACH
THE RUSSIAN STATION.

Narrator: NOBODY HAD EVER
FIRED A RAPID-FIRE CANNON

IN SPACE BEFORE.

THERE WAS A REAL DANGER

THAT ITS RECOIL MIGHT PUT
THE STATION INTO A SPIN.

FIRING THIS GUN
IS A DANGEROUS OPERATION.

SO THE SOVIETS DECIDE
TO TEST-FIRE IT.

Narrator:
THE RESULTS OF THE TEST

IS STILL A CLOSELY-GUARDED
MILITARY SECRET.

SECRECY AND PARANOIA

IN A MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE SOVIET UNION

IS ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT.

IT'S OVERWHELMING.

Gervovitsch:
THE SOVIETS DON'T WANT PEOPLE
TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR FAILURES.

AND FOR THIS REASON,

THEY HIDE THE ENTIRE PROGRAMS
THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON.

WE KNOW
THAT THE GUN WAS FIRED.

BUT STILL, WE DON'T KNOW
IF IT HIT THE TARGET.

Narrator: THE R-23M
IS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN.

BUT IRONICALLY,
IT PAVES THE WAY

FOR SOMETHING ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT.

Oberg:
SALYUT 3 AND SALYUT 5

WERE PART OF A PROGRAM
CALLED ALMAZ WHICH WAS THEIR

MILITARY RECONNAISSANCE
SATELLITE PROGRAM.

ONE OF THE LEFTOVER MODULES
IN THAT PROGRAM WAS SOLD TO NASA

AS THE BASE BLOCK OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

SO OUR INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION PROGRAM

UP THERE AS
A SYMBOL OF WORLD PEACE

IS BUILT ON A SPACECRAFT

ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO CARRY
A WEAPON INTO SPACE.

SO IF THAT'S NOT
SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES,

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.

Narrator: COMING UP,
THE MYSTERIOUS MALFUNCTION

THAT MAY HAVE POISONED
THE I.S.S.

WHEN YOU HEAR THE ALARM
IN THE SPACE STATION,

YOU NEED TO MOVE FAST.

THERE'S NO TIME TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

Narrator:
AN ALARM MYSTERIOUSLY GOES OFF

IN THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.

THERE'S SOME KIND OF TOXIC
GAS LEAK IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

Oberg: IT HAS AN UNPLEASANT,
PUNGENT SMELL.

IT COULD BE THE SMELL OF DEATH.

Narrator: NASA STRUGGLES
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

NOW MISSION CONTROL
IS TOTALLY CONFUSED.

Narrator:
IS SOMEONE OR SOMETHING

TRYING TO SABOTAGE
THE I.S.S.?

JANUARY 2015.

ASTRONAUTS ONBOARD
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

EAGERLY AWAIT THE ARRIVAL
OF A SUPPLY SHIP.

NOT ONLY IS THERE
EXTRA SPARE PARTS,

THERE'S GIFTS, FRESH FOOD.

USUALLY, THIS IS A FUN TIME.
THIS IS A GOOD TIME.

BUT THAT GOOD MOOD
IS ABOUT TO BE SHATTERED.

Narrator:
TWO DAYS LATER,

THE ASTRONAUTS
ARE STILL UNPACKING

WHEN SOMETHING
COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED

INTERRUPTS THEIR ROUTINE.

AS THEY'RE UNLOADING
ALL THIS EQUIPMENT,

THE ALARM STARTS SOUNDING.

Orwoll: WHEN YOU HEAR THE ALARM
IN THE SPACE STATION,

YOU NEED TO MOVE FAST.

Narrator:
THE SENSORS INDICATE

THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG

WITH THE AIR
INSIDE THE SPACE STATION.

THERE'S SOME KIND OF TOXIC
GAS LEAK IN THE ENVIRONMENT

WHICH IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

YOU CAN'T ROLL DOWN A WINDOW
TO AIR OUT THE SPACE.

YOU HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AS IT IS.

Narrator: THE CREW IMMEDIATELY
PUT ON GAS MASKS

AND RETREAT
TO THE RUSSIAN SECTION.

ON THE GROUND,

NASA TECHNICIANS
SCRAMBLE TO FIND OUT

WHAT THE SENSORS HAVE DETECTED.

THE DATA COMING FROM THE SENSORS
DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE.

IT SUGGESTS
A LEAK OF TOXIC AMMONIA.

IT HAS AN UNPLEASANT,
PUNGENT SMELL.

AND IF YOU SMELL IT
FOR ANY REASON,

IT COULD BE THE SMELL OF DEATH.

SO THE KEY QUESTION NOW IS,
WHERE IS THE LEAK?

Narrator: NASA SUSPECTS

THAT IT'S COMING FROM
THE ONBOARD COOLING SYSTEM

WHICH USES AMMONIA
TO RADIATE HEAT FROM THE STATION

OUT INTO SPACE.

THAT KIND OF LEAK
JUST SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.

Oberg: IF THE COOLING SYSTEM
PLUMBING HAS RUPTURED,

AMMONIA COULD LEAK
INTO THE AMERICAN SIDE

MAKING IT UNINHABITABLE.

Teitel:
THE SYSTEM THAT IS USED

TO DISSIPATE HEAT
FROM THE STATION

OUT INTO SPACE SAFELY

IS NOW POSING A HUGE RISK
TO THE ASTRONAUTS.

THE CONCERN
WAS THAT THE AMMONIA

WAS GETTING
FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOPS

THROUGH SOME KIND OF A LEAK.

Narrator: BUT TO CHECK THAT,

THE ASTRONAUTS WILL HAVE
TO PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER.

FIGURING OUT WHAT CAUSED
THE ORIGINAL ALARM

REQUIRES YOU TO MEASURE
THE AMMONIA LEVEL

IN THE AMERICAN SIDE.

BUT THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THAT
IS ON THE AMERICAN SIDE

WHERE YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO.

WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: LOOKING BACK
THROUGH THE MISSION LOGS,

THE ONLY UNUSUAL EVENT
IN THE LAST TWO DAYS

IS THE SUPPLY SHIP DOCKING.

THE DOCKING HATCH IS RIGHT NEXT
TO THE COOLING SYSTEM.

PERHAPS,
THERE COULD'VE BEEN A COLLISION.

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

DATA FROM THE DOCKING PROCEDURE
SHOWS NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT.

EVEN MORE MYSTERIOUSLY,

READINGS FROM
THE THERMAL CONTROL SYSTEM

SHOW NO EVIDENCE
THAT AMMONIA IS LEAKING.

SOMETHING ELSE IS GOING ON.

NASA SENDS A MESSAGE
TO THE ASTRONAUTS

THAT THERE'S NO AMMONIA
INSIDE THE MODULE.

Oberg: THE CREW OPENS THE HATCH
AND SLOWLY REENTERS THE MODULE.

THEY FIND OUT
THERE IS NO AMMONIA IN THERE.

BUT AS SOON AS THEY DO,
A CABIN PRESSURE ALARM SOUNDS.

AND THEY'RE FORCED
TO EVACUATE YET AGAIN.

Narrator:
THE CREW RETREAT BACK TO
THE RUSSIAN SIDE OF THE STATION.

NOW, MISSION CONTROL
IS TOTALLY CONFUSED.

ON THE GROUND,
MISSION CONTROLLERS

ARE RECEIVING
ERRATIC INFORMATION

FROM THE SPACE STATION'S
COMPUTERS.

NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT
WHAT'S GOING ON.

Narrator: OUT OF OPTIONS,
NASA GOES BACK TO BASICS.

MISSION CONTROL
TAKES THE I.T. APPROACH

AND HAS THEM
TURN THE COMPUTERS OFF

AND THEN BACK ON.

IT'S COMPUTERS 101.

BUT GUESS WHAT?

IT WORKS.

Narrator: THE ALARM RESETS,

AND THE CREW CAN
RE-ENTER THE MODULE.

AN INVESTIGATION DETERMINES

THAT A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION
CAUSED THE SECOND ALARM.

Orwoll: THE PRESSURE SENSORS
WERE SET OFF

FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

FIRST, THE VENTILATION SYSTEM
WAS TURNED OFF.

SECOND, THE BREATHING MASKS
THEY WERE USING

WERE ADDING GAS TO THE MODULE

WITH EVERY BREATH
THAT THEY TOOK.

MAN:
This is a false indication.

IN THIS CASE, FORTUNATELY,

IT TURNED OUT TO BE
A FALSE ALARM.

Oberg: AT LAST, THE SENSORS
SAY EVERYTHING'S NORMAL.

THEY NEVER DID FIGURE OUT

WHAT HAD CAUSED
THE ORIGINAL ALARM TO GO OFF.

Narrator: WHATEVER CAUSED
THE ORIGINAL EMERGENCY

COULD STILL POSE A THREAT
TO THE I.S.S. TODAY.

Narrator: STILL TO COME,

ASTRONOMERS BATTLE
WITH A 350-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY.

OUT OF NOWHERE, IT APPEARED,

THEN IT DISAPPEARED,

THEN IT RE-APPEARED,

THEN IT DISAPPEARED AGAIN.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

Narrator:
RENAISSANCE ASTRONOMERS

SEE SOMETHING
THAT OUGHT TO BE IMPOSSIBLE.

Oluseyi: IF YOU DISCOVER
A NEW STAR IN THE SKY,

THAT'S EXCITING.

THAT STAR DISAPPEARS,
THAT'S WEIRD.

THAT STAR RE-APPEARS,
THAT IS A MYSTERY.

Narrator:
THE 350-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY

TRIGGERS ONE OF
THE LONGEST INVESTIGATIONS

IN THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY.

1670, FRANCE.

A BRIGHT LIGHT SUDDENLY
SHINES IN THE NIGHT SKY.

350 YEARS AGO,

ASTRONOMERS SAW A STAR
APPEAR IN THE SKY

THAT THEY HADN'T SEEN BEFORE.

SCIENTISTS KNEW THAT
SOMETIMES STARS BECAME BRIGHTER,

AND THEN, THEY COULD DISAPPEAR.

WHAT THEY'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE

WAS A STAR THAT BECAME BRIGHTER,
DISAPPEARED,

AND THEN, SOMEHOW,
RE-APPEARED AGAIN.

Narrator:
THIS IMPOSSIBLE STAR

COULD'VE EASILY BEEN DISMISSED
AS A MISTAKE AND FORGOTTEN.

THIS ALL HAPPENED
A LONG TIME AGO.

SO MAYBE THERE WAS JUST AN ERROR
IN THEIR OBSERVATION.

BUT THE MAN
WHO DOCUMENTED THIS ANOMALY

WAS ONE OF THE GREAT FATHERS
OF MODERN ASTRONOMY --

GIOVANNI DOMENICO CASSINI.

IT'S REALLY UNLIKELY THAT

CASSINI OR SOME OF THE OTHER
CONTEMPORARY ASTRONOMERS

ARE GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE

ABOUT NOTICING A STAR
APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR.

ACROSS EUROPE,
PEOPLE ARE SHARING INFORMATION.

THEY'RE CORROBORATING
THEIR NOTES,

THEY'RE MAKING
METICULOUS DETAILS,

AND EVERYTHING IS LINING UP.

SOMETHING STRANGE
IS GOING ON WITH THIS STAR.

Narrator: INITIALLY,
CASSINI THOUGHT HE HAD WITNESSED

THE INTENSE,
SHORT-LIVED BURSTS OF LIGHT

THAT FADE AND RETURN
WHEN A DYING STAR EXPLODES.

AT THE TIME,
THEY KNEW ABOUT NOVA --

STARS THAT EXPLODE AND BRIGHTEN
CONSIDERABLY FOR SOME TIME.

Narrator:
BUT THIS LIGHT WAS PULSING
TOO QUICKLY TO BE A NOVA.

NOVAE DO BRIGHTEN,
AND FADE, AND BRIGHTEN AGAIN.

BUT THE FASTEST ONES DO THIS
ON THE SCALE OF DECADES,

NOT ON THE SCALE OF A YEAR.

Narrator:
SO IF THE IMPOSSIBLE STAR
ISN'T A NOVA,

THEN WHAT DID CASSINI SEE?

IT WASN'T UNTIL ALBERT EINSTEIN

PROPOSED THE GENERAL THEORY
OF RELATIVITY

250 YEARS LATER

THAT ANOTHER POSSIBILITY AROSE.

ANOTHER IDEA
FOR THIS SORT OF EVENT

IS THAT A STAR
IS BEING TORN APART

AND EATEN BY A BLACK HOLE.

BUT IN THE DAYS OF CASSINI,

THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
BLACK HOLES EXISTED.

Narrator:
A BLACK HOLE IS BORN

WHEN A LARGE STAR BURNS OUT
AND COLLAPSES IN ON ITSELF.

ITS IMMENSE GRAVITATIONAL PULL
DEVOURS ALL AROUND IT,

STRETCHING MATTER TO INFINITY

AS IT SUCKS EVERYTHING
INTO ITS MAW, EVEN LIGHT.

WHEN A BLACK HOLE EATS A STAR,
THE STAR IS TORN APART,

AND IT GETS STRETCHED OUT
INTO A DISC AROUND THE STAR.

QUITE OFTEN,
YOU'LL GET FLASHES OF LIGHT

NEAR THE EDGE OF THE BLACK HOLE

THAT MIGHT BE VISIBLE

IF IT HAPPENED
CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE EARTH.

Narrator:
BUT A BLACK HOLE ONLY EXPLAINS

PART OF THE PHENOMENON
CASSINI OBSERVED.

THIS THEORY
FITS SOME OF THE FACTS.

BUT WHEN A BLACK HOLE
EATS A STAR, IT'S GONE.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE
IT RE-APPEAR.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS REMAIN
IN THE DARK UNTIL 2015

WHEN ASTRONOMER TOMASZ KAMINSKI

USES CUTTING-EDGE TECHNIQUES
TO STUDY THE IMPOSSIBLE STAR.

KAMINSKI REALIZES

THAT THE NEBULA OF GAS
SURROUNDING THE STAR

IS TOO MASSIVE TO BE THE PRODUCT
OF A SINGLE NOVA EXPLOSION.

THIS INDICATES
THAT IT ISN'T

THE REMNANTS OF ONE STAR,
BUT TWO.

IT SUGGESTS CASSINI
MAY HAVE WITNESSED

AN INCREDIBLY RARE COSMIC EVENT.

THE OBSERVATIONS OF THESE NEBULA
ARE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL

IN EXPLAINING HOW THIS STAR
APPEARED AND THEN DISAPPEARED.

THIS IS CALLED A "RED TRANSIENT"
OR A "LUMINOUS RED NOVA."

Oluseyi:
A RED TRANSIENT OCCURS

WHEN TWO STARS LIKE THE SUN,
MAIN-SEQUENCE STARS, COLLIDE.

Narrator:
THE RESULTING EXPLOSION

THROWS OFF
SUCH A HUGE QUANTITY OF DEBRIS

THAT THE DUST CLOUD
ENVELOPES BOTH STARS.

Genge: DEBRIS COOLS AND HIDES
THE LIGHT FROM THE STARS.

AND WHEN IT EVENTUALLY CLEARS,

WE CAN SEE THE STAR AGAIN.

AND, SO, THE STAR APPEARS
TO DISAPPEAR AND THEN REAPPEAR.

EVENTS LIKE THESE
ARE INCREDIBLY RARE.

EVEN WHEN GALAXIES COLLIDE,

IT IS VERY RARE
THAT STARS COLLIDE.

Narrator: IF THIS REALLY IS
WHAT'S GOING ON,

THE FATHER OF ASTRONOMY
RECORDED SOMETHING

THAT VERY FEW OBSERVERS
HAVE EVER SEEN.

Genge: CONSIDERING HOW RARE
THESE EVENTS ARE,

IT'S AMAZING THAT CASSINI
ACTUALLY SAW ONE IN ACTION

WHEN, TODAY,
EVEN USING MODERN TELESCOPES,

THEY ARE REALLY
DIFFICULT TO FIND.

IN FACT, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHEN WE WILL SEE THE NEXT ONE.