Original subtitles

♪

Narrator: MOUNTAINS, ROCKS AND DESERT

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

AN ALIEN WORLD:

RUGGED, BARREN, LONELY.

♪

BUT SOMETHING BIG IS IN THE MAKING HERE.

♪

GIGANTIC ANTENNA DISHES ARE MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS...

♪

ON AN EXTRAORDINARY MISSION FOR MAN AND MACHINE--

IN A PLACE THAT’S EXTREME IN EVERY WAY.

ON ONE OF THE HIGHEST PLATEAUS IN THE ATACAMA DESERT

LIES THE LARGEST OBSERVATORY ON EARTH:

ALMA--THE ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER ARRAY.

♪

POWERFUL TELESCOPES PEER INTO THE NEBULAE IN SPACE.

Woman: IT’S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC,

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

Narrator: 66 MASSIVE ANTENNAS

OBSERVE THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF STARS AND PLANETS.

Man: ALMA IS GONNA BE ABLE

TO LOOK AT PLANET FORMATION IN ACTION.

Man: ALMA IS GIVING US THIS INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY,

THIS INCREDIBLE LEVEL OF DETAIL TO A PART OF THE UNIVERSE

THAT WE REALLY DON’T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT.

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

EXPLORING THE ORIGINS OF OUR UNIVERSE.

♪

THE ATACAMA DESERT IN NORTHERN CHILE

IS A REMOTE, INHOSPITABLE PLACE.

IT SEEMS OTHERWORLDLY,

LIKE A DISTANT PLANET FROM A SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE.

♪

THE ARID PLATEAU AND RUGGED VOLCANOES

ARE PART OF THE ANDES--

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

IN THE MIDST OF THIS FORLORN LANDSCAPE,

NEARLY 10,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL,

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

ALMA--THE ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER/SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY.

BUT THE HEART OF THE INSTALLATION

IS ACTUALLY 17 MILES AWAY, AND MUCH HIGHER UP.

AT 16,400 FEET, THE CHAJNANTOR PLATEAU

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

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

THE VAST INSTALLATION HAS A LONG AND FASCINATING HISTORY.

THE PROJECT BEGAN WITH A CONVERSATION

BETWEEN SCIENTISTS ON FOUR DIFFERENT CONTINENTS,

ACCORDING TO JOHN STOKE

OF THE U.S. NATIONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY.

John Stoke: THE HISTORY OF THE ALMA PROJECT

GOES BACK ACTUALLY MANY DECADES,

AND IN EACH OF THE REGIONS OF THE WORLD

THAT ARE NOW CONTRIBUTING TO ALMA,

THERE WERE IDEAS ABOUT BUILDING AN ARRAY OF TELESCOPES.

IT WAS MORE RECENTLY THAT ALL OF THOSE PARTNERS GOT TOGETHER

AND DECIDED TO BUILD ONE REALLY BIG TELESCOPE

AS OPPOSED TO EACH PARTNER BUILDING THEIR OWN.

Narrator: ALMA IS THE REMARKABLE PRODUCT

OF A 20-YEAR GLOBAL EFFORT

TO BUILD EARTH’S MOST ADVANCED OBSERVATORY.

THE INSTALLATION IS A PARTNERSHIP

OF EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA AND EAST ASIA

IN COOPERATION WITH CHILE.

♪

THE OPERATIONS SUPPORT FACILITY, OR OSF,

IS THE BASE STATION AND CONTROL CENTER OF ALMA.

FROM HERE, THE ANTENNAS ON THE HIGH PLATEAU

ARE MONITORED AND CONTROLLED--

A CHALLENGE FOR SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD.

THIS IS PIONEERING WORK;

ALMA IS OPENING A NEW WINDOW TO THE UNIVERSE.

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

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

THE BASE STATION OF THE ANTENNA ARRAY

LIES IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

THE APPROACH ROADS STRETCH FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES

ACROSS THE DESERT.

♪

ANTENNAS ARE BROUGHT HERE

FROM EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA AND JAPAN.

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

THEY CAN’T BE TRANSPORTED IN ONE PIECE.

THEY MUST BE ASSEMBLED AT THE BASE STATION.

♪

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

TO PREPARE A SINGLE ANTENNA READY FOR USE.

♪

THREE SEPARATE AREAS ARE SET UP

FOR THE VARIOUS ASSEMBLY STAGES OF THE ANTENNAS.

TEAMS FROM EUROPE, JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES

WORK IN THE OPEN AND IN AN ENORMOUS HANGAR.

THE ANTENNAS ARE INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED,

BUT THEY ALL HAVE TO MEET THE SAME DEMANDS.

♪

THEY MUST BE PRECISELY SYNCHRONIZED

IN ORDER TO SCAN THE HEAVENS AS A SINGLE TELESCOPE.

♪

ASTRONOMERS HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR ALMA:

THE UNPRECEDENTED ACCURACY IN LONG-WAVE RADIO OBSERVATIONS

IS EXPECTED TO HELP ANSWER MANY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

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

STARS WITH MANY PLANETS ROTATING AROUND THEM?

AND ARE THERE ROCKY PLANETS SIMILAR TO THE EARTH

THAT ROTATE AROUND THEIR CENTRAL STAR

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

THE SEARCH FOR PLANETS SIMILAR TO OUR EARTH

HAS INTRIGUED HUMAN IMAGINATION FOR CENTURIES.

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

THIS IS AARON BOLEY’S AREA OF EXPERTISE.

THE ASTROPHYSICIST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

AND HIS TEAM

WERE AMONGST THE FIRST TO ACCOMPLISH OBSERVATIONS,

EVEN BEFORE ALMA WAS FULLY COMPLETED.

Aaron Boley: THE WAY WE THINK PLANETS FORM

IS THAT DUST FIRST COLLECTS AND EVENTUALLY STICKS TOGETHER.

AND THOSE THEN STICK TOGETHER TO MORE DUST,

AND EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE ROCKS.

AND THEN THOSE ROCKS GO TO VERY LARGE OBJECTS.

AND THOSE ROCKS WE SEE AS LEFTOVERS TODAY,

WE CALL THEM PLANETESIMALS,

AND WHEN WE LOOK OUT AND SEE THEM TODAY

WE CALL THEM COMETS AND ASTEROIDS.

AND THOSE EVENTUALLY COME TOGETHER

AND THEY FORM VERY LARGER OBJECTS,

AND SOME OF THOSE ARE EVENTUALLY GONNA BECOME PLANETS.

Narrator: BUT HOW ARE PLANETS ACTUALLY BORN?

FOR THE FIRST TIME,

ALMA ALLOWS SCIENTISTS FAR MORE ACCURATE INSIGHTS,

PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN FROM THE VIEW OF EARLIER TELESCOPES.

Aaron: WE HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO USE ALMA

TO LOOK AT PLANET FORMATION,

AND WE LOOKED AT THE NEARBY STAR FOMALHAUT

IN ORDER TO TEST PLANET FORMATION THEORY.

THE REASON WHY WE WANT TO LOOK AT FOMALHAUT

IS BECAUSE IT’S A VERY BRIGHT STAR.

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

AND IT’S ACTUALLY FAIRLY NEARBY.

IT’S 25 LIGHT YEARS AWAY,

WHICH IS REALLY A STONE THROW IN ASTRONOMICAL MEASUREMENTS.

Narrator: OTHER TELESCOPES HAVE ALREADY DISCOVERED

A BROAD BAND OF DUST AROUND THE FOMALHAUT STAR.

BUT IN THE LONG WAVELENGTH AREA OF THE ALMA SURVEYS,

THE ASTRONOMERS HAVE DETECTED A SHARPLY DEFINED RING.

AARON’S CALCULATIONS AND SIMULATIONS

PRODUCED STARTLING RESULTS.

Aaron: ONE OF THE BEST EXPLANATIONS FOR THE FOMALHAUT RING

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

AND THE REASON WE THINK THAT

IS THAT THE GRAINS ARE TRUNCATED SHARPLY

IN BOTH THE INNER AND THE OUTER EDGES.

AND WE THINK THE BEST WAY TO CONFINE THAT

IS TO HAVE TWO PLANETS.

Narrator: ALMA’S UNIQUE SENSITIVITY

HAS ACTUALLY BEGUN TO OVERTURN MANY OF THE ACCEPTED IDEAS

ABOUT THE CREATION OF PLANETS THEMSELVES.

IN 2014, DAVID WILNER

OF THE SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY

POINTED THE ALMA ARRAY AT A YOUNG STAR--

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

OR "H.L. TAU."

David Wilner: WHEN ALMA PUT THIS INCREDIBLE RESOLVING POWER

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

IT IS A SERIES OF CONCENTRIC RINGS OF GAS.

BEAUTIFUL RINGS.

THESE RINGS HAD BEEN PREDICTED AT SOME LEVEL

BY THEORIES OF PLANET FORMATION

WHERE A LITTLE PLANETARY EMBRYO GROWS LARGE ENOUGH

TO START SWEEPING UP THE GAS AND DUST IN ITS ORBIT

AND CLEARING OUT A DARK LANE.

BUT IN H.L. TAURI,

WE COULD SEE AT LEAST SEVEN OR EIGHT

OF THESE DARK LANES ALL AT ONCE.

Narrator: WHAT WAS SHOCKING ABOUT THIS DISCOVERY

IS THAT IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.

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

LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE AGE OF OUR SUN.

YET THE ALMA TELESCOPE REVEALED THAT PLANETS ARE FORMING

BILLIONS OF YEARS EARLIER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.

WILNER’S DISCOVERY WITH ALMA IS ALREADY HAVING AN IMPACT

ON OUR BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE

AND ASTRONOMY ITSELF.

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

OF PLANET FORMATION GOING ON AT THIS VERY EARLY TIME.

SO ALMA IS GIVING US THIS INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY,

THIS INCREDIBLE LEVEL OF DETAIL TO A PART OF THE UNIVERSE

THAT WE REALLY DON’T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT,

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

TO QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVEN’T EVEN THOUGHT OF.

Narrator: WITH ALMA, ASTRONOMERS WILL DISCOVER MORE

ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM

AND THE EARTH ITSELF.

Aaron: ALMA IS NOT JUST A POWERFUL TELESCOPE

FOR LOOKING AT THE END STAGES OF PLANET FORMATION

THROUGH THE DEBRIS, THE LEFTOVERS.

BUT FOR CAPTURING THE CHEMISTRY

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

’CAUSE THAT’S GONNA GIVE US SOME IDEA

OF WHAT THE BUILDING BLOCKS ARE MADE OF FOR PLANETS.

AND THAT’LL GIVE US SOME IDEA

OF WHAT CAN GO INTO TERRESTRIAL PLANETS

AND EVENTUALLY PERHAPS HABITABLE PLANETS.

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

ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?

OR MIGHT OTHER PLANETS HARBOR LIFE AS WE KNOW IT?

FOR CENTURIES, ASTRONOMERS HAVE LOOKED TO THE STARS

IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE.

NOW THE STARS ARE BEGINNING TO ANSWER.

USING NEW TECHNOLOGY, SCIENTISTS HAVE ALREADY DISCOVERED

THOUSANDS OF NEW PLANETS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

♪

AND TODAY, MANY TELESCOPES

ARE DEVOTED TO THE SEARCH FOR A SECOND EARTH.

MOST OBSERVATORIES AROUND THE GLOBE

INVESTIGATE THE REALM OF VISIBLE LIGHT.

THEIR "EYES" ARE LENSES AND MIRRORS--

AND THESE OPTICAL TELESCOPES MAKE IT POSSIBLE

TO OBSERVE SPACE IN THE SAME LIGHT SPECTRUM

AS IS VISIBLE TO THE HUMAN EYE.

ALMA, ON THE OTHER HAND,

CONSISTS OF DOZENS OF ANTENNA DISHES

THAT RECORD LONG-WAVE RADIATION.

WHILE RADIO WAVES ARE INVISIBLE TO HUMANS,

ALMA CAN RECEIVE THEM BOTH DAY AND NIGHT.

♪

BUT A RADIO DISH THAT COULD GIVE US AN IMAGE

AS SHARP AS A SPACE TELESCOPE

WOULD HAVE TO BE WELL OVER 6 MILES IN DIAMETER.

TO CONSTRUCT A TELESCOPE OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT THERE IS A SOLUTION:

A NUMBER OF ANTENNAS LINKED TO EACH OTHER

TO MAKE THEM FUNCTION LIKE A SINGLE HUGE TELESCOPE.

THAT IS THE ALMA CONCEPT: POSITIONED AROUND AN AREA

WITH A CIRCUMFERENCE OF ABOUT 10 MILES,

66 ANTENNAS RECEIVE RADIO SIGNALS FROM OUTER SPACE.

♪

THE UNIMAGINABLE QUANTITY OF DATA COLLECTED

IS FED INTO ALMA’S SUPER-COMPUTER.

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

COMPUTATIONS PER SECOND.

IT IS THIS POWERFUL COMPUTING ABILITY,

AND THE COMPLEX PROGRAMS DEVELOPED

DURING YEARS OF PREPARATION,

THAT ENABLE THE ANTENNAS’ SIGNALS

TO BE CONVERTED INTO USEFUL IMAGES.

EVEN DURING THE SET-UP PHASE,

ASTRONOMERS WERE ALREADY CARRYING OUT

THE FIRST OPTICAL TESTS.

THEY EXPLORED THE ANTENNAE GALAXIES--

A SPECTACULAR HEAVENLY PHENOMENON

IN WHICH TWO GALAXIES COLLIDE.

THE CLEAREST IMAGE SO FAR

WAS MADE BY THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.

BUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS

IN THOSE DARK CLOUDS AROUND THE COLLISION AREA

REMAINED HIDDEN FROM OPTICAL TELESCOPES.

♪

OBSERVATIONS WITH ALMA HAVE NOW REVEALED

FORMERLY INVISIBLE ACTIVITY ZONES.

THIS IS WHERE NEW STARS ARE FORMED

FROM GIGANTIC CLOUDS OF DUST AND GAS.

♪

THE VERY FIRST TEST RUNS BROUGHT NEW DISCOVERIES.

♪

NORMALLY, THE MILLIMETER AND SUBMILLIMETER WAVELENGTHS

OBSERVED BY ALMA CANNOT BE RECEIVED ON EARTH--

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

BUT THE AIR IN THE ATACAMA DESERT IS SO DRY

THAT IT ALLOWS THE RADIO WAVES TO PENETRATE.

ONE OF ALMA’S PARTNERS

IS THE EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY

NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY.

THIS IS WHERE CARLOS DE BREUCK

RESEARCHES THE MOST DISTANT OBJECTS IN SPACE.

Carlos de Breuck: I LOOK AT THE YOUNGEST GALAXIES

IN THE BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE

WHEN THE UNIVERSE WAS STILL VERY YOUNG,

AND SO THEY ARE VERY DISTANT.

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

AND I WANT TO SEE HOW THEY WERE FORMED

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

Narrator: GAZING INTO THE DEPTHS OF OUTER SPACE

IS ALSO A VOYAGE INTO THE PAST.

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

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

AT FIRST THERE WAS ONLY HYDROGEN AND HELIUM,

THE LIGHTEST ELEMENTS.

FROM THESE GASEOUS CLOUDS

THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF STARS WERE FORMED.

Carlos: WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW

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

AND HOW DID THEY FORM WITHIN THE GALAXY?

DID THEY FORM IN THE CENTER?

DID THEY FORM OUTSIDE?

HOW DID THEY EVOLVE?

AND HOW DID THE HEAVY ELEMENTS

THAT WE OBSERVE IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE,

LIKE CARBON, NITROGEN AND OXYGEN,

HOW DID THEY FORM FROM THE HYDROGEN AND HELIUM

THAT WAS FORMED IN THE BIG BANG?

Narrator: ASTRONOMERS CAN ALSO DETECT THESE ELEMENTS

FAR OFF IN THE UNIVERSE,

BECAUSE ALMA ALLOWS ATOMS AND MOLECULES TO BE IDENTIFIED

BY MEANS OF THEIR CHARACTERISTIC RADIATION.

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

MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS SEND THEM SHOOTING INTO SPACE.

HUGE GAS AND DUST CLOUDS RESULT--

THE RAW MATERIAL

FROM WHICH A NEW GENERATION OF STARS DEVELOPS.

[BEEPING]

TO PEER INTO THE COSMIC DAWN OF NEW STAR FORMATION,

ALMA’S ANTENNA DISHES MUST BE PRECISELY ALIGNED.

IT’S A PAINSTAKING PROCESS.

TECHNICIANS USE LASER INSTRUMENTS

TO ASSURE THAT EACH COMPONENT IS IN THE CORRECT POSITION.

THE 120 ALUMINUM PANELS ARE PLACED WITH METICULOUS CARE.

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

THEN THE SURFACE IS COMPLETE.

BEFORE THE FINISHED ANTENNAS ARE DELIVERED TO THE ALMA PROJECT,

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

FROM MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS TO BROAD, SWEEPING TURNS.

THEN FURTHER TESTS ARE CARRIED OUT

BY THE ALMA ENGINEERS.

THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE HERE

IS THE DEPUTY SYSTEM INTEGRATION MANAGER BERNHARD LOPEZ.

Bernhard Lopez: THIS HERE IS THE INTEGRATION AREA.

HERE WE RECEIVE THE ANTENNAS FROM THE VENDORS;

ONCE WE VERIFY THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE ENOUGH,

WE INTEGRATE THE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTATION INTO THEM.

AFTER THAT WE VERIFY THAT EVERYTHING IS OKAY.

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

Narrator: FIRST, THE ANTENNAS ARE TESTED AND CALIBRATED.

USING A TRANSMISSION MAST,

A PROFILE IS MADE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL DISH.

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

Bernhard: IF YOU LOOK AT THE ANTENNAS,

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

AND EACH PANEL HAS SEVERAL HOLES

WHERE YOU CAN FIND SCREWS AND ADJUSTERS INSIDE.

THESE ADJUSTERS ALLOW US

TO MECHANICALLY SET AND IMPROVE THE POSITION OF THESE PANELS

AND THEIR FORM FROM THE DEFORMATION OF THEM.

SO FROM THE HOLOGRAPHY MEASUREMENTS

WE OBTAIN CORRECTION MAPS.

THESE CORRECTION MAPS ARE THEN HANDED OVER TO OUR MECHANICS,

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

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

WE HAVE TO TRY IT A FEW TIMES OVER THAT

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

Narrator: EACH ANTENNA DISH HAS HUNDREDS OF SCREWS.

EVERY ONE MUST BE ADJUSTED BY HAND,

MOSTLY BY ONLY A FEW THOUSANDTHS OF A MILLIMETER.

THE REQUIRED PRECISION OF THE SURFACE

IS 25 THOUSANDTHS OF A MILLIMETER,

LESS THAN WIDTH OF A STRAND OF HAIR.

ONLY WHEN EVERYTHING IS 100% PERFECT

WILL THE ANTENNAS BE INTEGRATED INTO THE ALMA ARRAY.

IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE

THAT THE DISHES CAN WORK TOGETHER

WITH THE NECESSARY PRECISION

DESPITE BEING PRODUCED BY DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS.

ALL ANTENNAS MUST MOVE WITH THE SAME TIMING.

ON COMMAND THEY MUST PIVOT TOGETHER

TO POINT AT A TARGET IN THE SKY--

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

ONLY THEN CAN WE WITNESS THE BIRTH OF STARS.

NOW THESE EYES ON THE UNIVERSE

ARE ABOUT TO REVEAL SHOCKING NEW DISCOVERIES

ABOUT BLACK HOLES

AND EVEN LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS.

AT THE ALMA TELESCOPE STATION IN CHILE,

WORK NEVER STOPS.

NIGHT AND DAY THE GIANT ANTENNAS WHIRL IN UNISON

AS THEY SEARCH THE HEAVENS.

THESE MASSIVE DISHES ARE DESIGNED TO OPERATE COLLECTIVELY

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

TO ACHIEVE THIS EFFECT, EACH DISH MUST BE ABLE

TO MAKE PRECISION TIMED MOVEMENTS ON DEMAND.

THE ENTIRE UNDERTAKING IS AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE.

IN THE CONTROL ROOM,

SCIENTISTS WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO KEEP ALMA ON TRACK.

THE ASTRONOMERS HERE AT THE BASE STATION

COORDINATE OBSERVATION REQUESTS

FROM COLLEAGUES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS

ARE PARTLY HEADED UP BY ALISON PECK.

HER SPECIALTY--

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

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

WHAT WE MEAN IS WHEN YOU HAVE

A LARGE AMOUNT OF MASS IN THE CENTER OF A GALAXY

THAT COLLAPSES UNDER GRAVITY,

IT COLLAPSES AND COLLAPSES,

IT JUST GETS SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER

UNTIL IT OCCUPIES VIRTUALLY NO SPACE.

IT HAS ALMOST NO VOLUME.

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

IT OCCUPIES A VERY SMALL SPACE.

BUT ITS EFFECTS CAN BE FELT AT LARGE DISTANCES

BECAUSE IT HAS A VERY STRONG GRAVITATIONAL FIELD.

Narrator: AN INVISIBLE MONSTER STAR

THAT SWALLOWS EVERYTHING THAT COMES NEAR IT--

HOW CAN YOU OBSERVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

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

SO, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN STUDY BLACK HOLES

IS BY STUDYING THE GAS THAT’S NEAR THEM.

AND THIS GAS VERY OFTEN

IS BEING SUCKED INTO THE CENTER OF THE BLACK HOLE.

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

IT FALLS IN LIKE WATER GOING DOWN A DRAIN.

IT SPIRALS AROUND BECAUSE IT HAS ANGULAR MOMENTUM

AND IT HAS VISCOSITY.

SO, THAT MEANS THAT AS IT FALLS IN

FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE GALAXY,

IT SPINS AROUND,

AND AS IT GOES IN IT GETS HOTTER,

IT GETS MORE ENERGETIC,

AND IT RADIATES HUGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY.

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

APPEARS AS A BRIGHT, GLARING LIGHT

THAT SURROUNDS THE INVISIBLE CENTER.

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

DOES ESCAPE.

ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT

IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS

WITH THIS MATERIAL BEING DRAWN IN,

AND THIS CAN CAUSE MATTER TO BE SHOT IN TWO DIRECTIONS

IN WHAT WE CALL JETS.

BIPOLAR JETS, AWAY FROM THE BLACK HOLE.

Narrator: USING ALMA, ASTRONOMERS WANT TO STUDY

THE GAS CLOUDS SURROUNDING BLACK HOLES

AND EXPLORE THEIR PROPERTIES.

THAT ALSO APPLIES TO THE BLACK HOLE

IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR OWN MILKY WAY.

TO ESTABLISH ITS EXISTENCE,

ASTRONOMERS INVESTED YEARS OF OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS.

THE FIRST STEP WAS TO OBSERVE THE STARS IN ITS VICINITY

AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE.

ASTRONOMERS DISCOVERED THAT THE COMPLICATED PATHS TAKEN BY STARS

AS THEY WHIZ AROUND A CENTRAL POINT

CAN ONLY BE EXPLAINED

BY ASSUMING THE EXISTENCE OF A HUGE MASS--

27,000 LIGHT-YEARS FROM OUR OWN SUN,

AND FOUR MILLION TIMES HEAVIER.

A MASSIVE, INVISIBLE CENTER OF GRAVITY.

A BLACK HOLE!

ALMA ASTRONOMER KARTIK SHETH

IS EAGER TO LEARN MORE OF ITS SECRETS.

Kartik Sheth: THE AMAZING THING ABOUT ALMA

IS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE THE RESOLUTION

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

BECAUSE OF ALMA’S SUPERB RESOLUTION.

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

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEARN

EXACTLY WHAT IS FEEDING THIS MONSTER

IN THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY.

HOW DOES THE BLACK HOLE EAT?

WHAT DOES IT EAT FOR BREAKFAST?

HOW DOES IT GROW OVER TIME?

THAT’S THE QUESTION WE’RE ANSWERING.

Narrator: ASTRONOMERS ARE CURRENTLY OBSERVING

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY:

A GAS CLOUD IS GETTING VERY CLOSE

TO THE CENTER OF OUR MILKY WAY.

AFTER INITIAL OBSERVATIONS,

ASTRONOMERS CALCULATED HOW THE GAS CLOUD WOULD BE DISRUPTED

BY THE BLACK HOLE IN THE NEXT YEARS.

ONE PART OF THE CLOUD WILL BE ABLE TO ESCAPE,

ANOTHER WILL BE SUCKED IN AND DEVOURED

BY THE INSATIABLE GALACTIC MONSTER.

ALMA NEEDS TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS

TO DISCOVER HOW THIS COSMIC DRAMA UNFOLDS.

♪

THE CHAJNANTOR PLATEAU IS IDEAL FOR RADIO-WAVE OBSERVATIONS.

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

AND AT OVER 16,000 FEET, SO HIGH UP

THAT THE THIN ATMOSPHERE

OFFERS ALMOST NO INTERFERENCE FOR RECEPTION.

BUT WHILE CONDITIONS ARE PERFECT FOR THE TELESCOPE,

THEY’RE A MAJOR CHALLENGE

FOR THE HUMANS WHO MUST LIVE AND WORK HERE.

♪

THE ROAD TO THE ALMA BASE STATION

LEADS THROUGH THE BARREN LAND OF THE ATACAMA DESERT.

HERE, THE ANDES MOUNTAINS BLOCK NEARLY ALL PRECIPITATION.

WITH LESS THAN HALF AN INCH OF RAIN PER YEAR,

THE ATACAMA IS ONE OF THE DRIEST PLACES ON EARTH.

[MOTOR RUNNING]

EACH DAY, FOUR LARGE TANK TRUCKS TRANSPORT TAP WATER

FOR AROUND 500 PEOPLE AT THE CONTROL CENTER

AND AT THE ANTENNA MAINTENANCE SITES.

VITAL DRINKING WATER IS DELIVERED IN BOTTLES.

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

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

PUT AN ENORMOUS STRAIN ON PEOPLE WORKING HERE.

THERE’S A REASON WHY THE ANTENNAS ARE ASSEMBLED

HERE AT THE BASE STATION.

COMMISSIONING SCIENTIST FOR THE ALMA OBSERVATORY,

DENIS BARKATS, KNOWS THE PROBLEM WELL.

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

I CAN THINK MORE OR LESS COHERENTLY,

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

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

THE ANSWERS WOULD BE A LOT MORE INTERESTING,

BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN, YOUR BODY, YOUR LUNGS,

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

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

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

USE OXYGEN TO KEEP DOING THEIR WORK.

Narrator: WORKING AT THESE ALTITUDES CAN BE DANGEROUS:

DIZZINESS, PASSING OUT AND EVEN EDEMA OF THE LUNGS

ARE ALWAYS A THREAT.

THE LACK OF OXYGEN AFFECTS BOTH STAMINA AND JUDGMENT.

A MISTAKE WHILE HANDLING THESE HUGE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT

COULD PROVE FATAL...

WHICH IS WHY EVERYONE WHO WORKS UP HERE

CARRIES A PORTABLE OXYGEN SYSTEM.

AND THERE’S PLENTY TO DO:

THE EQUIPMENT NEEDS REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.

BUT MOST OF THE WORK INVOLVES REPOSITIONING THE ANTENNAS.

THAT REQUIRES UNIQUE, ENORMOUS VEHICLES,

WHICH ARE CUSTOM BUILT FOR THE JOB.

♪

DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION,

THE ANTENNAS ARE FREQUENTLY SHIFTED,

SOMETIMES CLOSER TOGETHER-- THEN FURTHER APART.

PRECISION IS ESSENTIAL,

ESPECIALLY WHEN MOVING TELESCOPES

THAT WEIGH OVER 100 TONS.

ONLY THE PERFECT INTERPLAY OF HUMANS AND TECHNOLOGY

CAN ENSURE THAT ALMA’S OBSERVATIONS

ARE SCIENTIFICALLY USEFUL.

AND ONLY ALMA’S ACCURACY

WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE RIDDLE

OF THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF GALAXIES.

HOW DO STARS GROW, EXPAND, AND DIE?

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PLANETS

SURROUNDING THESE DISTANT DYING SUNS?

ALMA RADIO DISHES IN CHILE PROVIDE A RARE GLIMPSE

INTO THE LIFE CYCLE OF DISTANT STARS AND GALAXIES.

♪

THIS PROCESS OF THE DEATH OF STARS

IS WHAT ESO ASTRONOMER MATTHIAS MERCKER IS WORKING ON

AT THE ARGELANDER INSTITUTE IN BONN, GERMANY.

HIS RESEARCH TARGET, FROM A GALACTIC POINT OF VIEW,

IS NOT VERY FAR AWAY:

A RED GIANT IN THE SCULPTOR CONSTELLATION,

ONLY ABOUT 1,000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.

Matthias Maercker: THE LIFE CYCLE OF STARS IS BASICALLY

THAT STARS WILL FORM IN LARGE MOLECULAR CLOUDS

WHERE THEY COLLAPSE,

AND WHEN THEY BECOME DENSE ENOUGH

THEY WILL START BURNING HYDROGEN INTO HELIUM.

AND THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT MOST STARS ARE DOING.

THIS IS WHAT OUR SUN IS DOING RIGHT NOW.

IT’S FUSING HYDROGEN INTO HELIUM.

BUT ONCE THE HYDROGEN IS USED UP

THE STAR WILL BLOW UP AND BECOME A RED GIANT

AND START LOSING MASS FROM ITS SURFACE,

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

Narrator: HIS RESEARCH CONCENTRATES ON THE VAST MASS OF MATERIAL

THAT THE DYING STAR BLASTS INTO SPACE.

Matthias: RED GIANT STARS WILL LOSE MASS

THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE EVOLUTION

UNTIL THEY DIE, BUT AT RELATIVELY LOW RATES.

BUT EVERY 10,000 YEARS OR SO

THE STAR WILL GO THROUGH A THERMAL PULSE,

WHICH MEANS THAT IT WILL BURN HELIUM

VERY RAPIDLY INSIDE THE STAR,

AND THIS RELEASES A BURST OF ENERGY

FOR ONLY A FEW HUNDRED YEARS,

WHICH CAUSES THE STAR TO RESTRUCTURE

AND INCREASE ITS BRIGHTNESS.

AND THE INCREASE IN BRIGHTNESS

WILL ALSO CAUSE IT TO LOSE A LOT MORE MASS

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

AND SWEEP UP MATERIAL.

AND BECAUSE IT CONTINUOUSLY SWEEPS UP MATERIAL,

IT GETS FORMED AND PUSHED INTO A VERY THIN SHELL

THAT EXPANDS AWAY FROM THE STAR.

AND THIS SHELL IS WHAT WE CALL A DETACHED SHELL.

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

WAS VERY HARD TO STUDY.

WITH ALMA, HOWEVER, RESEARCHERS CAN NOW SEE

INSIDE THIS GAS ENVELOPE

AND CREATE CROSS-SECTION IMAGES OF IT.

AND THE HIGH RESOLUTION HAS BROUGHT SURPRISING DETAIL.

Matthias: WHEN WE PROPOSED FOR THE OBSERVATIONS

WE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A STAR

THAT ORIGINALLY WAS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR SUN,

POSSIBLY A LITTLE BIT MORE MASSIVE.

BUT THE ALMA RESULTS SHOWED US

THAT IN FACT IT’S A VERY DIFFERENT SYSTEM

COMPARED TO OUR SUN

BECAUSE IT IS NOT ONLY A SOLITARY STAR

SITTING ALONE IN SPACE,

BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT IT HAS A COMPANION STAR

ORBITING AROUND IT.

Narrator: THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED COMPANION STAR--

COMPLETELY UNKNOWN UNTIL NOW--

CREATES THE EXTRAORDINARY PATTERN

REFLECTED IN THIS COMPUTER SIMULATION.

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

BUT AT ZERO YEARS YOU’LL SEE

THAT NOW THE STAR IS GOING THROUGH A THERMAL PULSE,

AND YOU CAN SEE THIS VERY BRIGHT DETACHED SHELL

EXPANDING AWAY FROM THE STAR.

AND THE COMPANION WILL THEN SHAPE THE WIND

AFTER THE THERMAL PULSE

INTO THIS VERY CLEAR SPIRAL STRUCTURE

WHICH IS EXPANDING ALONG WITH THE DETACHED SHELL.

Narrator: THE UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY OF THE SPIRAL STRUCTURE

IS ONLY ONE EXAMPLE OF THE NEW FINDINGS

THAT ALMA NOW MAKES POSSIBLE.

Matthias: THE ALMA DATA THAT WE HAVE NOW

WAS TAKEN DURING THE CYCLE ZERO OF ALMA EARLY SCIENCE

AND ONLY TAKEN WITH 16 ANTENNAS.

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

Narrator: ALMA NEEDS 66 ANTENNAS TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL.

♪

SPECIAL VEHICLES WERE BUILT TO TRANSPORT THE RADIO TELESCOPES,

WHICH WEIGH MORE THAN 100 TONS EACH.

♪

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

ONE’S CALLED LORE; THE OTHER, OTTO.

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

THESE MONSTER TRUCKS SERVE A SINGLE PURPOSE:

TO TRANSPORT THE ALMA ANTENNAS.

LOADED WITH AN ANTENNA, THE 700-HORSEPOWER TRUCK

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

♪

THE 17-MILE STRETCH OF ROAD

BETWEEN THE BASE STATION AND THE ANTENNA FIELD

IS NOT WITHOUT DANGER.

♪

WHEN THE TRANSPORT IS UNDER WAY,

ALL ONCOMING VEHICLES HAVE TO PULL OVER AND WAIT,

FOR SAFETY REASONS.

♪

♪

AFTER A FIVE-HOUR UPHILL TREK,

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

WITH ITS PRECIOUS CARGO INTACT.

[BEEPING]

THE NEXT STEP, OFFLOADING THE ANTENNA

AND FITTING IT INTO PLACE ON THE MASSIVE CONCRETE FOUNDATION,

TAKES A GENTLE TOUCH.

FINALLY, THE TECHNICIANS ANCHOR THE ANTENNA

AND CONNECT IT TO THE SUPER COMPUTER.

NOW THE ANTENNA CAN START TO WORK,

HELPING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERIES OF THE COSMOS.

AS ALMA BECOMES FULLY FUNCTIONAL,

IT WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLORE

THE MOST PROFOUND QUESTION IN ASTRONOMY:

THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ITSELF.

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

BUT THESE PROCESSES ARE OF VITAL SIGNIFICANCE

IN THE SEARCH FOR THE ORIGINS OF LIFE...

BECAUSE THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS THAT WE’RE ALL MADE OF

WERE CREATED IN THE CORE OF THE STARS,

BEFORE BEING FLUNG OUT INTO SPACE BY MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS.

♪

THIS MEANS THAT WE HUMAN BEINGS

ARE ALSO AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ETERNAL COSMIC CYCLE.

ANTHONY REMIJAN IS AN ASTRO-CHEMIST

WITH THE NATIONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY

IN VIRGINIA.

HIS SPECIALTY IS THE SEARCH FOR ORGANIC MOLECULES IN SPACE.

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

HOW ACTUALLY ORGANIC CHEMISTRY DOES HAPPEN IN SPACE.

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

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

PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND FORMING ORGANIC MOLECULES.

SPACE IS DOING IT--

HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS

AND IS FORMING SOME OF THE LARGEST ORGANIC MOLECULES

THAT WE FIND HERE ON EARTH AS WELL.

AND WE’RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

HOW SPACE IS ACTUALLY FORMING THESE LARGE MOLECULES.

Narrator: NEW TECHNOLOGY AND TESTING METHODS

HAVE LED TO TREMENDOUS PROGRESS.

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

THAT MEANS WE CAN SEE THE SMALLEST DETAILS

OF REGIONS IN THE GALAXY THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING CHEMISTRY.

AND ALMA IS ALSO GOING TO BE

THE MOST SENSITIVE TELESCOPE IN THE WORLD

TO DETECT THESE LARGE MOLECULES IN SPACE.

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

THEIR CHARACTERISTIC RADIATION MUST FIRST BE ESTABLISHED

IN LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS.

THESE ARE THEN COMPARED WITH THE SIGNALS FROM SPACE,

AND THIS IS HOW THEY’RE IDENTIFIED.

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

AT THE SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY,

MICHAEL McCARTHY AND HIS TEAM

CREATES THESE "SNAPSHOTS" OF GALACTIC CHEMICALS.

Michael McCarthy: SO THE MOLECULES HAVE ESSENTIALLY

A VERY SPECIFIC,

UNIQUE, WHAT WE CALL A SPECTRAL FINGERPRINT.

AND NO TWO MOLECULES ARE ALIKE IN THAT SENSE.

THE TYPES OF MOLECULES WE SEE IN SPACE

ARE REALLY QUITE UNUSUAL AND EXOTIC BY TERRESTRIAL STANDARDS.

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

BECAUSE THEY RAPIDLY RECOMBINE WITH OTHER SPECIES.

SO WE HAVE TO, IN THE LABORATORY,

EFFECTIVELY REPRODUCE THE SAME MOLECULES

THAT ARE PRODUCED ASTRONOMICALLY.

Narrator: HERE IN THE LAB,

THESE MOLECULES ARE CREATED UNDER CONDITIONS

THAT MIMIC THE DEEP VOID OF SPACE.

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

SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE PUT INTO THE EXPERIMENT,

WE PUT, FOR EXAMPLE, METHANE OR WATER,

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

AND WE DILUTE IT VERY, VERY HEAVILY.

AND THE GAS EXPANDS INTO THE MIDDLE

OF THIS LARGE, EMPTY CHAMBER,

AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPS FROM ROOM TEMPERATURE,

WHICH IS 300 KELVIN,

TO ABOUT ONE DEGREE OF ABSOLUTE ZERO.

AND WE, FOR JUST A FRACTION OF A SECOND,

PULL THE PLUNGER BACK AND LET THIS GAS

RUSH DOWN A VERY NARROW CHANNEL

WHERE WE APPLY A VOLTAGE BETWEEN TWO ELECTRODES.

AND THAT VOLTAGE BASICALLY, LIKE A LIGHT BULB,

LIGHTS UP FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND.

AND ALL SORTS OF CHEMISTRY OCCURS.

MOLECULAR BONDS ARE BROKEN, AND CHEMISTRY OCCURS,

REACTIONS OCCUR, IN SOME CASES VERY FAST.

Narrator: WITHIN FRACTIONS OF A SECOND,

THE LAB CAPTURES A "FINGERPRINT" OF A MOLECULE

AS IT WOULD LOOK IN DEEP SPACE.

AND THIS FINGERPRINT IS USED BY THE RESEARCHERS AT ALMA

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

Michael: RADIO ASTRONOMERS KNOW EXACTLY THE FINGERPRINT

OF THESE MOLECULES WHEN THEY LOOK FOR THEM

BY REMOTE OBSERVING, IN THIS CASE WITH ALMA.

AND SO IT GIVES US GREAT CONFIDENCE.

THERE’S NO AMBIGUITY

WHEN SOMEONE DOES AN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION.

THERE’S NO WIGGLE ROOM ALLOWED.

SO IF A MOLECULE EXISTS IN SPACE,

YOU KNOW EXACTLY THESE FREQUENCIES.

IF IT’S THERE IN SPACE, WE KNOW IT.

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

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

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

DEEP IN A GALAXY LIGHT YEARS AWAY,

ALMA HAS DETECTED

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE ITSELF.

450 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH.

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

THE ALMA TELESCOPE DETECTED THE FIRST COMPLEX ORGANIC CHEMICALS,

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE.

THE GROUND-BREAKING DISCOVERY

WAS MADE BY ASTRONOMER KARIN OBERG.

AND SHE MADE IT BY ACCIDENT.

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

MOLECULES THAT HAVE A DEUTERIUM ATOM

INSTEAD OF A HYDROGEN ATOM IN THEM.

BUT WHAT WE ALSO SAW WAS EMISSION

FROM COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES CALLED METHYL CYANIDE--

IT BELONGS TO THE CYANIDE FAMILY--

THAT TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT MOLECULE

WHEN YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY

THAT LED TO THE ORIGINS OF LIFE.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS HAD LONG SUSPECTED

THAT ORGANIC CHEMISTRY EXISTED IN OTHER GALAXIES.

ALMA HAS FINALLY PROVEN IT.

THE DISCOVERY HAS ENORMOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR SCIENCE.

Karin: IN AN EVEN GRANDER SCHEME,

METHYL CYANIDE MOLECULE AND OTHER MOLECULES LIKE IT

WERE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE CHEMISTRY

LEADING TO THE ORIGINS OF LIFE ON EARTH.

SO IT’S OF COURSE VERY, VERY PROMISING

THAT IT’S COMMON ALSO ELSEWHERE.

IT SEEMS TO REMOVE ONE MORE BARRIER

TOWARDS HAVING LIFE BEING COMMON IN THE UNIVERSE.

Narrator: IF ORGANIC CHEMICALS ARE COMMON THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE,

IT MEANS THAT EARTH MAY NOT BE SO SPECIAL,

AND LIFE AS WE KNOW IT MAY ACTUALLY BE FOUND

ON DISTANT PLANETS THROUGH TOOLS LIKE ALMA.

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

ORIGINS OF LIFE IS A PROFOUND QUESTION.

I MEAN, IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS

I THINK BASICALLY EVERYONE AT SOME POINT IN LIFE

ASKED THEMSELVES, LIKE HOW DID WE GET HERE?

ARE THERE OTHERS LIKE US OUT THERE?

OR AT LEAST SOMETHING SIMILAR.

Narrator: AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT

TO BUILD A MASSIVE TELESCOPE ON A REMOTE PLATEAU IN CHILE

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

Karin: ALMA IS A GAME CHANGER.

IT IS REALLY A FANTASTIC TELESCOPE.

Narrator: ORGANIC MOLECULES ARE A DISTANT STEP

FROM HARD EVIDENCE OF ALIEN LIFE FORMS.

THE SCIENTISTS AT ALMA ARE USING THIS EVIDENCE

NOT ONLY TO SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL BIOLOGY,

BUT ALSO TO DISCOVER THE KEYS

TO THE CREATION OF LIFE ON OUR OWN PLANET.

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

THE FUNDAMENTAL MOLECULES THAT BUILD UP THINGS

LIKE RNA, PROTEINS AND AMINO ACIDS.

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

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

THEN WE ARE ANSWERING THE QUESTION

IS HOW THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE ORGANIC MATERIAL

THAT MAKE UP YOU AND I,

HOW THE MATERIAL THAT MAKES UP RNA,

SELF-REPLICATING MOLECULES,

ACTUALLY FORM AND CAN EVOLVE ON EARLY PLANETS.

AND WE THINK THAT THAT STARTS IN SPACE.

Narrator: THE SEARCH FOR ORGANIC MOLECULES IN COSMIC GAS CLOUDS

LEADS TO FAR-REACHING QUESTIONS:

DO THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE REALLY ORIGINATE IN SPACE?

AND IF SO, HOW DID THEY LAND ON EARTH?

Anthony: WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS ORGANIC MATERIAL IS CONTAINED

IN THINGS LIKE COMETS AND METEOROIDS AND ASTEROIDS.

AND DURING THE STAGES OF PLANET FORMATION,

DURING THE STAGES OF STAR FORMATION,

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

WHERE WE KNOW THAT PLANETS GET CONSTANTLY HIT

WITH COMETS, METEOROIDS AND ASTEROIDS.

SO, THE SAME ORGANIC MATERIAL

THAT IS FLOATING OUT THERE IN SPACE,

THAT GETS BOTTLED UP ONTO COMETS AND METEOROIDS,

COULD ACTUALLY BE SEEDED INTO THESE EARLY PLANETS.

AND SO THE SAME MATERIAL THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO THE FORMATION

OF LIFE ON EARTH,

THE SAME ORGANIC MATERIAL

THAT WE KNOW IS FLOATING AROUND IN SPACE,

COULD BE SEEDED ONTO PLANETS THROUGHOUT THE GALAXY

AND POSSIBLY KICK-START THE FORMATION OF LIFE

ON THOSE PLANETS AS WELL.

Narrator: IF WE CONSIDER THE INCREASING NUMBER

OF NEWLY DISCOVERED PLANETS ORBITING FOREIGN SUNS

AND THE MANY ORGANIC MOLECULES IN SPACE,

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

♪

AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE ALMA WILL FIND

IN THE FURTHEST REACHES OF SPACE?

♪

THE SEARCH FOR OUR COSMIC ORIGINS

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

♪

ALMOST LIKE AN OUTPOST OF SOME AS YET UNCHARTED TERRITORY,

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

♪

WITH ALMA, ASTRONOMERS ARE NOW BEGINNING TO SEE

PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN DETAILS,

AND THEY ANTICIPATE THAT MORE NEW AND UNKNOWN FACTS

WILL COME TO LIGHT.

THEIR FINDINGS WILL LEAD

TO A WHOLE NEW IMAGE OF THE UNIVERSE...

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

DOES INDEED LIE IN THE DARKNESS...

WHERE ONLY THE EYES OF ALMA CAN SEE.