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Narrator: In the beginning,
there was darkness,
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and then, bang!
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Giving birth to an endless
expanding existence of
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time, space and matter.
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Everyday, new discoveries
are unlocking the mysterious,
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the mind-blowing, the deadly
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secrets of a place we
call the universe.
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In the universe, it's important
to know your nearest neighbors.
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But how much do we really know
about our corner of the Milky Way?
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In just the last few years,
scientists have uncovered
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incredible secrets lurking
in our own backyard--
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New moons, new planets,
and new mysteries.
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It's like there was a house in
your neighborhood that you never
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knew was there.
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Narrator: Meet new neighbors
who are just passing through.
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There are planets that
are wandering the galaxy
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aimlessly without a
place to call home.
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Narrator: And old friends
whose days are numbered.
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It's conceivable that Betelgeuse
will go super nova tonight.
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Narrator: Join us for a tour
of the neighborhood we're only
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now getting to know.
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This is "Our Place
In The Milky Way."
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[Dramatic music]
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Sync and corrections by n17t01
www.addic7ed.com
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This isn't your neighborhood.
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Neither is this.
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Or this.
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Or any of these.
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And it isn't even this.
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Looked at from a wider
perspective, your neighborhood
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is a big cloud of gas.
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Astronomers say the Solar
System is moving through "the
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local interstellar cloud,"
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also called "the local fluff,"
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because of its low density
and irregular shape.
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The gases are mainly
hydrogen and some helium.
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There are trace amounts of
heavier atoms like carbon and
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oxygen and nitrogen that are
just floating around the
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interstellar medium.
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We know that the heavier atoms
in the interstellar medium are
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left over from previous explosions
of stars as supernovae.
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the local bubble, also the
remnant of an ancient supernova.
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The bubble is 300 light years
long, and lies in the inner edge
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of one of the spiral
arms of the Milky Way.
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And that's our neighborhood.
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At least, we think it is.
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Our exact position in
the Milky Way galaxy
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relative to the arms
actually isn't known.
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The structure of the galaxy is
not known in any real detail.
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Some people think there are two
major arms, some people think
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there are four major arms.
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It's hard for us to determine
the exact structure
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of our Milky Way, where all the
arms are and so onbecause
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it's kind of like a mouse being
inside a maze; you don't get
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the big picture.
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Narrator: In almost any Earth
neighborhood, you can determine
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your location very precisely.
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Turn left in 30 feet.
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Narrator: But when you're
dealing with something as big as
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the Milky Way, GPS
isn't an option.
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The galaxy is, you know,
100,000 light years across.
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Narrator: Even exploring our
local neighborhood involves a
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lot of uncertainty.
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But if we did have a "Galactic
Positioning System," it would
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probably locate us about midway
between the top and bottom of
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the Milky Way, and about midway
between the galaxy's outer edge
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and inner core.
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Our Solar System is about
26,000 light years away
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from the center of our galaxy.
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Narrator: According to one
hypothesis, we have a very
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exclusive location.
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There is one idea that only
stars in a certain range of
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distances from the center of our
galaxy are in the so-called
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"galactic habitable zone," that
is, able to have life on planets
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surrounding those stars.
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It is just the right
place with a star of the
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right temperature and a planet
at the right distance for there
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to be a lot of liquid water on the
surface, where the chemistry
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of life began and
evolved into us.
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Narrator: The overall range
of the galactic habitable zone
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extends from about 13,000 to
35,000 light years from the
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center of the Milky Way.
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The main part, where we are,
ranges from 20,000 to 29,000
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light years from the core.
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Inside the zone, old
neighborhoods have been
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destroyed, to make a
place we can call home.
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Depending upon how you
look at things, our local
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neighborhood, our local Solar
System, is actually a
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relatively safe place compared
to what seems to be going on if
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you look at the
universe in the large.
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In the early history of our
Solar System, it was a
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much more violent place.
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And the material that formed
the Sun and the planets
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were still sorting itself out.
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There were all sorts of
collisions and violent
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things happening that gave
rise to this nice, calm, or
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relatively calm, place
that we have today.
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We think that the earliest
stars formed out of hydrogen and
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helium alone; but that, over
time, the stars work as these
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processors that create
the heavier elements.
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This is important because
when those stars
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eventually die and explode,
these supernovae or stellar
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death explosions seed the
galaxy and the material around
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it with heavier elements.
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So for example, the carbon
in our cells, the oxygen
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that we breathe, the calcium in
our bones, the iron in our red
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blood cells-- All those
are heavy elements.
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We know that the Sun is at
least a second or a third
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generation star, because
there are planets around it.
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There are things made of iron and
carbon and other heavier elements.
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Narrator: But the processes
that led to life on Earth don't
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seem to exist outside the zone.
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Closer to the edge of the galaxy,
fewer massive stars have
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exploded, producing
fewer heavy elements.
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Further out in the galaxy,
you don't have as many atoms
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like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen--
The atoms that are so important
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for the chemistry of life.
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So the habitable zone
of the galaxy cuts off
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at a distance where you just
won't have the heavier atoms
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to make life.
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Narrator: If the outer galaxy
is a bad neighborhood, the inner
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area is even worse.
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Gravity from massive gas giant
planets could tear us apart.
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And there are other dangers the
closer you get to the galactic core.
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Back in the times of
Copernicus, we thought that we
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were the center of our
universe; and even as we
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started to learn more about the
heavens, eventually, we still
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thought that we were the
center of the galaxy.
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Now that we know even more,
though, it actually
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turns out that we're lucky we're
not in the center of the galaxy.
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Narrator: At the center of
the Milky Way, sucking matter
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and even light into it, is
"Sagittarius A-star," a black
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hole nearly 14 million miles
across with a mass 3.7 million
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times that of our Sun.
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If the galactic center has a
black hole in it, it gives off
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a lot of radiation-- Enough to
fry life as we know it--
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So you can't be too close to that.
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Then there are other regions
in the galaxy that are also
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probably not so great for life,
because there's just so much
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radiation from nearby,
really hot O-type stars.
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Narrator: O-type stars are
giants; they're hotter than the
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Sun, 10 to 50 times as massive,
and throw out titanic amounts of
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ultra-violet radiation.
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With these stars, you don't worry
about sunburn, but extinction.
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It's probably not
easy to survive in an
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environment where you're in a
tight cluster with a lot of
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O-type stars.
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Narrator: O-type giants can
destroy planets before they form.
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The radiation from these
stars is so strong that
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it actually sweeps the material
away from these newly-forming
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would-be planetary systems and
rips it out of the orbit of
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their stars.
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Narrator: If you want proof,
look at the Rosette nebula.
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It's 5,200 light years away, far
outside the local bubble; but it
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shows what O-type giants could
do to our neighborhood.
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A 2008 study by the University
of Arizona of a thousand stars
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in the nebula found star after
star had been made barren by
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being too close to a blue giant.
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So, what's a safe distance from
the radiation of an o-type giant?
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Well, if you ask me, you can
never be too far away from a giant.
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If you're life like us here on
Earth-- We're used to our fairly
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tame Sun-- You want to be
probably at least tens of light
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years away, maybe
more than that.
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Really, just don't
get too close.
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Narrator: Like a city between
a desert and an ocean, our
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corner of the galaxy thrives
between two different
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inhospitable regions.
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With the elements of life and
without the threat of intense
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radiation, it seems like our
neighborhood is literally the
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only place to live.
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But is our place in the Milky
Way really so exclusive?
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The idea of the galactic
habitable zone is that if
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you're too close to the center of
the galaxy, there's all these
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crazy things going on, and
it tends to kill off life.
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To be honest, I'm personally
skeptical of the idea, because I
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think that life can happen in all
sorts of environments, or at
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the very least, we don't know,
so we should be open-minded.
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It's possible that our kind
of life can only live
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in this galactic habitable zone,
but elsewhere there could
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be other kinds of life that
we would call extremophiles.
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On the other hand, they would
call us extremophiles.
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Narrator: One thing is
certain-- In our neighborhood, we
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have a sun that, unlike a blue
giant, protects us from danger
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and destruction, in ways that
we're still learning about.
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That protection may be
invisible, but if we lose the
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Sun's protection, our
neighborhood could be doomed.
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Narrator: Our place in the
Milky Way seems pretty peaceful
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because, like a lot of
communities, we don't give much
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thought to the 24/7 security systems
at keep the bad stuff away.
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Many cities on the edges of
rivers or oceans have dams and
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levies to protect
them from floods.
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If the dams and levies
fail-- Disaster.
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We've got threats and defenses
on a galactic scale too.
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Space is filled with
radiation known as cosmic rays.
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Cosmic rays are bad for
us in the same sense
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that nuclear radiation here on
Earth would be bad for us...
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Because high energy radiation
tends to dissociate carbon
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bonds, which is
what we're made of.
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What you're really doing is
damaging your DNA, and there's a
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potential there that you could
start to have mutations based
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off of that.
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Narrator: Some mutations can
help a species survive or lead
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to extinction.
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There's no evidence
that cosmic radiation has
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really negatively impacted
Earth in the past, but it's
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nothing that you want
to play around with.
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Narrator: Our neighborhood's prime
defense against cosmic rays-- Magnetism.
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We have this zone of
protection in our neighborhood.
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Of course the Earth
has a magnetic field,
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due to how things move around
in the core of the Earth.
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The Sun also has a powerful
magnetic field and it also has
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the solar wind.
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These phenomena actually
generate ways of protecting us
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from things that come from
outside the Solar System.
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Narrator: The Sun's magnetic
field is twisted by the solar
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wind, streams of charged protons
and electrons that shoot
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out of the Sun at a
million miles an hour.
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00:14:04,061 --> 00:14:06,228
And then the particles
that live in the Solar
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System between the planets
actually stretch the lines of
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the magnetic field around
in complicated patterns.
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Narrator: The solar wind
carries the magnetic field more
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00:14:18,542 --> 00:14:23,478
than three times farther out
than the orbit of Neptune.
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But nine billion miles away, at
a place called the heliopause,
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the solar wind runs out of steam,
and slows to almost nothing.
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00:14:35,292 --> 00:14:39,728
As it slows, it twists the
sun's magnetic field into a
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barrier against cosmic rays
from interstellar space.
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This is the heliosheath.
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If it wasn't for the
heliosheath, these cosmic rays
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would actually pour into our
Solar System all the time.
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The heliosheath acts as a
kind of shark cage for these
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incoming cosmic rays that might
otherwise influence our planet.
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Some do come through, but
they don't come through as
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strongly as they would
without that protection.
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Narrator: It used to be thought
that the heliosheath was
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a rather elegant barrier, made
of flowing curtains of magnetic
236
00:15:21,171 --> 00:15:30,211
force, but recently, enter Voyager
I and Voyager ii,
237
00:15:30,213 --> 00:15:36,084
probes sent out from
Earth in 1977.
238
00:15:36,086 --> 00:15:41,222
In the early 21st century,
these disco-era devices
239
00:15:41,224 --> 00:15:45,226
sent back information
indicating that the Sun's
240
00:15:45,228 --> 00:15:47,095
magnetic field lines don't flow
241
00:15:47,097 --> 00:15:49,431
smoothly together; they break
242
00:15:49,433 --> 00:15:51,599
up and reform into violent
243
00:15:51,601 --> 00:15:54,235
magnetic froth, and each bubble
244
00:15:54,237 --> 00:15:58,573
in that froth is 100
million miles wide.
245
00:15:58,575 --> 00:16:01,443
We used to think that it
was a smooth, nice barrier
246
00:16:01,445 --> 00:16:03,011
between them, but in fact, it's
247
00:16:03,013 --> 00:16:06,514
a roiling place with all sorts
of bubbles and patterns.
248
00:16:06,516 --> 00:16:08,416
I think there's always been
people who think the
249
00:16:08,418 --> 00:16:09,684
universe is more elegant than
250
00:16:09,686 --> 00:16:10,919
it is and people who think it's
251
00:16:10,921 --> 00:16:12,287
more violent than it is, and
252
00:16:12,289 --> 00:16:14,589
we're always surprised
one way or the other.
253
00:16:14,591 --> 00:16:16,124
The truth is that some aspects
254
00:16:16,126 --> 00:16:17,125
of the universe are quite
255
00:16:17,127 --> 00:16:20,762
elegant, and in other aspects,
it's quite a mess.
256
00:16:23,099 --> 00:16:23,965
Narrator: Where are the
257
00:16:23,967 --> 00:16:25,467
elegant areas of our galactic
258
00:16:25,469 --> 00:16:30,438
neighborhood and where
are the rough parts?
259
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,041
It can be hard to tell
with all that gas and
260
00:16:33,043 --> 00:16:36,611
dust in the cosmos.
261
00:16:36,613 --> 00:16:37,879
It's sort of like looking
262
00:16:37,881 --> 00:16:39,781
here behind me at Hollywood;
263
00:16:39,783 --> 00:16:41,149
there's even a landmark there,
264
00:16:41,151 --> 00:16:42,617
the Capitol Records building.
265
00:16:42,619 --> 00:16:44,552
You can barely make it out.
266
00:16:44,554 --> 00:16:46,488
And even beyond that, there are
267
00:16:46,490 --> 00:16:48,223
some hills that are even hazier.
268
00:16:48,225 --> 00:16:49,624
It's because there's stuff in
269
00:16:49,626 --> 00:16:52,827
the air that blocks the view.
270
00:16:52,829 --> 00:16:54,996
The hill itself obscures my
271
00:16:54,998 --> 00:16:56,831
ability to look beyond it, and
272
00:16:56,833 --> 00:16:58,833
that's kind of like the dust in
273
00:16:58,835 --> 00:17:01,136
very dense molecular clouds.
274
00:17:01,138 --> 00:17:03,138
When you hit a big wall of the
275
00:17:03,140 --> 00:17:05,340
dense molecular cloud filled
with dust, you can't see
276
00:17:05,342 --> 00:17:08,476
anything.
277
00:17:08,478 --> 00:17:10,478
Narrator: When
we explore our
278
00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,914
galactic neighborhood, what we
279
00:17:12,916 --> 00:17:16,818
see depends on how
we look at things.
280
00:17:16,820 --> 00:17:18,653
One of the things we've
learned through the
281
00:17:18,655 --> 00:17:20,255
history of looking at the sky
282
00:17:20,257 --> 00:17:22,357
is that every time you look in
283
00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,860
a different way, you see new
things, and looking at the
284
00:17:25,862 --> 00:17:28,930
sky a different way often
simply means looking in a
285
00:17:28,932 --> 00:17:31,833
different part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
286
00:17:31,835 --> 00:17:34,369
As we look up into the sky
with our eyes or with the
287
00:17:34,371 --> 00:17:37,439
aid of optical telescopes,
in the visible part of the
288
00:17:37,441 --> 00:17:40,208
spectrum, we see the night sky,
289
00:17:40,210 --> 00:17:41,943
and there's a lot to see, but
290
00:17:41,945 --> 00:17:45,513
it's only a fraction
of what's out there.
291
00:17:47,950 --> 00:17:50,885
Narrator: Some space
telescopes see through cosmic
292
00:17:50,887 --> 00:17:55,356
dust with infra-red vision,
similar to that used by
293
00:17:55,358 --> 00:17:58,193
commercial infra-red cameras.
294
00:17:58,195 --> 00:18:01,196
I've brought with me this
plastic bag, and when I
295
00:18:01,198 --> 00:18:03,731
put my hand inside of the bag,
296
00:18:03,733 --> 00:18:07,869
you can't see how many
fingers I'm holding up.
297
00:18:07,871 --> 00:18:09,237
With the infrared camera, you
298
00:18:09,239 --> 00:18:10,638
can see the heat coming off my
299
00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,474
body, so my face, which is
300
00:18:12,476 --> 00:18:14,409
warm, is red and white, but my
301
00:18:14,411 --> 00:18:16,911
hair, which is cool,
shows up as blue.
302
00:18:16,913 --> 00:18:19,380
So with the infrared camera,
you should be able to
303
00:18:19,382 --> 00:18:20,548
make out how many fingers I'm
304
00:18:20,550 --> 00:18:24,853
holding up, even though you
can't see through this bag.
305
00:18:24,855 --> 00:18:26,621
That's how astronomers peer
306
00:18:26,623 --> 00:18:28,189
through cosmic dust when they
307
00:18:28,191 --> 00:18:31,192
want to see things that
are hidden from sight.
308
00:18:31,194 --> 00:18:34,796
For example, stars being
born are very warm,
309
00:18:34,798 --> 00:18:36,698
but they're obscured by dust
310
00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:39,868
shells; with infrared,
we can see them.
311
00:18:39,870 --> 00:18:46,040
Certain objects are transparent
or opaque depending
312
00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:47,542
upon the frequency of the light
313
00:18:47,544 --> 00:18:49,310
that's trying to
get through them.
314
00:18:49,312 --> 00:18:51,713
And so, in fact, something
315
00:18:51,715 --> 00:18:53,481
that's getting in the way, like
316
00:18:53,483 --> 00:18:55,250
a lot of interstellar dust or
317
00:18:55,252 --> 00:18:56,751
gas, is getting in the way of
318
00:18:56,753 --> 00:19:01,089
what your telescopes can see,
are actually invisible in
319
00:19:01,091 --> 00:19:02,423
another part of the spectrum.
320
00:19:02,425 --> 00:19:06,060
You can see what's behind.
321
00:19:06,062 --> 00:19:07,762
Narrator: With
infra-red and
322
00:19:07,764 --> 00:19:09,330
a multitude of other
wavelengths
323
00:19:09,332 --> 00:19:11,599
at our command,
we've discovered
324
00:19:11,601 --> 00:19:15,069
a lot of neighbors we
didn't know we had.
325
00:19:15,071 --> 00:19:17,839
There's a whole array
of instrumentation
326
00:19:17,841 --> 00:19:21,743
which is exploiting that
lesson that if you look in a
327
00:19:21,745 --> 00:19:23,111
particular part of
the spectrum,
328
00:19:23,113 --> 00:19:25,914
you see the sky in a
very particular way.
329
00:19:25,916 --> 00:19:27,182
Narrator: From what we've
330
00:19:27,184 --> 00:19:29,350
observed, it looks
like some old
331
00:19:29,352 --> 00:19:30,852
neighbors might
have helped life
332
00:19:30,854 --> 00:19:34,289
form on Earth while some newer
333
00:19:34,291 --> 00:19:38,593
neighbors may be planning
to wipe us out.
334
00:19:43,716 --> 00:19:46,651
Narrator: As we've explored
our place in the Milky Way,
335
00:19:46,653 --> 00:19:50,688
we've met a lot of interesting
new neighbors, but there are
336
00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:53,358
good neighbors and bad ones.
337
00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:55,193
[Dog barking]
338
00:19:55,195 --> 00:19:58,896
Good neighbors are, for
example, objects that are in
339
00:19:58,898 --> 00:20:02,533
predictable orbits, moving
around, doing their own thing,
340
00:20:02,535 --> 00:20:03,901
minding their own business.
341
00:20:03,903 --> 00:20:06,537
We can look over and wave to
them, but they're not gonna
342
00:20:06,539 --> 00:20:09,540
do something sudden
or dangerous to us.
343
00:20:09,542 --> 00:20:12,543
The bad neighbors, then,
would be things that may do
344
00:20:12,545 --> 00:20:14,512
something unstable.
345
00:20:14,514 --> 00:20:18,216
They may do something that could
affect us in a way that we can't
346
00:20:18,218 --> 00:20:20,918
predict when it's
going to happen.
347
00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:28,459
So that might be when a star
dies and explodes, or it
348
00:20:28,461 --> 00:20:32,196
might be when something collides
and bounces off something else
349
00:20:32,198 --> 00:20:34,298
and comes spinning
in our direction.
350
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:37,568
So, classifying things roughly
into good neighbors and
351
00:20:37,570 --> 00:20:41,973
bad neighbors is really a
classification into predictability and
352
00:20:41,975 --> 00:20:47,712
unpredictability, or violence
and non-violence if you like.
353
00:20:47,714 --> 00:20:50,481
Narrator: Sometimes, a good
neighbor will bring a "moving
354
00:20:50,483 --> 00:20:51,716
in" gift.
355
00:20:51,718 --> 00:20:55,386
That might have happened to
us, billions of years ago,
356
00:20:55,388 --> 00:20:58,256
as the Earth was still
cooling and forming out of
357
00:20:58,258 --> 00:21:02,894
recycled material
from a recycled sun.
358
00:21:02,896 --> 00:21:07,498
We might have received a gift
that changed everything.
359
00:21:10,969 --> 00:21:14,972
The early Earth was
very hot and probably any
360
00:21:14,974 --> 00:21:18,509
original surface water
evaporated away, so we think
361
00:21:18,511 --> 00:21:21,846
that quite a bit of the water may
have come from either comets
362
00:21:21,848 --> 00:21:24,782
or icy asteroids or both.
363
00:21:26,785 --> 00:21:29,787
One of the theories about how
we might have gotten so much
364
00:21:29,789 --> 00:21:33,357
water here on Earth is from icy
bodies in the outer Solar
365
00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,427
System, left over from the
formation of the Sun and the
366
00:21:36,429 --> 00:21:39,630
planets, crashing into our inner
Solar System where Earth
367
00:21:39,632 --> 00:21:42,099
lives and deliver
some of that water.
368
00:21:42,101 --> 00:21:45,603
Narrator: According to one
recent theory, about four
369
00:21:45,605 --> 00:21:50,041
billion years ago, the gravity
of gas giants like Jupiter sent
370
00:21:50,043 --> 00:21:57,014
icy asteroids slamming into Mars,
Earth and Venus, but only
371
00:21:57,016 --> 00:22:02,787
on Earth did the ice
penetrate into the mantle.
372
00:22:02,789 --> 00:22:08,292
The water softened the Earth and
initiated a titanic process of
373
00:22:08,294 --> 00:22:14,665
plate tectonics, which led to the
emergence of continents and oceans.
374
00:22:18,170 --> 00:22:21,806
And what of the life that
formed in the oceans?
375
00:22:21,808 --> 00:22:28,813
Did organic compounds necessary for
life also splash down from space?
376
00:22:30,015 --> 00:22:33,851
In rare meteorites called
"carbonaceous chondrites,"
377
00:22:33,853 --> 00:22:37,188
scientists have found organic
compounds like those that
378
00:22:37,190 --> 00:22:40,024
helped form life on Earth.
379
00:22:40,026 --> 00:22:42,860
These compounds are similar to
what's been collected from many
380
00:22:42,862 --> 00:22:46,564
different sources, including
antarctic micro-meteorites,
381
00:22:46,566 --> 00:22:50,434
interstellar dust, and comet
samples acquired by NASA's
382
00:22:50,436 --> 00:22:53,871
"Stardust" mission in 2005.
383
00:22:53,873 --> 00:22:57,041
The origin of life involves a
long series of reactions with
384
00:22:57,043 --> 00:23:00,044
many different organic
molecules, organic molecules
385
00:23:00,046 --> 00:23:03,180
being just ones with carbon in
them, and it's possible that
386
00:23:03,182 --> 00:23:05,683
different circumstances are
needed to make the different
387
00:23:05,685 --> 00:23:06,584
organic molecules.
388
00:23:06,586 --> 00:23:10,421
Some of them might be made here
on Earth, but others might be
389
00:23:10,423 --> 00:23:14,058
easier to make out in space and
then bring them here to Earth on
390
00:23:14,060 --> 00:23:16,027
asteroids or comets.
391
00:23:18,363 --> 00:23:21,766
Narrator: It's possible that
without extra-terrestrial gifts
392
00:23:21,768 --> 00:23:28,039
from our neighbors in space, life
on Earth might never have happened.
393
00:23:28,041 --> 00:23:32,543
Milky Way neighbors may have
helped nurture us, but the
394
00:23:32,545 --> 00:23:37,248
Milky Way has things that can
kill us as well, with something
395
00:23:37,250 --> 00:23:42,053
like this-- An orange
dwarf named Gliese 710.
396
00:23:42,055 --> 00:23:47,425
It's about 60% as massive as the
Sun and is currently just 63
397
00:23:47,427 --> 00:23:50,895
light years from Earth
and getting closer.
398
00:23:50,897 --> 00:23:54,632
Gliese 710 appears to be
heading pretty much straight
399
00:23:54,634 --> 00:23:56,901
toward the Solar System.
400
00:23:56,903 --> 00:24:00,104
As an orange dwarf approaches
the Solar System, it becomes
401
00:24:00,106 --> 00:24:01,339
more and more significant.
402
00:24:01,341 --> 00:24:04,108
When it's about a light year
away or less, then it becomes
403
00:24:04,110 --> 00:24:06,077
very important.
404
00:24:06,079 --> 00:24:09,747
Narrator: Almost exactly one
light year away from Earth is a
405
00:24:09,749 --> 00:24:14,652
huge region of icy objects
called the Oort Cloud.
406
00:24:14,654 --> 00:24:19,223
The Oort Cloud objects could
turn into comets if they were to
407
00:24:19,225 --> 00:24:22,460
come close enough to the Sun, but
usually we don't see them at
408
00:24:22,462 --> 00:24:26,097
all because they're so
far away from the Sun.
409
00:24:26,099 --> 00:24:28,933
Narrator: Billions of potential
comets are waiting for
410
00:24:28,935 --> 00:24:34,138
something to give them a
gravitational push-- Something
411
00:24:34,140 --> 00:24:37,575
like Gliese 710.
412
00:24:37,577 --> 00:24:40,878
It'll start intersecting
the Oort Cloud or at least
413
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:46,917
gravitationally disturbing it in
something like 1.3 million years.
414
00:24:46,919 --> 00:24:50,888
Narrator: If Gliese 710 gets
close enough, its gravity
415
00:24:50,890 --> 00:24:54,859
could turn harmless chunks of
ice and dust into rampaging
416
00:24:54,861 --> 00:24:58,996
comets launched at us.
417
00:24:58,998 --> 00:25:03,267
The results for Earth
could be devastating.
418
00:25:04,670 --> 00:25:07,505
At that point, there
could be a huge onslaught
419
00:25:07,507 --> 00:25:11,375
of comets into the inner Solar
System that could lead to
420
00:25:11,377 --> 00:25:12,843
another mass extinction.
421
00:25:12,845 --> 00:25:16,447
We don't know that that'll
happen, but it could happen.
422
00:25:21,253 --> 00:25:24,722
Narrator: Astronomers say
there's an 86% chance that
423
00:25:24,724 --> 00:25:30,094
Gliese 710 will barrel right
through the Oort Cloud.
424
00:25:30,096 --> 00:25:32,496
So if the orange ball was like
an orange dwarf like Gliese 710
425
00:25:32,498 --> 00:25:37,468
and the pins were the Oort
Cloud, this is one thing
426
00:25:37,470 --> 00:25:38,302
that could happen.
427
00:25:38,304 --> 00:25:41,472
All right, but here's something
else that could happen.
428
00:25:41,474 --> 00:25:45,943
There's a 14% chance that Gliese
710 is just gonna pass right by,
429
00:25:45,945 --> 00:25:49,480
outside the Oort Cloud, not
coming inside it at all.
430
00:25:49,482 --> 00:25:53,918
Narrator: But even without a
direct hit, the effect of the
431
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:59,523
star's gravity could disrupt at
least some comets and send them
432
00:25:59,525 --> 00:26:01,492
straight for us.
433
00:26:01,494 --> 00:26:04,095
So the star could knock
just a few comets toward the
434
00:26:04,097 --> 00:26:05,162
inner Solar System.
435
00:26:05,164 --> 00:26:10,234
And it takes is one comet to
hit Earth to cause a catastrophe.
436
00:26:11,970 --> 00:26:17,408
Narrator: We've got more than
just Gliese 710 to worry about.
437
00:26:17,410 --> 00:26:21,645
There are more than 150 stars
close enough to disturb us
438
00:26:21,647 --> 00:26:25,416
within the next two
million years.
439
00:26:25,418 --> 00:26:28,352
The stars in our Milky
Way galaxy are all
440
00:26:28,354 --> 00:26:31,322
gravitationally bound together,
so they're moving in various
441
00:26:31,324 --> 00:26:34,425
directions, overall a rotation
around the center of our
442
00:26:34,427 --> 00:26:37,762
galaxy, but not all the
orbits are exactly the same.
443
00:26:37,764 --> 00:26:40,931
That means, from our perspective,
a given star might
444
00:26:40,933 --> 00:26:43,667
be going away from
us or toward us.
445
00:26:43,669 --> 00:26:47,738
Narrator: And NASA estimates
there are more than 20,000
446
00:26:47,740 --> 00:26:57,581
near-Earth asteroids more than 300
feet across, like 2005 YU55,
447
00:26:57,583 --> 00:27:03,120
which, in November 2011, came
closer to the Earth than the Moon.
448
00:27:03,122 --> 00:27:07,191
It might come even
closer in 200 years.
449
00:27:07,193 --> 00:27:10,995
How bad would it be to get
hit by a rock like that?
450
00:27:10,997 --> 00:27:20,571
Think about Nagasaki at the end of
World War II and multiply by four.
451
00:27:20,573 --> 00:27:24,008
As we've searched our corner
of the Milky Way for other
452
00:27:24,010 --> 00:27:29,413
neighbors, bad and good, we've
found some very unexpected things.
453
00:27:29,415 --> 00:27:33,184
We now have evidence of
stars cold enough to touch
454
00:27:33,186 --> 00:27:37,488
and planets straight out
of science fiction.
455
00:27:40,231 --> 00:27:45,002
Narrator: Exploring our place
in the Milky Way has turned up
456
00:27:45,004 --> 00:27:48,238
one surprise after another.
457
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:50,808
It's like there was a house
in your neighborhood that you
458
00:27:50,810 --> 00:27:53,177
never knew was there and that
you've suddenly discovered, but
459
00:27:53,179 --> 00:27:55,779
it's just down the block.
460
00:27:55,781 --> 00:27:58,649
Narrator: Take Alpha Centauri,
the brightest star in
461
00:27:58,651 --> 00:28:03,020
the constellation Centaurus and,
after the Sun, our nearest
462
00:28:03,022 --> 00:28:09,226
neighbor star, 4.3 light years,
or 25 trillion miles, away.
463
00:28:11,429 --> 00:28:14,998
In the 17th century,
astronomers announced that
464
00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:19,236
Alpha Centauri was
really two stars.
465
00:28:19,238 --> 00:28:25,008
Then, in the 20th century, it
turned out to be a triple system.
466
00:28:25,010 --> 00:28:29,446
Alpha Centauri "A" is very
much a Sun-like star, nearly
467
00:28:29,448 --> 00:28:31,415
exactly the same
mass as our Sun.
468
00:28:31,417 --> 00:28:34,785
Alpha Centauri "B" is a
little bit less massive.
469
00:28:34,787 --> 00:28:39,756
The third star, Proxima
Centauri, is an M-type star.
470
00:28:39,758 --> 00:28:43,427
It's a very low-mass star,
having perhaps only 12% the
471
00:28:43,429 --> 00:28:44,561
mass of our Sun.
472
00:28:44,563 --> 00:28:48,732
It's so faint that we can't
see it with our unaided eye.
473
00:28:50,435 --> 00:28:53,570
Narrator: It turns out that
other very well known neighbor
474
00:28:53,572 --> 00:28:58,075
stars are also multiple systems.
475
00:28:58,077 --> 00:29:02,980
Sirius, just 8.6 light years
away and famed for thousands of
476
00:29:02,982 --> 00:29:07,217
years as the brightest single
star in the sky, is really a
477
00:29:07,219 --> 00:29:09,086
binary star.
478
00:29:09,088 --> 00:29:12,356
Most stars are less massive
and smaller than our
479
00:29:12,358 --> 00:29:15,526
Sun and most stars are
in binary systems.
480
00:29:15,528 --> 00:29:19,463
In both respects, our Sun is a
little bit of an exception.
481
00:29:21,466 --> 00:29:26,336
The majority of stars are
red dwarfs or brown dwarfs.
482
00:29:26,338 --> 00:29:29,706
Red dwarfs make up 70% of
the stars not only in
483
00:29:29,708 --> 00:29:33,477
our galaxy but in the universe,
and so even though we
484
00:29:33,479 --> 00:29:37,080
orbit our Sun and we tend to
think of it as the iconic star,
485
00:29:37,082 --> 00:29:40,717
really, the red dwarfs
are far more common.
486
00:29:40,719 --> 00:29:44,521
Narrator: As for the brown
dwarfs, these are neighbors we
487
00:29:44,523 --> 00:29:47,791
weren't sure existed
until the 1990s.
488
00:29:47,793 --> 00:29:52,129
They're not quite stars,
but they're not planets.
489
00:29:52,131 --> 00:29:55,899
Oh, and they're not
really brown, either.
490
00:29:55,901 --> 00:29:59,036
The brown dwarfs are some
of the most mysterious
491
00:29:59,038 --> 00:30:01,505
denizens of the solar
neighborhood because they're
492
00:30:01,507 --> 00:30:04,374
really very, very cold and
they're very dark, and that
493
00:30:04,376 --> 00:30:07,544
means that they don't give off a
lot of light and they're very
494
00:30:07,546 --> 00:30:10,814
difficult to see.
495
00:30:10,816 --> 00:30:15,219
Narrator: In 2011, one of
NASA's space telescopes, the
496
00:30:15,221 --> 00:30:20,324
wide-field infra-red survey
explorer, or wise, found a
497
00:30:20,326 --> 00:30:24,561
series of brown dwarfs right in
our neighborhood, between 9
498
00:30:24,563 --> 00:30:28,165
and 40 light years away, with
surface temperatures once
499
00:30:28,167 --> 00:30:30,767
considered impossible.
500
00:30:30,769 --> 00:30:34,571
One of these brown dwarfs
that we found is actually so
501
00:30:34,573 --> 00:30:36,840
cool that you could touch
it with your hand.
502
00:30:36,842 --> 00:30:39,276
It's only 80 degrees
fahrenheit, the same
503
00:30:39,278 --> 00:30:41,778
temperature as a really
lovely day out here on Earth.
504
00:30:41,780 --> 00:30:44,781
And so, who knows
what else we'll find.
505
00:30:44,783 --> 00:30:49,186
The more we look,
the more we see.
506
00:30:49,188 --> 00:30:52,522
Narrator: Why are stars
so many different colors?
507
00:30:52,524 --> 00:30:56,960
That's what Anna K. of
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, texted to ask
508
00:30:56,962 --> 00:30:58,595
The Universe.
509
00:30:58,597 --> 00:31:01,898
Anna, that's a really
interesting question.
510
00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:05,068
Basically, stars have slightly
different colors because they
511
00:31:05,070 --> 00:31:07,037
have different surface
temperatures.
512
00:31:07,039 --> 00:31:11,308
Cool stars like Betelgeuse
look reddish and they have
513
00:31:11,310 --> 00:31:14,444
temperatures of only 6,000
or 7,000 degrees fahrenheit.
514
00:31:14,446 --> 00:31:18,482
The hottest stars, like Rigel,
appear bluish, and they're
515
00:31:18,484 --> 00:31:20,617
upwards of 20,000 degrees.
516
00:31:20,619 --> 00:31:23,487
Then there are stars like the
Sun, with temperatures of
517
00:31:23,489 --> 00:31:26,657
10,000 or 11,000 degrees,
and they look white.
518
00:31:26,659 --> 00:31:29,993
Now, the Sun looks yellow when it's
setting, but that's because
519
00:31:29,995 --> 00:31:31,361
of atmospheric effects.
520
00:31:31,363 --> 00:31:34,364
Its true color is white.
521
00:31:37,001 --> 00:31:40,203
Narrator: There are
more than stars out there.
522
00:31:40,205 --> 00:31:43,607
We've discovered hundreds of
neighboring planets inside and
523
00:31:43,609 --> 00:31:45,809
outside the local bubble.
524
00:31:45,811 --> 00:31:49,846
We have discovered a lot of
exoplanet candidates through a
525
00:31:49,848 --> 00:31:53,850
mission called Kepler that is
looking at essentially little
526
00:31:53,852 --> 00:31:58,155
eclipses, when a planet moves
in front of its parent star and
527
00:31:58,157 --> 00:32:02,059
then out, and the light dips a
little and then goes back up.
528
00:32:02,061 --> 00:32:05,796
It's very difficult to see,
analogous to watching for a
529
00:32:05,798 --> 00:32:09,399
single light bulb going out on
the Vegas strip, but Kepler is
530
00:32:09,401 --> 00:32:12,402
capable of doing these
measurements so precisely that
531
00:32:12,404 --> 00:32:16,173
it's able to find even planets as
small as our own Earth around
532
00:32:16,175 --> 00:32:18,108
stars like our Sun.
533
00:32:19,877 --> 00:32:22,379
The first exoplanet we
discovered was only about
534
00:32:22,381 --> 00:32:25,248
15 years ago, and it was very
much like we were the only
535
00:32:25,250 --> 00:32:27,884
house on the block and we saw
the first neighbor putting up
536
00:32:27,886 --> 00:32:30,654
their hosee, and ever since then,
the entire neighborhood
537
00:32:30,656 --> 00:32:33,490
has grown, you built up
communities of other exoplanets
538
00:32:33,492 --> 00:32:35,425
out in our local neighborhood.
539
00:32:37,895 --> 00:32:41,765
Narrator: As far as we know,
our nearest planetary neighbor
540
00:32:41,767 --> 00:32:46,536
outside the Solar System is just
down the street, 10.5 light
541
00:32:46,538 --> 00:32:51,875
years away, orbiting the
orange star Epsilon Eridani.
542
00:32:51,877 --> 00:32:54,544
This planet isn't exactly
something that we could go
543
00:32:54,546 --> 00:32:56,880
visit and expect to find life.
544
00:32:56,882 --> 00:32:59,683
We think that this planet
is more equivalent to a
545
00:32:59,685 --> 00:33:03,053
planet like Jupiter in our
Solar System-- A big ball of
546
00:33:03,055 --> 00:33:06,456
gas which, as we understand
it anyway, isn't a great
547
00:33:06,458 --> 00:33:08,191
place to look for life.
548
00:33:08,193 --> 00:33:11,928
Narrator: A little farther
out, about 200 light years, is
549
00:33:11,930 --> 00:33:16,566
another surprise-- A planet that
looks like something out of a
550
00:33:16,568 --> 00:33:18,201
Star Wars movie.
551
00:33:18,203 --> 00:33:21,104
Just recently, the Kepler
telescope discovered a
552
00:33:21,106 --> 00:33:27,611
planet that orbits two suns, and
this is a planet called Kepler 16B.
553
00:33:27,613 --> 00:33:31,214
So, this planet, even though it
has similarities to Tatooine,
554
00:33:31,216 --> 00:33:34,718
isn't exactly like Luke
Skywalker's home world.
555
00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:38,422
It's actually a planet that's icy
and gassy, more like Saturn
556
00:33:38,424 --> 00:33:40,123
than our own Earth.
557
00:33:40,125 --> 00:33:44,027
Now we were never sure, prior
to this discovery, whether you
558
00:33:44,029 --> 00:33:47,798
could have a planet that
actually has two suns, and so
559
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:51,067
now that we've found one, we
know that these are possible,
560
00:33:51,069 --> 00:33:53,703
and that's really interesting,
because it means that these
561
00:33:53,705 --> 00:33:58,308
binary systems are good
places to look for planets.
562
00:33:58,310 --> 00:34:02,546
Narrator: In 2011, astronomers
unveiled a new kind
563
00:34:02,548 --> 00:34:06,416
of planet in our
neighborhood-- The homeless.
564
00:34:06,418 --> 00:34:08,752
There have been some
indications that there are
565
00:34:08,754 --> 00:34:13,657
planets to be found that are not
in orbit around their parent star.
566
00:34:13,659 --> 00:34:15,992
They started out in orbit
around their parent
567
00:34:15,994 --> 00:34:19,996
star, but somehow got ejected
from their solar system and now
568
00:34:19,998 --> 00:34:23,300
they're wandering the galaxy
aimlessly, without a place to
569
00:34:23,302 --> 00:34:26,736
call home, so one wonders if
pretty soon we'll have another
570
00:34:26,738 --> 00:34:30,740
new definition that encompasses
those bodies that used to be
571
00:34:30,742 --> 00:34:34,778
planets and no longer
have a parent star.
572
00:34:34,780 --> 00:34:37,814
I think it's still valid to
refer to these ejected bodies as
573
00:34:37,816 --> 00:34:41,284
planets, because "planet" is the
Greek word for "wanderer," and
574
00:34:41,286 --> 00:34:45,689
they are certainly wandering
through deep space.
575
00:34:45,691 --> 00:34:48,525
Narrator: We've even learned
new things about our Solar
576
00:34:48,527 --> 00:34:50,527
System neighbors.
577
00:34:50,529 --> 00:34:54,264
In the summer of 2011, the
Hubble space telescope
578
00:34:54,266 --> 00:34:56,733
took the first pictures
of the dwarf planet
579
00:34:56,735 --> 00:35:00,704
Pluto's previously
unsuspected fourth moon.
580
00:35:00,706 --> 00:35:03,707
Now you might wonder, Pluto
is not all that distant.
581
00:35:03,709 --> 00:35:06,776
Why did it take us so long
to find a fourth moon?
582
00:35:06,778 --> 00:35:10,780
Well, it's because it's very,
very small, only 10 to 20 miles
583
00:35:10,782 --> 00:35:12,716
in diameter, so it's very faint.
584
00:35:12,718 --> 00:35:16,152
It reflects only a little
bit of the Sun's light.
585
00:35:16,154 --> 00:35:19,422
Narrator: The new moon is
probably a frozen, lifeless
586
00:35:19,424 --> 00:35:24,027
world like Pluto itself.
587
00:35:24,029 --> 00:35:27,364
So far, all of our
newly-discovered neighbors have
588
00:35:27,366 --> 00:35:33,136
been too hot or too cold to have any
possibility of our kind of life.
589
00:35:33,138 --> 00:35:36,540
But the search goes on.
590
00:35:36,542 --> 00:35:39,776
So even though we haven't
done it yet, we're at
591
00:35:39,778 --> 00:35:42,879
this point where our technology
has caught up to our needs and
592
00:35:42,881 --> 00:35:46,182
we're actually going to be able
to start finding those planets
593
00:35:46,184 --> 00:35:48,952
like Earth in the
really near future.
594
00:35:48,954 --> 00:35:51,988
However, being able to
determine whether they
595
00:35:51,990 --> 00:35:56,326
would be supportive of life is
a much more difficult task.
596
00:35:58,329 --> 00:36:00,997
Narrator: None of the
exoplanets we've discovered in
597
00:36:00,999 --> 00:36:07,470
our corner of the Milky Way pose
any threat to us, but what about
598
00:36:07,472 --> 00:36:09,639
some of the stars out there?
599
00:36:09,641 --> 00:36:15,412
Could some of them die
and take us with them?
600
00:36:20,157 --> 00:36:25,195
Narrator: Our place in the
Milky Way has a lot of plusses.
601
00:36:25,197 --> 00:36:29,265
We're right in the zone for
life to form, our closest star
602
00:36:29,267 --> 00:36:33,837
protects us from dangerous
cosmic rays, and most of our
603
00:36:33,839 --> 00:36:37,774
neighbors don't disturb us.
604
00:36:37,776 --> 00:36:40,777
But neighborhoods can change.
605
00:36:40,779 --> 00:36:42,779
[Siren]
606
00:36:42,781 --> 00:36:48,351
If a fire destroys a nearby
home or business, your home
607
00:36:48,353 --> 00:36:52,522
could also be damaged, so
imagine what might happen
608
00:36:52,524 --> 00:36:57,126
when a star goes out of
business as a supernova.
609
00:37:00,097 --> 00:37:04,400
That means they'll explode
and throw all their innards
610
00:37:04,402 --> 00:37:07,570
back out to the galaxy.
611
00:37:09,273 --> 00:37:13,409
Narrator: Exploding stars
created us, most of the heavy
612
00:37:13,411 --> 00:37:17,881
elements in the stars around us,
and the gas clouds the solar
613
00:37:17,883 --> 00:37:23,419
system dwells in, but it's a bad
idea to be too close when a
614
00:37:23,421 --> 00:37:26,389
dying star explodes.
615
00:37:28,292 --> 00:37:34,264
A supernova explosion is an
incredibly powerful explosion.
616
00:37:34,266 --> 00:37:39,135
The core of the star
bounces out and smashes
617
00:37:39,137 --> 00:37:44,340
into the outer layers and blows
them out into the galaxy.
618
00:37:44,342 --> 00:37:48,645
So what actually happens is that
material gets thrown out in
619
00:37:48,647 --> 00:37:51,948
a shock wave that if you're near
enough to the shock wave would
620
00:37:51,950 --> 00:37:53,917
be destructive.
621
00:37:55,753 --> 00:37:59,155
If it's ten light years
away or so, then high energy
622
00:37:59,157 --> 00:38:02,091
radiation like from X-rays
and gamma rays can harm us.
623
00:38:02,093 --> 00:38:05,929
They can, for example, destroy
part of the ozone layer.
624
00:38:05,931 --> 00:38:11,935
What happens is, the radiation comes
in, disrupts nitrogen molecules.
625
00:38:11,937 --> 00:38:17,974
The nitrogen atoms then combine
with oxygen to form nitric oxide.
626
00:38:17,976 --> 00:38:24,314
That nitric oxide, NO,
disrupts ozone molecules O3,
627
00:38:24,316 --> 00:38:27,650
and forms nitrogen dioxide, NO2.
628
00:38:27,652 --> 00:38:32,188
The nitrogen dioxide can then
combine with atomic oxygen,
629
00:38:32,190 --> 00:38:37,393
forming more nitric oxide, which
then disrupts more ozone,
630
00:38:37,395 --> 00:38:39,629
which leads to a
snowball effect.
631
00:38:39,631 --> 00:38:43,733
So, within a few weeks, you
can destroy much of the
632
00:38:43,735 --> 00:38:47,370
ozone layer, allowing the Sun's
ultraviolet radiation to come
633
00:38:47,372 --> 00:38:51,574
in, and that would then kill
life that's on the surface
634
00:38:51,576 --> 00:38:55,745
layers of an ocean or in ponds.
635
00:38:55,747 --> 00:38:59,248
Narrator: That death toll
would include the phytoplankton
636
00:38:59,250 --> 00:39:03,720
that are the foundation of the
marine food chain and provide
637
00:39:03,722 --> 00:39:09,359
50% of the Earth's oxygen, and
that would spell doom for most
638
00:39:09,361 --> 00:39:14,030
larger forms of
life, including us.
639
00:39:16,433 --> 00:39:19,869
One candidate for stellar
extinction lies outside the
640
00:39:19,871 --> 00:39:23,740
local bubble, although it's
been a familiar sight for
641
00:39:23,742 --> 00:39:29,946
thousands of years-- The red
supergiant Betelgeuse.
642
00:39:29,948 --> 00:39:34,751
The star, between 500 and 800
light years away and 20 times
643
00:39:34,753 --> 00:39:37,887
the mass of the Sun, forms
the right shoulder of the
644
00:39:37,889 --> 00:39:40,957
constellation Orion.
645
00:39:40,959 --> 00:39:45,294
Betelgeuse is getting
near the end of its life.
646
00:39:45,296 --> 00:39:53,736
Narrator: Between 1996 and
2011, Betelgeuse shrank by 15%
647
00:39:53,738 --> 00:39:57,040
for reasons that are
still not understood.
648
00:39:57,042 --> 00:40:00,743
The red giant may go
supernova in half a million
649
00:40:00,745 --> 00:40:05,648
years, or it may have
already happened.
650
00:40:05,650 --> 00:40:08,317
It's conceivable that
Betelgeuse will go super
651
00:40:08,319 --> 00:40:11,888
nova tonight or tomorrow night or
next week, but it's much more
652
00:40:11,890 --> 00:40:15,391
likely to become a supernova
in 100,000 years or
653
00:40:15,393 --> 00:40:16,759
in a few 100,000 years.
654
00:40:16,761 --> 00:40:19,796
Given that Betelgeuse is at least
a few hundred light years
655
00:40:19,798 --> 00:40:23,433
away, it's possible that it's
already blown up and we just
656
00:40:23,435 --> 00:40:26,102
don't know it because the
light hasn't reached us yet.
657
00:40:27,738 --> 00:40:30,907
Narrator: The good news
is that, even if Orion does
658
00:40:30,909 --> 00:40:35,611
dislocate its shoulder,
Betelgeuse is too far away to
659
00:40:35,613 --> 00:40:39,582
harm our neighborhood.
660
00:40:39,584 --> 00:40:45,688
But then there's HR8210, about
150 light years away, in the
661
00:40:45,690 --> 00:40:47,457
constellation Pegasus.
662
00:40:47,459 --> 00:40:53,696
It's not one star but two-- A star
and a white dwarf in binary
663
00:40:53,698 --> 00:40:55,465
orbit around each other.
664
00:40:55,467 --> 00:40:58,134
The white dwarf is about 15%
665
00:40:58,136 --> 00:41:04,807
more massive than our Sun-- Not at
the supernova tipping point yet.
666
00:41:04,809 --> 00:41:08,878
HR8210 is this binary
system, two stars that are
667
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:11,280
orbiting one another, one
of which has actually
668
00:41:11,282 --> 00:41:13,382
already died and
is a white dwarf.
669
00:41:13,384 --> 00:41:17,220
Now, this system has the
potential that when the star
670
00:41:17,222 --> 00:41:20,356
that's very hot right now starts
to go through its death throes
671
00:41:20,358 --> 00:41:25,228
and starts to puff up as it dies,
it might start to pour material
672
00:41:25,230 --> 00:41:26,963
onto that white dwarf.
673
00:41:26,965 --> 00:41:30,299
Essentially these systems are
like zombie stars eating
674
00:41:30,301 --> 00:41:32,401
their companions.
675
00:41:32,403 --> 00:41:36,772
When that normal star starts to
expand, the white dwarf will start
676
00:41:36,774 --> 00:41:39,509
stealing material from its
companion, becoming more
677
00:41:39,511 --> 00:41:43,179
massive, and if it reaches a
certain unstable limit, it'll
678
00:41:43,181 --> 00:41:47,150
blow up as a type 1A supernova.
679
00:41:49,853 --> 00:41:53,489
Narrator: Are we far enough
away to avoid being collateral
680
00:41:53,491 --> 00:41:57,527
damage when HR8210 explodes?
681
00:41:57,529 --> 00:41:59,729
If you want to be
completely safe from a
682
00:41:59,731 --> 00:42:03,332
supernova, you should be at least
a hundred light years away.
683
00:42:03,334 --> 00:42:06,836
Ten light years might be
enough, but it might not;
684
00:42:06,838 --> 00:42:10,773
it depends on what effect
kills you first.
685
00:42:10,775 --> 00:42:13,709
But that won't happen
for a really long time,
686
00:42:13,711 --> 00:42:17,180
and by then we will have
moved off and it will have
687
00:42:17,182 --> 00:42:20,583
moved off because everything in
the galaxy is really on its way
688
00:42:20,585 --> 00:42:21,551
somewhere.
689
00:42:21,553 --> 00:42:24,854
So over time that might
happen, but at the point
690
00:42:24,856 --> 00:42:28,925
that it does, it probably won't
be very close to Earth at all
691
00:42:28,927 --> 00:42:31,694
anymore.
692
00:42:31,696 --> 00:42:34,363
Narrator: But don't
feel too comfortable.
693
00:42:34,365 --> 00:42:40,403
The threat of HR8210 was
only discovered in 2002.
694
00:42:40,405 --> 00:42:44,907
How many more potential
supernovas are out there?
695
00:42:44,909 --> 00:42:48,244
How close are they to us?
696
00:42:48,246 --> 00:42:52,248
And how soon will they explode?
697
00:42:56,887 --> 00:43:02,091
To possibly make matters worse,
some astronomers say that there
698
00:43:02,093 --> 00:43:07,163
are a lot more supernovas in
our neighborhood's future.
699
00:43:07,165 --> 00:43:10,099
Our Solar System
orbits our galaxy at a
700
00:43:10,101 --> 00:43:13,069
different rate than
the spiral arms do.
701
00:43:13,071 --> 00:43:16,105
That means, eventually we're
gonna enter a spiral arm,
702
00:43:16,107 --> 00:43:20,276
and because there is a lot more
massive stars there, some of
703
00:43:20,278 --> 00:43:23,312
them will be ending their lives,
creating supernovae and
704
00:43:23,314 --> 00:43:27,283
posing a greater threat
to life on Earth.
705
00:43:28,919 --> 00:43:32,955
Narrator: Still, our place
in the Milky Way is secure for
706
00:43:32,957 --> 00:43:37,793
tonight and for at least a
few million nights to come--
707
00:43:37,795 --> 00:43:43,532
Plenty of time for more
exploration and more surprises.
708
00:43:43,534 --> 00:43:46,502
We live in a pretty diverse
neighborhood, actually, and
709
00:43:46,504 --> 00:43:47,603
things are changing.
710
00:43:47,605 --> 00:43:49,839
The galaxy is not a static
place, so it's gonna be an
711
00:43:49,841 --> 00:43:53,309
interesting place to see
in a billion years.
712
00:43:56,500 --> 00:43:59,500
Sync and corrections by n17t01
www.addic7ed.com
713
00:43:59,550 --> 00:44:04,100
Repair and Synchronization by
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