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(male narrator)
Can something in space
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cause animals to be born
with two heads?
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[bleats]
4
00:00:08,609 --> 00:00:11,179
Why were
the most fearsome warriors
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our planet has ever known
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stopped by a flaming light
in the sky?
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00:00:17,651 --> 00:00:21,522
How did Columbus use
secret knowledge of the heavens
8
00:00:21,555 --> 00:00:25,726
to cheat death
in the New World.
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00:00:25,759 --> 00:00:30,364
Our ancestors saw a universe
filled with bad omens.
10
00:00:30,398 --> 00:00:32,733
But what were they
really seeing?
11
00:00:32,766 --> 00:00:36,070
And how did fear
of these objects in the sky
12
00:00:36,104 --> 00:00:38,806
change history?
13
00:00:41,809 --> 00:00:43,711
Ancient mysteries,
14
00:00:43,744 --> 00:00:47,548
shrouded
in the shadows of time...
15
00:00:47,581 --> 00:00:50,318
Now, can they finally
be solved
16
00:00:50,351 --> 00:00:54,188
by looking to the heavens?
17
00:00:54,222 --> 00:00:56,724
The truth is up there,
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00:00:56,757 --> 00:01:00,094
hidden among the stars
19
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in a place we call...
20
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For our ancestors,
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00:01:13,841 --> 00:01:17,645
the skies were filled
with equal parts wonder...
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And terror.
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Bad omens from above
changed human history...
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00:01:28,389 --> 00:01:30,824
again and again.
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Four centuries
before the birth of Jesus,
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it is a time of war...
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Athens versus Sparta.
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And this time
it's for keeps.
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Control of the ancient world
hangs in the balance.
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Thousands of brave warriors,
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hundreds of ships at sea...
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all poised for action,
33
00:02:03,924 --> 00:02:06,860
waiting for the command
from their leaders
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00:02:06,894 --> 00:02:10,198
to unleash hell on Earth.
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00:02:12,766 --> 00:02:14,568
And then...
36
00:02:16,837 --> 00:02:20,174
An omen...
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00:02:20,208 --> 00:02:24,412
a strange light in the sky...
38
00:02:24,445 --> 00:02:27,181
a fiery object
said to be visible
39
00:02:27,215 --> 00:02:29,683
for 75 days...
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00:02:29,717 --> 00:02:34,388
as both sides nervously watch
and wait.
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It's an omen.
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00:02:39,327 --> 00:02:43,597
But what does it mean,
and what is the object?
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The Spartans devise a strategy.
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00:02:51,405 --> 00:02:53,574
They send an envoy
to the Greeks,
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00:02:53,607 --> 00:02:56,944
saying that with such
a bad omen overhead,
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battle would have to wait.
47
00:03:02,283 --> 00:03:04,618
As days stretch into weeks,
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00:03:04,652 --> 00:03:08,922
the Greeks grow confident
no attack is coming.
49
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,297
So that is when
the Spartans strike--
50
00:03:16,330 --> 00:03:20,334
a sneak attack...
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00:03:20,368 --> 00:03:22,403
decimating the Greeks
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00:03:22,436 --> 00:03:24,905
and marking the beginning
of the end
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00:03:24,938 --> 00:03:29,910
for the nearly 30-year-long
Peloponnesian War.
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00:03:33,314 --> 00:03:36,350
The final toll is staggering--
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00:03:36,384 --> 00:03:40,788
more than 3,000 Greek men
captured and killed on the spot.
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It couldn't be any clearer.
57
00:03:46,860 --> 00:03:50,030
To the Greeks, the defeat
was definitive proof
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the Greek Gods had sent
the sky object as a bad omen.
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If you're in the middle
of a war
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00:03:57,905 --> 00:03:59,773
and you see an omen
in the skies,
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00:03:59,807 --> 00:04:02,310
that's gonna mean
something bad.
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00:04:02,343 --> 00:04:05,579
It's something to be
concerned about.
63
00:04:05,613 --> 00:04:08,382
(narrator)
But what was the object
in the sky
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that brought an end
to nearly 30 years of war?
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One account
of the object describes,
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00:04:18,426 --> 00:04:20,994
"A fiery body of vast size,
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00:04:21,028 --> 00:04:23,497
"as if it had been
a flaming cloud,
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00:04:23,531 --> 00:04:27,000
"not resting in one place,
but moving along
69
00:04:27,034 --> 00:04:31,472
with intricate
and irregular motions."
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00:04:31,505 --> 00:04:35,843
Could the ancient Greeks
have been describing a meteor?
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00:04:39,347 --> 00:04:41,315
Also known as shooting stars,
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meteors make a fiery display
as they streak across the sky.
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00:04:47,621 --> 00:04:50,624
But since they're actually
small rocks and bits of dust
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burning up as they fall
through the atmosphere,
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meteors don't last very long.
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00:04:57,064 --> 00:04:59,600
They're visible
for a matter of seconds,
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00:04:59,633 --> 00:05:04,372
not days or months,
as the Greeks described.
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00:05:04,405 --> 00:05:08,509
Asteroids take longer
to pass through the sky,
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00:05:08,542 --> 00:05:10,378
but because they're dark,
80
00:05:10,411 --> 00:05:14,415
almost none of them are visible
to the naked eye.
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What the ancient Greeks
could have seen, however,
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was a comet.
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Mythmakers fear comets,
because they linger in the sky
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00:05:26,860 --> 00:05:30,598
for weeks,
even months at a time.
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The idea of seeing a comet
for 75 days, I could buy that.
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(narrator)
On average, only one bright
comet is visible
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to the naked eye each decade,
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meaning the appearance
of one in the sky
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would've been a rare
and remarkable event
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to the ancients.
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Comets are made of materials
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that we find readily
here on Earth.
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They're largely made up
of dry ice,
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00:05:55,956 --> 00:05:58,792
frozen carbon dioxide
like we exhale,
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00:05:58,826 --> 00:06:02,696
as well as water, a little bit
of organic material,
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00:06:02,730 --> 00:06:05,799
ammonia, not too different than
what's in cleaning materials,
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00:06:05,833 --> 00:06:09,903
and even silicates
like in sand from the beach.
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When you mix all
of these ingredients together,
99
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you have the recipe
for a comet.
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(narrator)
When the ancient Greeks
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described
a flaming cloud in the sky,
102
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is this
what they were seeing--
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a comet, changing
its position in the sky
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almost nightly,
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faster than anything
they had ever seen?
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00:06:35,162 --> 00:06:38,532
And what gives these icy objects
the fiery appearance
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that spooked the ancients?
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(Grazier)
As a gross overview,
a comet has two parts.
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It has the solid part
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and the long tail.
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When people talk
about a comet's tail,
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they're really talking
about two tails.
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You see, a comet has
a dust tail--
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the material, the solid bits,
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00:07:00,921 --> 00:07:02,690
the icy bits
that come off the comet--
116
00:07:02,723 --> 00:07:04,692
and an ion tail--
117
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ionized material from the comet
pushed away by solar wind.
118
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(narrator)
Comet tails come
in all shapes and sizes.
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But they also have
one thing in common--
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the tail points away
from the sun,
121
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no matter what part of its orbit
the comet is in.
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00:07:26,814 --> 00:07:28,181
As comets streak
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00:07:28,215 --> 00:07:29,983
into the inner part
of the solar system,
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they slowly heat up
from the sun's heat.
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00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,055
As they heat up,
they grow an amazing tail
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00:07:35,088 --> 00:07:36,757
that doesn't streak out
behind them,
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00:07:36,790 --> 00:07:38,492
the way
a lot of people think,
128
00:07:38,526 --> 00:07:41,495
but rather it's pushed
by the sun's radiation.
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00:07:41,529 --> 00:07:42,863
How we're able to
see that tail
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depends on where we are
relative to the sun
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and the comet.
132
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And sometimes
that tail's pushed out
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such that as the comet
flies away from the sun,
134
00:07:51,204 --> 00:07:53,040
it flies into its own tail.
135
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(narrator)
Comets may hold the answer
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to one of the most
fundamental questions
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about our planet.
138
00:08:06,854 --> 00:08:09,523
On Earth,
where there is water,
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there is life.
140
00:08:12,593 --> 00:08:15,863
But just where did
that water come from?
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Many have proposed
the water in Earth's oceans
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was delivered by comets
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crashing into the planet.
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00:08:28,742 --> 00:08:31,579
Others believe the water
hitched a ride
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inside rocky asteroids.
146
00:08:34,782 --> 00:08:37,250
Which theory is correct?
147
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Enter Rosetta--
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a mission designed to survey
then land a space probe
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on a comet.
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00:08:49,029 --> 00:08:52,099
Rosetta and its lander,
called Philae,
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tracked down a comet
known as 67P
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after a ten-year journey
through space.
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00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:03,644
So how do you get
to a comet?
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Loop around our solar system
multiple times,
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00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,249
including a daring
low-altitude skim
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less than 200 miles
above the surface of Mars.
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Then jam on the brakes.
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After establishing
a stable orbit of the comet,
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00:09:21,995 --> 00:09:25,298
the Philae lander
was deployed,
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00:09:25,332 --> 00:09:29,302
and the world watched
and waited.
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[applause]
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The gravity on a comet
is so little
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that the pull on that spacecraft
was no different
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than the weight of a piece
of paper on your hand.
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The lander had to be
equipped with harpoons
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that would help attach it
to the surface of the comet.
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When those didn't deploy,
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the lander actually bounced,
169
00:10:05,305 --> 00:10:09,342
making it not just a day
for the first comet landing,
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but also the second.
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(narrator)
Unfortunately, when Philae
finally came to est,
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it was partially
in the shade of a cliff.
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That meant that the solar panels
were only receiving
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00:10:24,457 --> 00:10:26,226
about an hour and a half
of sunlight,
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instead of the six hours
that we were anticipating
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that they would.
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However, the Rosetta team
deployed all
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of its instruments
at once,
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00:10:34,868 --> 00:10:37,370
trying to get as much data
as they possibly could
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00:10:37,404 --> 00:10:41,208
before the lander
ran out of batteries.
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(narrator)
Despite the bad luck,
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the Rosetta mission was able
to make a significant discovery.
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It appears unlikely
a comet like this one
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brought water to our planet.
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Its vapor has
a different chemical mix
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than we see on Earth.
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That leaves asteroids
as the most likely source
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of our water...
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an important finding
that could tilt
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decades of debate.
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00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:15,943
Even if comets
didn't bring water here,
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00:11:15,976 --> 00:11:18,879
they do carry with them
a set of beliefs,
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superstitions, and omens
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unlike anything else
in the night sky.
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00:11:26,854 --> 00:11:28,756
Were the ancients right
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00:11:28,789 --> 00:11:31,058
that there's one comet
in the solar system
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with the power to cause
the birth of two-headed animals?
198
00:11:33,827 --> 00:11:35,295
[bleats]
199
00:11:35,328 --> 00:11:39,266
And could that same comet
end all life on Earth?
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(narrator)
Normandy, France,
201
00:11:45,538 --> 00:11:49,042
the year 1066...
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a grand army prepares
for an invasion
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that could change
the course of history.
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00:11:56,183 --> 00:11:59,152
They are
Norman French soldiers,
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descendents of Vikings
and warriors,
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00:12:02,189 --> 00:12:04,091
and they are led by a man
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who will become known
as William the Conqueror.
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00:12:12,165 --> 00:12:15,102
William's army is on the move,
209
00:12:15,135 --> 00:12:19,206
inspired by an omen
in the night sky.
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00:12:19,239 --> 00:12:22,109
And what a sight it is.
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00:12:22,142 --> 00:12:25,846
Where once there was only
the normal stars and planets,
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00:12:25,879 --> 00:12:29,783
now on view is an object
four time larger in the sky
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00:12:29,817 --> 00:12:30,784
than Venus
214
00:12:30,818 --> 00:12:34,321
and a quarter of the brightness
of a full moon.
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00:12:36,156 --> 00:12:38,525
The Normans take
the comet's appearance
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00:12:38,558 --> 00:12:40,828
and the disruption
in the heavens
217
00:12:40,861 --> 00:12:44,131
as an omen that God
is angry at their enemy--
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00:12:44,164 --> 00:12:47,234
the English king Harold.
219
00:12:47,267 --> 00:12:50,137
Comets have been associated
with the death of kings,
220
00:12:50,170 --> 00:12:52,873
because comets linger
in the heavens.
221
00:12:52,906 --> 00:12:55,175
Meteors,
they just come and go,
222
00:12:55,208 --> 00:12:57,344
but comets linger in
the heavens,
223
00:12:57,377 --> 00:13:01,114
signaling that the gods
are angry at the king
224
00:13:01,148 --> 00:13:03,884
and the king must die.
225
00:13:06,619 --> 00:13:10,323
(narrator)
October 14, 1066--
226
00:13:10,357 --> 00:13:13,226
the Normans have crossed
the English Channel
227
00:13:13,260 --> 00:13:16,163
and engaged King Harold
and his forces
228
00:13:16,196 --> 00:13:18,598
at the Battle of Hastings.
229
00:13:18,631 --> 00:13:23,103
It's time to fight
and, for thousands of men,
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00:13:23,136 --> 00:13:25,372
time to die.
231
00:13:30,177 --> 00:13:32,012
When the battle finally ends,
232
00:13:32,045 --> 00:13:36,850
6,000 men are dead,
more English than Norman.
233
00:13:36,884 --> 00:13:38,986
That includes King Harold,
234
00:13:39,019 --> 00:13:43,924
whose advisors had warned him
the object was a bad omen.
235
00:13:43,957 --> 00:13:45,993
And it works.
The Normans won.
236
00:13:46,026 --> 00:13:47,260
The Anglo-Saxons lost.
237
00:13:47,294 --> 00:13:49,129
The history
of the English-speaking world
238
00:13:49,162 --> 00:13:51,098
changed forever.
239
00:13:51,131 --> 00:13:53,500
(narrator)
The battle and the omen
240
00:13:53,533 --> 00:13:57,237
live on
in a famous work of art.
241
00:13:57,270 --> 00:14:00,007
(Markley)
The Bayeux Tapestry is
an incredible work of art.
242
00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:01,441
It's 230 feet long,
243
00:14:01,474 --> 00:14:04,244
and it tells the whole story
of the invasion.
244
00:14:04,277 --> 00:14:06,613
It shows them crossing
the English Channel.
245
00:14:06,646 --> 00:14:08,081
It shows them in battle.
246
00:14:08,115 --> 00:14:09,950
It shows
the Anglo-Saxon shield wall.
247
00:14:09,983 --> 00:14:12,219
It even shows
the Anglo-Saxon king dying
248
00:14:12,252 --> 00:14:14,487
with an arrow in his eye.
249
00:14:14,521 --> 00:14:17,357
(narrator)
And there, hovering over it all,
250
00:14:17,390 --> 00:14:20,160
is the omen that set
it all in motion--
251
00:14:20,193 --> 00:14:22,162
not just any comet,
252
00:14:22,195 --> 00:14:24,031
it's Halley's Comet.
253
00:14:25,999 --> 00:14:27,901
Halley's Comet
has been recorded
254
00:14:27,935 --> 00:14:31,972
by Chinese astronomers
and on ancient stone tablets,
255
00:14:32,005 --> 00:14:36,309
dating back
thousands of years.
256
00:14:36,343 --> 00:14:38,311
The comet swings by the sun
257
00:14:38,345 --> 00:14:42,115
once every 75 or 76 years,
258
00:14:42,149 --> 00:14:45,118
making it the only comet
visible to the naked eye
259
00:14:45,152 --> 00:14:48,956
that you can see
twice in a lifetime.
260
00:14:48,989 --> 00:14:53,260
It seems nearly every time
Halley's Comet swings by Earth,
261
00:14:53,293 --> 00:14:55,996
it shakes up our history.
262
00:14:59,499 --> 00:15:02,069
The ancient Swiss thought
of Halley's Comet
263
00:15:02,102 --> 00:15:03,636
as such a bad omen,
264
00:15:03,670 --> 00:15:07,040
they blamed it for everything
from earthquakes
265
00:15:07,074 --> 00:15:09,042
to the birth
of two-headed animals.
266
00:15:09,076 --> 00:15:11,144
[bleats]
267
00:15:11,178 --> 00:15:14,481
Following its appearance
in 1456,
268
00:15:14,514 --> 00:15:17,650
it is said the Pope
excommunicated the comet,
269
00:15:17,684 --> 00:15:20,988
thinking it was a bad omen
for Christian soldiers
270
00:15:21,021 --> 00:15:23,423
battling the Ottoman Empire.
271
00:15:23,456 --> 00:15:28,328
But is fear of Halley's Comet
just superstition,
272
00:15:28,361 --> 00:15:33,033
or could it really cause
earthly Armageddon?
273
00:15:35,135 --> 00:15:37,237
Imagine...
274
00:15:37,270 --> 00:15:41,174
November 27, 2061...
275
00:15:41,208 --> 00:15:45,345
As amateur astronomers gather
for a look at Halley's Comet,
276
00:15:45,378 --> 00:15:47,480
stunning news is confirmed.
277
00:15:47,514 --> 00:15:50,517
There has been a change
in Halley's orbit,
278
00:15:50,550 --> 00:15:55,188
and it's headed straight
for Earth.
279
00:15:55,222 --> 00:15:58,058
If a giant comet were
to crash into the Earth,
280
00:15:58,091 --> 00:16:00,760
it would really ruin
your day.
281
00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:04,064
First of all, there would be
a blinding flash of heat
282
00:16:04,097 --> 00:16:06,199
traveling
at the speed of light,
283
00:16:06,233 --> 00:16:09,336
infrared radiation,
heat radiation coming out.
284
00:16:09,369 --> 00:16:12,539
Then a few seconds later,
the shockwave.
285
00:16:12,572 --> 00:16:16,076
The shockwave traveling
near the speed of sound,
286
00:16:16,109 --> 00:16:19,146
pulverizing everything
in its wake.
287
00:16:19,179 --> 00:16:23,183
And then after that,
perhaps we would have a tsunami
288
00:16:23,216 --> 00:16:25,385
coming at you.
289
00:16:25,418 --> 00:16:28,688
Remember that Halley's Comet
is about 20 miles across,
290
00:16:28,721 --> 00:16:30,723
about the size of Manhattan,
291
00:16:30,757 --> 00:16:33,560
but the object which destroyed
the dinosaurs
292
00:16:33,593 --> 00:16:37,230
65 million years ago
was only 6 miles across.
293
00:16:37,264 --> 00:16:40,333
And so, if we had
Halley's Comet
294
00:16:40,367 --> 00:16:41,568
hit the planet Earth,
295
00:16:41,601 --> 00:16:44,137
it would be
not just a city buster,
296
00:16:44,171 --> 00:16:46,739
it would be a planet buster.
297
00:16:48,808 --> 00:16:51,511
(narrator)
Even today
we have the technology
298
00:16:51,544 --> 00:16:54,114
to track and photograph
Halley's Comet
299
00:16:54,147 --> 00:16:56,049
at every point in its orbit.
300
00:16:56,083 --> 00:16:59,319
In the future, there is time
to develop a plan
301
00:16:59,352 --> 00:17:02,222
to save humanity.
302
00:17:02,255 --> 00:17:05,558
If we have a comet and we've
been following its orbit,
303
00:17:05,592 --> 00:17:08,061
for many, many years
and we know it very accurately
304
00:17:08,095 --> 00:17:11,331
and we can predict
the collision with Earth
305
00:17:11,364 --> 00:17:12,632
decades ahead of time,
306
00:17:12,665 --> 00:17:14,701
then we might be able
to do something
307
00:17:14,734 --> 00:17:18,238
about that comet
before it hits the Earth.
308
00:17:18,271 --> 00:17:21,474
You can send a spacecraft up
there and tug it a little bit
309
00:17:21,508 --> 00:17:24,611
so that a bit at a time
we pull it away
310
00:17:24,644 --> 00:17:28,648
in such a way
that it doesn't hit the Earth.
311
00:17:28,681 --> 00:17:30,283
(narrator)
The truly dangerous comets
312
00:17:30,317 --> 00:17:33,453
are the ones
we've never seen before--
313
00:17:33,486 --> 00:17:35,455
objects with orbits so long
314
00:17:35,488 --> 00:17:37,357
that they come in
once every thousand
315
00:17:37,390 --> 00:17:40,260
or ten thousand years.
316
00:17:40,293 --> 00:17:42,562
(Filippenko)
For a comet coming in
for the first time
317
00:17:42,595 --> 00:17:44,297
in recorded history,
318
00:17:44,331 --> 00:17:46,566
there's essentially nothing
we can do
319
00:17:46,599 --> 00:17:48,535
with today's technology.
320
00:17:48,568 --> 00:17:52,672
We have a few months' warning,
maybe one year at maximum.
321
00:17:52,705 --> 00:17:54,574
We don't know the trajectory
very well.
322
00:17:54,607 --> 00:17:57,844
We can't send up
the spacecraft.
323
00:17:57,877 --> 00:18:00,780
So I'm sorry to say
that if there's a giant comet
324
00:18:00,813 --> 00:18:02,415
with Earth's name written on it
325
00:18:02,449 --> 00:18:05,152
heading toward us
for the first time,
326
00:18:05,185 --> 00:18:06,319
it's good-bye, cruel world.
327
00:18:06,353 --> 00:18:08,288
I'm sorry.
328
00:18:08,321 --> 00:18:12,225
A really bad omen
that actually comes to pass.
329
00:18:15,362 --> 00:18:18,365
(narrator)
If a new comet is approaching
Earth for the first time
330
00:18:18,398 --> 00:18:20,233
in recorded history,
331
00:18:20,267 --> 00:18:23,803
it's definitely coming in fast.
332
00:18:23,836 --> 00:18:26,506
Visualizing the motion
of a comet in its orbit
333
00:18:26,539 --> 00:18:30,210
is kind of like visualizing
the motion of a ball
334
00:18:30,243 --> 00:18:31,411
being tossed into the air.
335
00:18:31,444 --> 00:18:33,480
It starts out
moving fairly quickly,
336
00:18:33,513 --> 00:18:35,648
slows at the apex,
337
00:18:35,682 --> 00:18:37,850
and accelerates back
towards the ground.
338
00:18:37,884 --> 00:18:41,421
This is, in fact,
a partial orbit.
339
00:18:41,454 --> 00:18:43,856
Let's look at one full orbit.
340
00:18:45,825 --> 00:18:48,361
So, as a comet moves
away from the sun,
341
00:18:48,395 --> 00:18:49,862
it's moving fairly quickly
342
00:18:49,896 --> 00:18:52,532
until, under the sun's
gravitational influence,
343
00:18:52,565 --> 00:18:55,335
it slows, reaching the apex,
344
00:18:55,368 --> 00:18:57,204
a point we call
the aphelion.
345
00:18:57,237 --> 00:18:58,505
From that point on,
346
00:18:58,538 --> 00:19:02,575
it accelerates
back towards the sun, coming...
347
00:19:02,609 --> 00:19:05,645
back to its original position.
348
00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:11,451
(Filippenko)
With our newfound understanding
of the dangers that lurk
349
00:19:11,484 --> 00:19:12,919
in the solar system,
350
00:19:12,952 --> 00:19:17,390
we do have to be aware
that some of these bad omens
351
00:19:17,424 --> 00:19:21,628
indeed do turn out
to have terrible effects
352
00:19:21,661 --> 00:19:24,931
on humans on Earth.
353
00:19:24,964 --> 00:19:28,268
(narrator)
While our ancestors
feared comets,
354
00:19:28,301 --> 00:19:32,539
they were even more frightened
of another bad omen in the sky--
355
00:19:32,572 --> 00:19:36,409
one that arrives with
a sudden shadow and the terror
356
00:19:36,443 --> 00:19:40,913
of daytime turned into
a potentially endless night.
357
00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,756
(narrator)
In the tenth century,
358
00:19:49,789 --> 00:19:54,461
a group of Vikings
are on top of the world.
359
00:19:54,494 --> 00:19:57,597
They've set sail from what
we would now call Norway
360
00:19:57,630 --> 00:20:00,333
and are bound
for the Shetland Islands
361
00:20:00,367 --> 00:20:04,637
off the coast
of modern-day Scotland.
362
00:20:04,671 --> 00:20:06,339
And while they may be ready
363
00:20:06,373 --> 00:20:08,475
for anything the North Sea
can throw at them,
364
00:20:08,508 --> 00:20:11,378
nothing can prepare them
for what is happening
365
00:20:11,411 --> 00:20:13,780
in the northern sky.
366
00:20:13,813 --> 00:20:18,351
One minute,
bright sunlight.
367
00:20:18,385 --> 00:20:22,789
Then suddenly, a shadow starts
to blot out the sun.
368
00:20:22,822 --> 00:20:26,293
What's going on?
369
00:20:26,326 --> 00:20:29,362
Norse mythology tells
of twin wolves
370
00:20:29,396 --> 00:20:31,498
who track the sun and moon.
371
00:20:31,531 --> 00:20:34,701
When they catch them
and devour them,
372
00:20:34,734 --> 00:20:38,638
that will signal
the beginning of Ragnarok--
373
00:20:38,671 --> 00:20:40,707
the end of all things.
374
00:20:40,740 --> 00:20:42,775
[horse neighing]
375
00:20:42,809 --> 00:20:46,646
For a Viking, the question
he must face is simple
376
00:20:46,679 --> 00:20:47,880
yet chilling...
377
00:20:47,914 --> 00:20:49,916
is this it?
378
00:20:49,949 --> 00:20:53,386
With the midday sun
getting darker by the second,
379
00:20:53,420 --> 00:20:57,724
is this the end of the world?
380
00:20:57,757 --> 00:20:59,926
The Vikings weren't
the only ancient people
381
00:20:59,959 --> 00:21:04,664
who used creatures
to explain the unexplainable.
382
00:21:04,697 --> 00:21:07,900
In ancient China,
it was thought that a dragon
383
00:21:07,934 --> 00:21:10,670
devoured the sun.
384
00:21:10,703 --> 00:21:12,805
This is the bad omen
385
00:21:12,839 --> 00:21:16,776
that is a solar eclipse.
386
00:21:16,809 --> 00:21:18,545
Historically, in China,
387
00:21:18,578 --> 00:21:21,381
people would go outside
and bang pots,
388
00:21:21,414 --> 00:21:23,416
because they perceived
the solar eclipse
389
00:21:23,450 --> 00:21:27,820
as a bad omen of a dragon
consuming the sun,
390
00:21:27,854 --> 00:21:31,891
and by banging the pots, they
were scaring away the dragon.
391
00:21:33,726 --> 00:21:36,896
In the case
of a total solar eclipse,
392
00:21:36,929 --> 00:21:38,865
it actually gets
reasonably dark.
393
00:21:38,898 --> 00:21:42,034
It can last several minutes.
394
00:21:42,068 --> 00:21:46,406
You don't know that the sun's
gonna come back.
395
00:21:46,439 --> 00:21:48,541
You could go wild
396
00:21:48,575 --> 00:21:50,677
with uncertainty
about your future, and, indeed,
397
00:21:50,710 --> 00:21:54,381
ancient cultures
would sometimes react
398
00:21:54,414 --> 00:21:57,417
in very, very negative ways
to an eclipse.
399
00:21:57,450 --> 00:22:00,387
There would be mass murders.
400
00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:01,854
All sorts of things
could happen.
401
00:22:01,888 --> 00:22:03,756
Mayhem would break loose.
402
00:22:08,528 --> 00:22:11,798
(narrator)
In 585 BC,
403
00:22:11,831 --> 00:22:13,833
a six-year conflict
404
00:22:13,866 --> 00:22:17,003
near present-day Turkey
405
00:22:17,036 --> 00:22:21,941
is thrown into turmoil
when the day becomes night.
406
00:22:24,511 --> 00:22:27,914
There's some evidence
that on May 28, 585,
407
00:22:27,947 --> 00:22:31,017
a battle between
the Lydians and the Medes
408
00:22:31,050 --> 00:22:34,554
was stopped because
of a solar eclipse.
409
00:22:34,587 --> 00:22:37,424
They were into the sixth year
battling each other,
410
00:22:37,457 --> 00:22:41,127
and near sunset,
a solar eclipse occurred.
411
00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,763
(narrator)
The battlefield goes quiet,
412
00:22:43,796 --> 00:22:47,767
as all involved
look to the heavens.
413
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:49,902
(Filippenko)
And they said,
"The gods are giving us a sign.
414
00:22:49,936 --> 00:22:51,904
We shouldn't be fighting."
415
00:22:51,938 --> 00:22:54,641
So they made a truce
and even offered
416
00:22:54,674 --> 00:22:57,744
their own sons and daughters
to the other side for marriage.
417
00:22:57,777 --> 00:22:59,946
That was a good thing,
418
00:22:59,979 --> 00:23:03,883
even though it was initially
thought of as a bad omen.
419
00:23:03,916 --> 00:23:08,488
(narrator)
So what's really going on
during a solar eclipse?
420
00:23:08,521 --> 00:23:10,857
(Filippenko)
A solar eclipse occurs
421
00:23:10,890 --> 00:23:13,926
when the moon goes exactly,
422
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,830
or nearly exactly,
between Earth and the sun.
423
00:23:17,864 --> 00:23:19,766
So the moon's disc
424
00:23:19,799 --> 00:23:23,069
blocks part
or all of the sun's disc.
425
00:23:23,102 --> 00:23:26,939
(Johnson)
And the sun is so important
in our lives that the idea
426
00:23:26,973 --> 00:23:30,142
of something going in front
of it and blotting it out
427
00:23:30,176 --> 00:23:33,145
would be just
a remarkable event.
428
00:23:33,179 --> 00:23:36,483
So you can imagine
this would create fear,
429
00:23:36,516 --> 00:23:38,685
or perhaps
it would be interpreted
430
00:23:38,718 --> 00:23:42,555
as a sign
of something terrible to happen.
431
00:23:42,589 --> 00:23:44,190
(narrator)
But none of this would matter.
432
00:23:44,223 --> 00:23:46,659
Eclipses on Earth
wouldn't be possible
433
00:23:46,693 --> 00:23:49,696
without an amazing coincidence.
434
00:23:49,729 --> 00:23:52,064
One that isn't duplicated
anywhere else
435
00:23:52,098 --> 00:23:54,834
in our solar system.
436
00:23:54,867 --> 00:23:57,136
The sun and the moon
just happen to be
437
00:23:57,169 --> 00:24:02,008
the same apparent size
in our sky.
438
00:24:02,041 --> 00:24:04,711
That's because,
while the moon's diameter
439
00:24:04,744 --> 00:24:08,180
is about 400 times smaller
than the sun's,
440
00:24:08,214 --> 00:24:12,952
the moon itself
is 400 times closer to us.
441
00:24:12,985 --> 00:24:16,556
(Kaku)
It's a celestial accident
that the disc of the moon
442
00:24:16,589 --> 00:24:19,592
just covers the disc
of the sun.
443
00:24:19,626 --> 00:24:23,796
And so these eclipses
have fascinated astronomers
444
00:24:23,830 --> 00:24:25,532
for thousands of years.
445
00:24:25,565 --> 00:24:27,967
(narrator)
The perfect fit of Earth's moon
446
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,202
makes eclipses possible.
447
00:24:30,236 --> 00:24:32,739
But will that
always be the case?
448
00:24:35,842 --> 00:24:38,745
Year by year, inch by inch,
449
00:24:38,778 --> 00:24:43,049
the moon is moving
further away from Earth.
450
00:24:43,082 --> 00:24:45,885
Someday in the distant future,
451
00:24:45,918 --> 00:24:49,722
the moon will no longer
completely block the sun.
452
00:24:49,756 --> 00:24:52,224
The moon continues to go away
from the Earth,
453
00:24:52,258 --> 00:24:54,727
appearing smaller and smaller
in the sky.
454
00:24:54,761 --> 00:24:57,730
That means that
in about half a billion years,
455
00:24:57,764 --> 00:25:01,167
total solar eclipses
will no longer be possible.
456
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,536
So we've lived
in a special time
457
00:25:03,570 --> 00:25:06,906
where we can enjoy
the beauty
458
00:25:06,939 --> 00:25:09,175
of what the ancients thought
were bad omens,
459
00:25:09,208 --> 00:25:11,177
and we now understand them
460
00:25:11,210 --> 00:25:14,180
and can appreciate them
for how beautiful and rare
461
00:25:14,213 --> 00:25:17,116
they really are.
462
00:25:17,149 --> 00:25:21,954
(narrator)
Our ancestors also saw
lunar eclipses as a bad omen.
463
00:25:23,990 --> 00:25:26,993
A lunar eclipse foretold
famine and disease,
464
00:25:27,026 --> 00:25:30,730
according to the Chinese.
465
00:25:30,763 --> 00:25:35,234
In Japan, lunar eclipses
were associated with earthquakes
466
00:25:35,267 --> 00:25:39,105
and meant disaster
was on the way.
467
00:25:39,138 --> 00:25:43,676
But does science support
this superstition?
468
00:25:43,710 --> 00:25:48,280
If the sky turns dark,
will the ground roll and roar?
469
00:25:54,954 --> 00:25:58,357
(narrator)
The ancients looked warily
on the night sky,
470
00:25:58,390 --> 00:26:03,195
where sudden changes
might foretell impending doom.
471
00:26:03,229 --> 00:26:07,333
The disappearance of the moon
in a total lunar eclipse
472
00:26:07,366 --> 00:26:11,671
struck fear
into our ancestors.
473
00:26:11,704 --> 00:26:14,173
But did it also,
as some believed,
474
00:26:14,206 --> 00:26:17,677
cause earthquakes.
475
00:26:17,710 --> 00:26:19,712
Some people in Japan,
in particular,
476
00:26:19,746 --> 00:26:23,349
have thought that
total lunar eclipses cause
477
00:26:23,382 --> 00:26:25,918
bigger or more frequent
earthquakes.
478
00:26:25,952 --> 00:26:30,056
So lunar eclipses
were bad omens for that reason.
479
00:26:31,924 --> 00:26:35,161
(narrator)
December 21, 2010--
480
00:26:35,194 --> 00:26:38,831
for only the second time
in the last two millennia,
481
00:26:38,865 --> 00:26:40,867
a lunar eclipse takes place
482
00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:44,671
on the day
of the winter solstice.
483
00:26:44,704 --> 00:26:48,174
In Japan, a massive
7.4 earthquake
484
00:26:48,207 --> 00:26:52,912
triggers tsunami warnings
along the coast.
485
00:26:52,945 --> 00:26:56,248
30 years prior,
a 7.7 quake
486
00:26:56,282 --> 00:26:59,686
killed 25,000 people in Iran,
487
00:26:59,719 --> 00:27:01,921
just a few hours
before the start
488
00:27:01,954 --> 00:27:04,924
of a total lunar eclipse.
489
00:27:04,957 --> 00:27:07,259
Could it be that when
the sun and moon
490
00:27:07,293 --> 00:27:09,161
are in perfect alignment,
491
00:27:09,195 --> 00:27:13,099
their combined gravity has
enough influence on the Earth
492
00:27:13,132 --> 00:27:17,003
to trigger killer quakes?
493
00:27:17,036 --> 00:27:19,371
The truth is that if you look
at long-term statistics,
494
00:27:19,405 --> 00:27:21,974
you don't see this.
495
00:27:22,008 --> 00:27:24,944
(Filippenko)
And physically, we can't think
of a reason why
496
00:27:24,977 --> 00:27:27,413
a total lunar eclipse
or a partial lunar eclipse
497
00:27:27,446 --> 00:27:29,448
would lead to more earthquakes.
498
00:27:29,481 --> 00:27:32,719
It's bunk, basically.
499
00:27:32,752 --> 00:27:34,386
(narrator)
A lunar eclipse happens
500
00:27:34,420 --> 00:27:37,356
when the Earth's shadow
covers the moon.
501
00:27:38,991 --> 00:27:40,760
If the disappearance of the moon
502
00:27:40,793 --> 00:27:43,062
wasn't frightening enough
to ancient eyes,
503
00:27:43,095 --> 00:27:44,964
during some eclipses,
504
00:27:44,997 --> 00:27:48,868
the moon
actually changes color.
505
00:27:48,901 --> 00:27:51,337
When our moon passes through
Earth's shadow,
506
00:27:51,370 --> 00:27:54,206
it can turn blood red.
507
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,710
To the ancients,
that was a bad omen.
508
00:27:57,744 --> 00:28:00,780
From the moon's perspective,
during a total lunar eclipse,
509
00:28:00,813 --> 00:28:03,382
the moon is receiving
the sunlight
510
00:28:03,415 --> 00:28:07,353
of all the sunrises
and sunsets on Earth.
511
00:28:07,386 --> 00:28:11,123
And that light is predominantly
orange or red,
512
00:28:11,157 --> 00:28:14,293
having traveled
through all of that air
513
00:28:14,326 --> 00:28:17,296
and dust and whatnot
in the atmosphere.
514
00:28:20,266 --> 00:28:22,501
(narrator)
As frightening as they were,
515
00:28:22,534 --> 00:28:25,137
some sky watchers
eventually realized
516
00:28:25,171 --> 00:28:29,075
that eclipses were predictable.
517
00:28:29,108 --> 00:28:32,411
Omens in the sky are something
that you can make use of.
518
00:28:32,444 --> 00:28:37,083
If you have superior knowledge
of eclipses, you can use it.
519
00:28:37,116 --> 00:28:40,186
(narrator)
One person to take advantage
of that knowledge,
520
00:28:40,219 --> 00:28:44,757
the famed explorer
Christopher Columbus.
521
00:28:44,791 --> 00:28:48,027
In 1502, Columbus
and his crew
522
00:28:48,060 --> 00:28:51,030
were stranded in Jamaica
and running out of food.
523
00:28:51,063 --> 00:28:54,133
And the natives, basically,
were no longer thinking
524
00:28:54,166 --> 00:28:57,203
that there is something
special and God-like,
525
00:28:57,236 --> 00:29:00,439
you know?
They were losing their oomph.
526
00:29:00,472 --> 00:29:05,211
(narrator)
Columbus is said to have access
to a perpetual almanac
527
00:29:05,244 --> 00:29:07,479
that contained
more than 300 pages
528
00:29:07,513 --> 00:29:10,116
of sky tables, charts,
529
00:29:10,149 --> 00:29:13,185
and eclipse forecasts.
530
00:29:13,219 --> 00:29:17,056
Columbus happened to know that
there was a total lunar eclipse
531
00:29:17,089 --> 00:29:18,457
coming up the next night,
532
00:29:18,490 --> 00:29:21,293
and he told the natives
that if they don't continue
533
00:29:21,327 --> 00:29:25,164
to provide food,
the moon will go away.
534
00:29:25,197 --> 00:29:29,201
Sure enough, the next night,
a lunar eclipse did occur,
535
00:29:29,235 --> 00:29:30,436
as predicted by Columbus.
536
00:29:30,469 --> 00:29:32,504
And so this raised him,
537
00:29:32,538 --> 00:29:34,473
his stature, in their eyes,
538
00:29:34,506 --> 00:29:37,810
and the next day they started
providing goods and services
539
00:29:37,844 --> 00:29:41,280
once again.
540
00:29:41,313 --> 00:29:46,819
(narrator)
It's been said that all warfare
is based on deception.
541
00:29:46,853 --> 00:29:50,022
And some of the world's
greatest military leaders
542
00:29:50,056 --> 00:29:55,494
have used deceptions
based on lunar eclipses.
543
00:29:55,527 --> 00:29:57,596
The famed T.E. Lawrence,
544
00:29:57,629 --> 00:30:00,366
better known as
"Lawrence of Arabia,"
545
00:30:00,399 --> 00:30:03,435
is said to have timed his
assault on Aqaba
546
00:30:03,469 --> 00:30:06,305
to a lunar eclipse.
547
00:30:06,338 --> 00:30:08,607
Muslims Turks holding the town
548
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,244
were distracted on
the night of the eclipse.
549
00:30:12,278 --> 00:30:16,382
As was their tradition,
they were busy making noises,
550
00:30:16,415 --> 00:30:19,085
firing rifles and banging pots
551
00:30:19,118 --> 00:30:23,255
in an effort to rescue the moon.
552
00:30:23,289 --> 00:30:27,193
Using his knowledge of science
and superstition,
553
00:30:27,226 --> 00:30:30,496
Lawrence and his Arab fighters
were victorious,
554
00:30:30,529 --> 00:30:33,966
taking the town without losing
a single man.
555
00:30:37,203 --> 00:30:40,907
September 20, 331 B.C.
556
00:30:40,940 --> 00:30:43,409
Alexander the Great
is outnumbered
557
00:30:43,442 --> 00:30:44,977
and headed for defeat
558
00:30:45,011 --> 00:30:48,915
at the hands of Emperor Darius
of Persia.
559
00:30:48,948 --> 00:30:51,117
Alexander the Great
was very smart.
560
00:30:51,150 --> 00:30:52,518
There's a lunar eclipse.
561
00:30:52,551 --> 00:30:54,420
You know it's an omen
of something.
562
00:30:54,453 --> 00:30:57,489
You don't want your own army
to become disheartened,
563
00:30:57,523 --> 00:31:01,460
so he used it as
a propaganda coup.
564
00:31:01,493 --> 00:31:04,196
(narrator)
As the moon glows blood red,
565
00:31:04,230 --> 00:31:07,533
Alexander's secret weapon
goes to work
566
00:31:07,566 --> 00:31:10,269
and the great leader
launches a desperate plan
567
00:31:10,302 --> 00:31:13,205
to save himself,
his men
568
00:31:13,239 --> 00:31:15,607
and his empire.
569
00:31:22,648 --> 00:31:26,318
(narrator)
In the ancient world,
bad omens from the heavens
570
00:31:26,352 --> 00:31:30,356
were exploited
to change history.
571
00:31:30,389 --> 00:31:32,959
On a battlefield in Mesopotamia,
572
00:31:32,992 --> 00:31:37,029
Alexander the Great
turns a lunar eclipse
573
00:31:37,063 --> 00:31:39,932
into a weapon of fear.
574
00:31:39,966 --> 00:31:43,569
Alexander the Great spread word
via his astrologers
575
00:31:43,602 --> 00:31:46,572
that the lunar eclipse meant
that the Persians
576
00:31:46,605 --> 00:31:49,375
were going to lose.
577
00:31:49,408 --> 00:31:50,609
His men take heart,
578
00:31:50,642 --> 00:31:52,044
they make sure they spread
this message
579
00:31:52,078 --> 00:31:53,545
to the enemy army...
580
00:31:53,579 --> 00:31:56,048
[blows landing, men shouting]
581
00:31:56,082 --> 00:31:58,484
They lose heart.
It's a fantastic coup
582
00:31:58,517 --> 00:32:01,187
in terms of undermining
the enemy morale.
583
00:32:01,220 --> 00:32:04,723
Of course it helps them
win the battle.
584
00:32:04,756 --> 00:32:06,993
(narrator)
The bad omen, paired with
585
00:32:07,026 --> 00:32:10,062
Alexander's tactical
superiority
586
00:32:10,096 --> 00:32:13,032
is a devastating blow
against the Persians
587
00:32:13,065 --> 00:32:15,634
as Alexander romps to victory
588
00:32:15,667 --> 00:32:17,669
and into history.
589
00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:23,075
Nearly 300 years later,
590
00:32:23,109 --> 00:32:25,211
another omen would play a part
591
00:32:25,244 --> 00:32:28,114
in history's
most notorious betrayal
592
00:32:28,147 --> 00:32:31,383
and assassination.
593
00:32:31,417 --> 00:32:35,021
From a hilltop
in the mountains north of Rome,
594
00:32:35,054 --> 00:32:38,224
observers gather and watch
with trepidation
595
00:32:38,257 --> 00:32:42,728
as an unblinking red dot
rises in the night sky.
596
00:32:46,132 --> 00:32:50,736
The date, March 15, 44 B.C.
597
00:32:50,769 --> 00:32:52,271
The Ides of March.
598
00:32:58,710 --> 00:33:01,347
Julius Caesar is dead.
599
00:33:01,380 --> 00:33:06,218
And now, it appears
Mars is angry.
600
00:33:06,252 --> 00:33:08,720
The Roman had
whole colleges of priests
601
00:33:08,754 --> 00:33:11,557
who were responsible
for interpreting the omens.
602
00:33:11,590 --> 00:33:13,692
Omens in the sky,
omens from the birds,
603
00:33:13,725 --> 00:33:16,428
omens everywhere.
They were the guys you went to.
604
00:33:16,462 --> 00:33:19,065
What does it mean?
605
00:33:19,098 --> 00:33:22,701
(narrator)
On the night of Caesar's death,
606
00:33:22,734 --> 00:33:26,438
it was said that Mars was
especially bright and red,
607
00:33:26,472 --> 00:33:31,610
as though marking a triumph
over the emperor.
608
00:33:31,643 --> 00:33:34,246
More than 2,000 years later,
609
00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:38,684
we know Mars isn't red
because it's angry.
610
00:33:38,717 --> 00:33:41,687
Mars is red, literally,
611
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,656
because it is rusty.
612
00:33:44,690 --> 00:33:47,726
(Filippenko)
There's leftover water on
the surface of Mars
613
00:33:47,759 --> 00:33:49,461
and below the surface.
614
00:33:49,495 --> 00:33:52,064
Leftover from when Mars formed.
615
00:33:52,098 --> 00:33:55,067
And it rusts or oxidizes
616
00:33:55,101 --> 00:33:57,803
the iron in the surface.
617
00:33:59,705 --> 00:34:03,275
(narrator)
But why would Mars be brighter
on certain nights,
618
00:34:03,309 --> 00:34:07,279
giving it extra power
as an omen?
619
00:34:07,313 --> 00:34:10,516
The distance between Earth
and Mars varies
620
00:34:10,549 --> 00:34:13,752
as the two planets orbit
the sun.
621
00:34:13,785 --> 00:34:15,187
Earth circles the sun
622
00:34:15,221 --> 00:34:19,125
once every 365 days.
623
00:34:19,158 --> 00:34:23,162
Mars takes 687 days,
624
00:34:23,195 --> 00:34:26,398
meaning that at some times
during their orbits,
625
00:34:26,432 --> 00:34:30,602
Earth is getting closer
and closer to Mars.
626
00:34:30,636 --> 00:34:33,139
Finally, the planets reach
the phase
627
00:34:33,172 --> 00:34:35,641
astronomers call opposition.
628
00:34:35,674 --> 00:34:40,546
That's when Mars and the Sun are
on opposite sides of the Earth.
629
00:34:40,579 --> 00:34:44,650
It is during opposition
that Mars is closest to Earth
630
00:34:44,683 --> 00:34:47,786
and shines its brightest.
631
00:34:47,819 --> 00:34:51,123
When the sun is directly
between Mars and Earth,
632
00:34:51,157 --> 00:34:54,126
the planets are
farthest away from each other,
633
00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:56,195
about seven times farther
634
00:34:56,228 --> 00:34:58,264
than they were
during opposition.
635
00:35:01,700 --> 00:35:04,603
Ancient observers
often saw omens
636
00:35:04,636 --> 00:35:06,605
in the bright celestial objects
637
00:35:06,638 --> 00:35:11,210
we know today as planets.
638
00:35:11,243 --> 00:35:13,212
But could a planet be
responsible for
639
00:35:13,245 --> 00:35:14,746
an ancient mystery
640
00:35:14,780 --> 00:35:15,814
buried in the jungles
641
00:35:15,847 --> 00:35:19,318
of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula?
642
00:35:19,351 --> 00:35:22,688
For years, archaeologists
studying the Mayan ruins
643
00:35:22,721 --> 00:35:24,690
at Chichen Itza
644
00:35:24,723 --> 00:35:27,926
wondered why twin staircases
on one of the buildings
645
00:35:27,959 --> 00:35:30,662
are out of alignment.
646
00:35:30,696 --> 00:35:34,166
Could it be somehow connected
to the astronomer priests
647
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:39,171
who wielded tremendous power
in Mayan culture?
648
00:35:39,205 --> 00:35:41,173
By offsetting the stairs,
649
00:35:41,207 --> 00:35:45,311
what message were they trying to
send across the centuries?
650
00:35:45,344 --> 00:35:48,447
We do know this...
651
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:53,485
the Mayans called Venus
"the great star."
652
00:35:53,519 --> 00:35:55,854
Mayan leaders would
always account for
653
00:35:55,887 --> 00:35:57,423
the position of Venus
654
00:35:57,456 --> 00:36:01,527
in their calculations for
battles and raids.
655
00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:03,895
When Venus is close
to the horizon,
656
00:36:03,929 --> 00:36:06,498
it can shimmer,
it can change colors.
657
00:36:06,532 --> 00:36:09,568
Venus has been reported
as a UFO
658
00:36:09,601 --> 00:36:12,871
more times than any
other object in the universe.
659
00:36:12,904 --> 00:36:15,207
You can imagine, to the
ancients, when it was doing
660
00:36:15,241 --> 00:36:18,210
those weird things, those
twinkling and changing colors,
661
00:36:18,244 --> 00:36:21,747
that could be seen
as a bad omen.
662
00:36:21,780 --> 00:36:24,416
(narrator)
The Mayans would
actually block their chimneys,
663
00:36:24,450 --> 00:36:28,354
so what they feared as
the evil light from Venus
664
00:36:28,387 --> 00:36:30,622
couldn't get into
their homes.
665
00:36:30,656 --> 00:36:33,292
If you look at Venus,
orbit after orbit,
666
00:36:33,325 --> 00:36:35,294
month after month,
you'll notice that
667
00:36:35,327 --> 00:36:37,996
it traces out a pattern
in the sky.
668
00:36:38,029 --> 00:36:40,332
These different patterns are
actually reflected
669
00:36:40,366 --> 00:36:43,502
in Mayan architecture.
670
00:36:43,535 --> 00:36:46,372
(narrator)
And so, the mysterious message
671
00:36:46,405 --> 00:36:49,241
is revealed.
672
00:36:49,275 --> 00:36:51,743
The misalignment of
the grand staircase
673
00:36:51,777 --> 00:36:53,745
at El Caracol,
674
00:36:53,779 --> 00:36:56,848
an ancient Mayan observatory,
675
00:36:56,882 --> 00:36:59,385
actually matches perfectly
676
00:36:59,418 --> 00:37:02,354
with Venus's most northern
appearance in the sky.
677
00:37:06,725 --> 00:37:10,262
Bright lights in the sky
always attracted the attention
678
00:37:10,296 --> 00:37:13,299
of our ancient ancestors.
679
00:37:13,332 --> 00:37:15,967
And while some were
merely ominous,
680
00:37:16,001 --> 00:37:20,372
others crackled with
the threat
681
00:37:20,406 --> 00:37:22,808
of imminent attack.
682
00:37:29,315 --> 00:37:33,419
(narrator)
In the desolate
northernmost reaches of Alaska,
683
00:37:33,452 --> 00:37:36,588
darkness reigns.
684
00:37:36,622 --> 00:37:39,458
Polar bears are common here.
685
00:37:39,491 --> 00:37:41,393
So, too, are elk
686
00:37:41,427 --> 00:37:43,362
and other dangerous creatures
687
00:37:43,395 --> 00:37:46,698
that serve as
both predator and prey
688
00:37:46,732 --> 00:37:51,637
for the hearty few who make
this land their home.
689
00:37:51,670 --> 00:37:54,640
It is dark and scary
690
00:37:54,673 --> 00:38:00,446
and potentially deadly.
691
00:38:00,479 --> 00:38:05,817
Suddenly, a man out hunting
sees it,
692
00:38:05,851 --> 00:38:09,855
a threat known to his people
since ancient times.
693
00:38:12,057 --> 00:38:14,092
So he does what comes
naturally,
694
00:38:14,125 --> 00:38:20,065
what generations of native
Alaskans have done before him.
695
00:38:20,098 --> 00:38:21,600
He draws his weapon
696
00:38:21,633 --> 00:38:23,802
and prepares to defend himself
697
00:38:23,835 --> 00:38:26,104
from the swirling
electrical madness
698
00:38:26,137 --> 00:38:30,342
he sees in the skies.
699
00:38:30,376 --> 00:38:32,344
Blazing lights.
700
00:38:32,378 --> 00:38:36,415
A mysterious and
ever-changing symphony of color.
701
00:38:39,117 --> 00:38:44,556
Today, we know this phenomenon
as the aurora borealis,
702
00:38:44,590 --> 00:38:48,026
the Northern Lights.
703
00:38:48,059 --> 00:38:51,029
And for many cultures,
like the Eskimos
704
00:38:51,062 --> 00:38:54,433
living near Barrow, Alaska,
705
00:38:54,466 --> 00:38:59,771
the aurora is a bad omen.
706
00:38:59,805 --> 00:39:02,073
Auroras, the northern
or southern lights,
707
00:39:02,107 --> 00:39:04,843
have often been seen as
bad omens because
708
00:39:04,876 --> 00:39:07,078
there are these
ghostly lights in the sky
709
00:39:07,112 --> 00:39:10,148
and they're flickering
and they're of unknown origin
710
00:39:10,181 --> 00:39:11,783
to the people watching them.
711
00:39:11,817 --> 00:39:14,786
Are the gods
angry or something?
712
00:39:14,820 --> 00:39:20,058
(narrator)
So what causes
this sparkling show in the sky?
713
00:39:20,091 --> 00:39:22,394
Aurorae are
fascinating examples
714
00:39:22,428 --> 00:39:24,396
of the interaction between
715
00:39:24,430 --> 00:39:27,699
the sun and us here on Earth.
716
00:39:27,733 --> 00:39:30,168
(Walkowicz)
The sun has what we call
space weather.
717
00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:34,039
These are solar flares or other
phenomena associated with
718
00:39:34,072 --> 00:39:35,874
the sun's magnetic activity
719
00:39:35,907 --> 00:39:39,745
that shower our planet with
not only high energy radiation
720
00:39:39,778 --> 00:39:42,714
but also energetic particles.
721
00:39:42,748 --> 00:39:45,617
Earth has
a magnetic field.
722
00:39:45,651 --> 00:39:47,919
Now, if that magnetic field
was in isolation,
723
00:39:47,953 --> 00:39:50,088
it would look sort of
like a cored apple.
724
00:39:50,121 --> 00:39:52,157
But it's not in isolation.
725
00:39:52,190 --> 00:39:55,461
The solar wind charged particles
streaming out of the sun
726
00:39:55,494 --> 00:39:57,095
impinges upon Earth,
727
00:39:57,128 --> 00:40:00,532
flattening the nearside
and extending the farside
728
00:40:00,566 --> 00:40:01,667
of that field.
729
00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:03,635
It also has holes at
730
00:40:03,669 --> 00:40:05,103
the north and the south
731
00:40:05,136 --> 00:40:06,772
called polar cusps.
732
00:40:06,805 --> 00:40:09,675
Solar wind can flow into
the polar cusps,
733
00:40:09,708 --> 00:40:12,043
creating the aurora borealis
734
00:40:12,077 --> 00:40:14,646
and the aurora australis.
735
00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:17,516
As they excite the gases
in our atmosphere,
736
00:40:17,549 --> 00:40:19,551
depending upon the gases
that get excited,
737
00:40:19,585 --> 00:40:21,520
you get different
colors.
738
00:40:21,553 --> 00:40:24,756
These different gases are
exactly what are used to make
739
00:40:24,790 --> 00:40:27,225
the neon signs that we see
down at the deli.
740
00:40:27,258 --> 00:40:31,630
When you see that green palm
tree or that red open sign,
741
00:40:31,663 --> 00:40:34,500
those are different gases
being energized
742
00:40:34,533 --> 00:40:36,201
and it's the light escaping
743
00:40:36,234 --> 00:40:38,804
as the electrons
change energy levels
744
00:40:38,837 --> 00:40:42,474
that we perceive
as these different colors.
745
00:40:42,508 --> 00:40:45,744
(narrator)
The spectacular light show
an aurora provides
746
00:40:45,777 --> 00:40:48,914
isn't the only way
to experience one.
747
00:40:48,947 --> 00:40:54,520
As it turns out, you can
actually hear an aurora too.
748
00:40:54,553 --> 00:40:57,556
There have always been stories
of people hearing sounds
749
00:40:57,589 --> 00:40:59,491
associated with the aurora.
750
00:40:59,525 --> 00:41:01,960
Popping and whistling noises.
751
00:41:01,993 --> 00:41:05,531
But it was unclear
if these were just stories
752
00:41:05,564 --> 00:41:07,966
or real,
until recently
753
00:41:07,999 --> 00:41:10,268
when scientists were
finally able to record
754
00:41:10,301 --> 00:41:12,538
that, under very certain
circumstances,
755
00:41:12,571 --> 00:41:14,906
you can hear whistling
and popping noises
756
00:41:14,940 --> 00:41:17,709
associated with the sun's energy
interacting with
757
00:41:17,743 --> 00:41:19,678
our own Earth's atmosphere.
758
00:41:19,711 --> 00:41:23,982
(narrator)
What causes the sound is still
a bit of a mystery.
759
00:41:24,015 --> 00:41:27,185
Researchers think the same
solar energy waves
760
00:41:27,218 --> 00:41:30,255
that generate the spectacular
lights in the sky
761
00:41:30,288 --> 00:41:35,661
are also responsible for
the sounds closer to the ground.
762
00:41:35,694 --> 00:41:39,230
The phenomenon of auroras
is an ancient mystery
763
00:41:39,264 --> 00:41:43,201
that stretches across
the cosmos.
764
00:41:43,234 --> 00:41:46,905
(Gay)
Jupiter has amazing aurorae that
we see on a regular basis.
765
00:41:46,938 --> 00:41:48,674
Saturn has aurorae.
766
00:41:48,707 --> 00:41:51,877
And even Venus.
767
00:41:51,910 --> 00:41:55,246
(narrator)
Omens, portents, and signs
768
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:59,751
are how ancient people
made sense of their universe.
769
00:41:59,785 --> 00:42:03,955
Today, astronomers are making
remarkable discoveries
770
00:42:03,989 --> 00:42:06,658
that help explain
the science behind
771
00:42:06,692 --> 00:42:09,127
these once terrifying events.
772
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,029
One of the things that's
really amazing about
773
00:42:11,062 --> 00:42:14,165
the time that we live in,
is that all of these things
774
00:42:14,199 --> 00:42:16,902
that were very scary
for our ancestors
775
00:42:16,935 --> 00:42:20,572
we now understand
through the lens of science.
776
00:42:20,606 --> 00:42:23,709
(Markley)
Humans always want to know
about the future.
777
00:42:23,742 --> 00:42:27,713
Whether you're an ancient Roman,
an ancient Chinese,
778
00:42:27,746 --> 00:42:30,348
a person living in America
in the 21st century,
779
00:42:30,381 --> 00:42:34,285
we want to look for signs
in nature, signs in the heavens,
780
00:42:34,319 --> 00:42:36,855
that can help us
understand things,
781
00:42:36,888 --> 00:42:38,824
can reassure us that we know
782
00:42:38,857 --> 00:42:41,159
what will happen in the future.
783
00:42:41,192 --> 00:42:42,961
As we learn more about
the universe,
784
00:42:42,994 --> 00:42:45,864
knowledge is
replacing fear.
785
00:42:45,897 --> 00:42:48,734
People go north
to see the aurora.
786
00:42:48,767 --> 00:42:50,268
They take eclipse cruises.
787
00:42:50,301 --> 00:42:55,273
Yesterday's bad omens
are today's tourist attractions.
788
00:42:55,306 --> 00:43:00,245
(narrator)
This, then, is humanity
at the dawn of the 21st century,
789
00:43:00,278 --> 00:43:03,014
striving to understand
and experience first hand
790
00:43:03,048 --> 00:43:05,884
what men and women
through the millennia
791
00:43:05,917 --> 00:43:09,054
formerly saw as bad omens.
60868
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