Original subtitles

♪♪

Narrator: THE AURORA BOREALIS,

BETTER KNOWN AS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS,

HAVE MYSTIFIED SCIENTISTS FOR CENTURIES.

Spanswick: THE AURORA IS JUST MAGICAL.

I CAN'T ACTUALLY EXPLAIN IT,

BUT YOU JUST CAN'T STOP WATCHING IT.

Cully: WHAT WE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THE REALLY BIG PICTURE.

WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT STILL TO LEARN.

Narrator: NOW AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM

OF AURORA-HUNTING SCIENTISTS IS UNDERTAKING

A SERIES OF PIONEERING EXPERIMENTS TO REVEAL

WHAT REALLY CAUSES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS'

MYSTERIOUS COLORS, PATTERNS, AND SHAPES.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS AS A SCIENTIST BEFORE.

IT'S SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY AND PROFOUNDLY NEW.

THE HUNT FOR AURORA COULD EVEN ANSWER

ONE OF HUMANITY'S GREATEST QUESTIONS.

Hallinan: CAN WE DETECT AURORA ON PLANETS OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

AND THAT MIGHT TELL US THERE'S LIFE ON THOSE PLANETS.

Narrator: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF THE AURORA

IS TRANSFORMING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PLANET

AND OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

♪♪

THE AURORA BOREALIS IS A MAGICAL SPECTACLE OF THE FROZEN NORTH...

♪♪

...BUT DESPITE HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF INVESTIGATION,

SCIENTISTS ARE STILL TRYING TO UNLOCK ITS DEEPEST SECRETS.

WHAT CAUSES THESE CELESTIAL FIREWORKS?

WHAT CAN THEIR COLOR TELL US ABOUT OUR ATMOSPHERE?

AND WHY CAN THEY SUDDENLY APPEAR

OVER UNEXPECTED PARTS OF OUR PLANET?

THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES IN CANADA

ARE THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH TO HUNT DOWN ANSWERS.

♪♪

FOR 240 NIGHTS A YEAR, WHEN THE SUN SETS,

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS LIGHT UP THIS FROZEN LANDSCAPE.

♪♪

AURORA HUNTER EMMA SPANSWICK BRAVES THE ELEMENTS

TO SET UP A PIONEERING PIECE OF AURORA-WATCHING TECHNOLOGY.

♪♪

YELLOWKNIFE HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF AURORA --

BASICALLY, IN CANADA RIGHT NOW.

IT'S -- IT'S IN THE PERFECT SPOT,

RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE AURORAL ZONE,

AND THAT'S WHY WE CAME.

Narrator: EMMA HAS DEDICATED HER CAREER

TO REVEALING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS' DEEPEST SECRETS.

SHE'S INSTALLING A SUPER-WIDE-ANGLED COLOR-CAMERA.

ITS IMAGES WILL HELP EMMA UNDERSTAND

WHY THE NORTHERN LIGHTS SUDDENLY APPEAR IN THE NIGHT SKY.

THIS IS OUR NEW COLOR AURORA-CAMERA

THAT'S GOING OUT FOR A TEST TONIGHT.

IT'S GOT A 360-DEGREE LENS ON IT,

SO WE SHOULD SEE THE ENTIRE LAKE HERE,

AND, HOPEFULLY, SOME NICE AURORA.

EMMA'S CAMERA WILL COMPLEMENT A NETWORK OF CAMERAS

THAT MONITOR THE NIGHT SKY ACROSS A CONTINENT

OVER 3,500 MILES EAST TO WEST.

♪♪

MINUS-2 IS PRETTY COMFORTABLE, THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE FOR THIS.

SO, IF YOU GET MULTIPLES OF THESE CAMERAS

AND YOU SEPARATE THEM BY THE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE,

YOU CAN STITCH THEM TOGETHER

AND MAKE A GREAT VIEW OF THE AURORA ACROSS CANADA,

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

Narrator: THE CAMERA NEEDS BIG HORIZONS

TO CAPTURE AS MUCH OF THE SKY AS POSSIBLE,

SO EMMA'S FROSTBITTEN OBSERVATORY

IS IN THE CENTER OF A FROZEN LAKE

WITH NO MOUNTAINS, NO TREES,

AND NO BUILDINGS BLOCKING THE VIEW.

ONCE THE CAMERA IS INSTALLED,

ALL EMMA CAN DO IS SIT BACK

AND WAIT FOR THE AURORA TO APPEAR.

♪♪

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE LIFE OF AN AURORAL CHASER.

YOU NEED A LOT OF PATIENCE IN THIS LINE OF WORK,

BUT IT WILL COME OUT.

Narrator: IT'S MINUS-20 DEGREES CELSIUS,

AND IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT.

THAT'S BECAUSE EMMA DOESN'T KNOW EXACTLY

WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE GOING TO APPEAR.

♪♪

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE DRIVEN BY OUR SUN.

93-MILLION MILES AWAY,

THE SURFACE OF THE SUN THROWS OUT A CONSTANT STREAM

OF CHARGED PARTICLES CALLED THE SOLAR WIND.

LEFT UNCHECKED, THIS WIND COULD STRIP AWAY EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

AND EXTINGUISH ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET,

BUT LUCKILY, THE EARTH HAS A MAGNETIC FIELD

THAT COCOONS THE WHOLE GLOBE.

THE MAGNETIC FIELD FUNNELS THE SOLAR WIND'S ENERGY

TOWARDS THE EARTH'S POLES

WHERE IT EXCITES THE GASES IN OUR ATMOSPHERE

AND PRODUCES THE SPECTACULAR LIGHTS WE CALL THE AURORA.

♪♪

FOR FOUR HOURS, WAITING IN THE COLD, NOTHING HAPPENS.

BUT AT 10:45 P.M.,

EMMA'S CAMERA CAPTURES THE FIRST GLIMMER

OF WHAT THE LIGHTS HAVE TO OFFER.

THIS IS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD NEWS, VERY EXCITING.

♪♪

THESE TIME-LAPSE IMAGES REVEAL A SKY ALIVE WITH COLOR,

DANCING TO THE SOLAR WIND'S BEAT,

AND THIS VIDEO FOOTAGE REVEALS SWEEPING BANDS OF BRILLIANT,

GREEN LIGHT AS IT UNFURLS ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BRIGHTEN UP,

RUNNING RIGHT ACROSS THE SKY, ALMOST HORIZON TO HORIZON.

EMMA WILL BE UP ALL NIGHT TAKING PHOTOS OF THE AURORA,

AS SHE INVESTIGATES WHAT MAKES THE LIGHTS APPEAR

BECAUSE EVERY FEW HOURS SOMEWHERE ON EARTH,

FOR REASONS NOT YET FULLY UNDERSTOOD,

THE AURORAS SUDDENLY BURST INTO LIFE.

AND ONCE A DECADE, THE LIGHTS CAN BECOME SUPER-CHARGED

INTO AN EVEN MORE SPECTACULAR SHOW.

THEY APPEAR SUDDENLY IN PLACES COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED,

EVEN AS FAR SOUTH AS CUBA.

AURORA HUNTERS ARE TRYING TO DISCOVER

WHAT FORCES THESE ARCTIC-LIGHT SHOWS DOWN TO THE TROPICS.

♪♪

Fox: THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE AURORA WAS REALLY IN ALASKA.

I JUST STOOD OUT FOR WELL OVER AN HOUR IN THESE FREEZING,

FREEZING CONDITIONS,

AND JUST ENJOYED THIS TOTALLY SPECTACULAR SIGHT.

Narrator: IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,

AURORA HUNTER NICKY FOX IS INVESTIGATING

WHY, FOR THEIR MOST SPECTACULAR DISPLAYS,

THE AURORA APPEAR WHERE THEY'RE NORMALLY NEVER SEEN.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE AURORA,

YOU WILL DO HAVE TO TRAVEL NORTH, SOMEWHERE COLD,

BUT THOSE ARE MORE THE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN ALMOST EVERY DAY,

BUT FROM TIME TO TIME, WE HAVE THESE HUGE SOLAR EVENTS

THAT CAN DRIVE THE AURORA DOWN TOWARDS THE SOUTH,

TOWARDS THE EQUATOR.

Narrator: NICKY'S OFFICE IS NASA'S GODDARD SPACE CENTER

IN MARYLAND.

SHE'S INVESTIGATING ONE OF THE MOST EXTREME AURORA ON RECORD.

JUST BEFORE HALLOWEEN 2003,

A MASSIVE STORM ERUPTS FROM THE SURFACE OF THE SUN.

HUGE AURORA FOLLOW JUST DAYS LATER.

AND WHAT MADE IT SO SPECTACULAR WAS IT WAS ONE VERY LARGE EVENT,

AND THEN JUST AFTER IT CAME A SECOND BIG SOLAR EVENT.

♪♪

Narrator: THESE SOLAR ERUPTIONS REVEAL BILLIONS OF TONS

OF HIGH-ENERGY PLASMA HEADING STRAIGHT FOR EARTH.

IT'S SENDING ALL THIS MATERIAL STREAMING AWAY FROM THE SUN

AT MILLIONS OF MILES AN HOUR, RIGHT TOWARDS THE EARTH,

AND WE'RE READY TO TAKE THE IMPACT,

SO WE KNEW TWO TO THREE DAYS AFTER THESE EVENTS

WERE FIRST SEEN ON THE SUN,

SOMETHING BIG WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE EARTH.

Narrator: WHEN THE SOLAR STORM HIT,

AURORA EXPLODED WHERE THEY'RE NORMALLY NEVER SEEN.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, AT NIGHT.

IT WAS 11:00 AT NIGHT, SO IT WAS DARK.

AND I LOOKED UP AND I THOUGHT, "WHY CAN I SEE A SUNSET?"

AND I REALIZED THAT WHAT I WAS SEEING

WAS THE RED GLOW IN THE SKY TO THE NORTH OF ME,

AND THERE IT WAS, A BEAUTIFUL RED AURORA.

Narrator: NICKY SAW THE 2000 HALLOWEEN AURORA

IN HER BACKYARD IN BALTIMORE.

IT GAVE A CLUE TO WHY MASSIVE SOLAR STORMS

PUSHED THE AURORA SO FAR SOUTH.

WHEN IT ACTUALLY COMES TO THE EARTH,

IT IS CARRYING A MAGNETIC FIELD IN IT,

AND THE EARTH ALSO HAS A MAGNETIC FIELD.

WHEN THEY'RE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS,

THEY ACTUALLY CONNECT.

THIS SUDDEN CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SOLAR STORM AND EARTH

RELEASES HUGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY INTO EARTH'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE...

♪♪

...UNLEASHING THE AURORA ACROSS HUGE BANDS

OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE,

LIGHTING UP CONTINENTS THAT NORMALLY REMAIN SHROUDED

IN DARKNESS.

BUT THESE STORMS CREATE MORE THAN BEAUTIFUL LIGHT SHOWS.

THEY CAN HAVE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES.

BY THE TIME WE SEE AURORA LIGHT UP THE NIGHT SKY,

IT MAY ALREADY BE TOO LATE.

♪♪

IT MAY ALREADY BE TOO LATE.

♪♪

Narrator: AT HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE IN NEW MEXICO,

THE SECOND WEATHER SQUADRON MONITORS THE SUN 24/7

AND ISSUES WARNINGS

WHEN A SOLAR STORM IS ON COURSE TO HIT EARTH.

HIS JOB IS TO ALERT THE U.S. AIR FORCE

EACH TIME A SOLAR STORM THREATENS EARTH,

AND BEFORE THE STORM SETS THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE ALIGHT

WITH DAZZLING DISPLAYS OF AURORA.

WE HAVE A BODY IN THIS CHAIR FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET,

365 DAYS A YEAR, AND IF A FLARE DID OCCUR,

WE HAVE TWO MINUTES' RESPONSE TIME

TO GET THAT NOTIFICATION OUT ACROSS OUR NETWORK.

RIGHT NOW, A SOLAR PROMINENCE -- A HUGE LOOP OF SUPER-HOT PLASMA,

EXTENDING UP AND OUT OF THE SUN'S SURFACE --

HAS CAUGHT GLOWACKI'S ATTENTION.

I'M MONITORING THIS PROMINENCE

THAT'S ROTATING ONTO THE SUN'S DISC.

♪♪

YES, SIR. THIS IS SERGEANT GLOWACKI,

CALLING FROM HOLLOMAN SOLAR OBSERVATORY.

WE, UH, HAVE A PROMINENCE AT NORTH 19 ON THE EAST LIMB.

THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, BYE.

♪♪

IF THIS IS PROMINENCE BREWS ITSELF INTO A STORM,

BUT THEY ACTUALLY COME IN A HUGE VARIETY OF DISTINCT FORMS

THAT A TRAINED SPOTTER CAN IDENTIFY,

JUST LIKE A METEOROLOGIST

CAN PICK OUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE CLOUDS.

THE AURORA HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT APPEARANCES

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE STANDING IN RELATION

TO THE AURORA.

MOST OF THE TIME, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN

IS THAT YOU'LL SEE THE DISCREET AURORA OFF ON THE HORIZON.

WHEN YOU SEE IT LIKE THAT,

IT LOOKS LIKE A BIG, SHIMMERING RIBBON OF LIGHT.

WE TYPICALLY DESCRIBE THOSE AS CURTAINS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THOUGH,

IF YOU'RE STANDING DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THAT,

THEN YOU GET A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE OF IT

BECAUSE YOU SEE MAYBE ONE CURTAIN THAT,

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, GOES OFF THAT WAY,

ANOTHER CURTAIN THAT GOES OFF THAT WAY,

AND THEY ALL KIND OF CONVERGE DOWN TOWARDS YOU,

AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THE CORONA,

A CROWN OF LIGHT THAT'S KIND OF GOING OUT

IN ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

THESE FANTASTICAL PATTERNS ALL ORIGINATE

IN THE SAME PROCESSES, DRIVEN BY THE SUN'S SOLAR WIND,

BUT SCIENTISTS KNOW THAT'S ONLY HALF THE STORY.

THE AURORA SHAPES, COLORS, AND PATTERNS CAN BE VITAL CLUES

TO UNDERSTANDING THEIR REAL SECRETS.

REALLY A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING OVER HERE, IT'S --

IT'S DRIVEN BY PROCESSES THAT ARE DEEP,

DEEP OUT IN SPACE, THAT ARE --

THAT ARE TENS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS

OUT IN SPACE.

Narrator: NOW CHRIS WANTS TO DISCOVER THE ROOT CAUSE

OF A VERY SPECIAL TYPE OF AURORA

THAT SEEMS TO DEFY NORMAL EXPLANATION.

THREE TO FOUR HOURS AFTER EACH NIGHT'S MAIN DISPLAY HAS ENDED,

THIS DIFFERENT KIND OF AURORA PULSES ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY,

AND NOBODY'S SURE WHY.

Cully: SO, THERE'S A MYSTERY AS TO WHAT EXACTLY IS CAUSING

THESE PULSATING AURORA.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THEORIES.

WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THIS EXPERIMENT IS GOING TO HELP US

NARROW DOWN AND FIND WHICH OF THOSE THEORIES

IS THE ONE THAT REALLY EXPLAINS IT.

CHRIS IS LAUNCHING A HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON

TO CARRY AN X-RAY DETECTOR INTO THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE.

HE BELIEVES THAT THE STRANGE FORCE

THAT'S DRIVING THE AURORA'S PULSES

ALSO CREATES X-RAY PULSES AT THE SAME TIME.

♪♪

THIS PROCESS HAPPENS OVER 16,000 MILES FROM EARTH IN DEEP SPACE.

SCIENTISTS CALL IT "CHORUS".

Cully: THESE ARE RADIO WAVES,

AND IT MIGHT BE THAT THESE CHORUS WAVES

ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF BOTH THE PATCHY,

PULSATING AURORA AND THE X-RAYS.

IF CHRIS'S BALLOON HEARS X-RAY PULSES AT THE SAME TIME

AS HE SEES THE PULSES OF LIGHT IN THE SKY,

AND A LOT CAN GO WRONG ALONG THE WAY.

♪♪

Narrator: IN YELLOWKNIFE, CANADA,

PHYSICIST CHRIS CULLY IS GETTING SET TO LAUNCH

A HIGH-ALTITUDE BALLOON INTO THE NIGHT SKY.

THE BALLOON WILL CARRY ITS HIGHLY SENSITIVE INSTRUMENTS

20 MILES UP ABOVE THE CLOUDS

AND ALMOST ALL OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

♪♪

♪♪

UP HERE, THE ATMOSPHERE IS TOO THIN TO BLOCK OUT X-RAYS,

SO CHRIS CAN MEASURE THE X-RAY PULSES IN A WAY

THAT HE NEVER COULD FROM THE GROUND.

CHRIS'S ONLY PROBLEM?

TO RETRIEVE THE BALLOON, HE'LL NEED TO TRACK IT ACROSS

MORE THAN 170 MILES OF CANADA'S FROZEN WILDERNESS.

♪♪

WHICH MEANS THAT OUR MAIN TRACKING ACTUALLY SWITCHED OFF

Narrator: THE TEAM NEEDS TO RELY ON THE BACKUP TRACKER,

WHICH REMAINS OPERATIONAL,

BUT IT ONLY PROVIDES ONE GPS COORDINATE.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THEY WILL FIND THEIR EQUIPMENT.

AFTER A NAIL-BITING SEARCH BY AIR AND ON FOOT,

THE TEAM FINALLY MAKES CONTACT WITH THE PAYLOAD.

OVER 80 MILES FROM THE NEAREST HUMAN HABITATION,

CHRIS HAS COMPLETED THIS STAGE OF HIS MISSION.

HIS NEXT JOB?

TO FIND OUT IF HE'S GOT THE DATA TO SOLVE HIS MYSTERY.

♪♪

BACK AT BASE, CHRIS TAKES A FIRST LOOK AT THE DATA

HIS BALLOONS CAPTURED.

Cully: THIS IS A VIDEO OF AN ALL-SKY CAMERA

THAT WAS ON DURING LAUNCH NIGHT,

AND RIGHT AROUND 4:30,

YOU SEE IT IN THE IMAGE HERE AS A FLICKER.

THAT'S WHEN THE REAL, STRONG PULSATING AURORA SHOWED UP.

NOW IF YOU HAD BEEN WATCHING THAT IN REAL LIFE,

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PIECES OF SKY

THAT WERE SORT OF TURNING ON, AND THEN SLOWLY TURNING OFF,

AND JUST GROWING IN INTENSITY AND FADING,

AND THEN ANOTHER PATCH WILL GROW IN INTENSITY

AND FADE IN INTENSITY, AND THAT'S THE PULSATING AURORA.

SWINGING AROUND THE NIGHTWARD SIDE OF THE EARTH'S GLOBE.

ONLY A FORCE ON AN INTERPLANETARY SCALE

CAN CREATE THESE LIGHTS, A FORCE LIKE THE SOLAR WIND,

BUT WHAT AURORA HUNTERS DON'T YET FULLY UNDERSTAND

IS HOW THIS SOLAR WIND IS BORN.

♪♪

IS HOW THIS SOLAR WIND IS BORN.

♪♪

AT THE GODDARD SPACE CENTER NEAR WASHINGTON, D.C.,

NASA ENGINEERS ARE PUTTING A UNIQUE SPACECRAFT

THROUGH FINAL TESTING.

♪♪

Fox: THIS IS NASA'S PARKER SOLAR PROBE MISSION.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST MISSION

TO FLY INTO THE SUN'S CORONA.

AT CLOSEST APPROACH, WE WILL BE LESS THAN 4-MILLION MILES

FROM THE SURFACE OF THE SUN.

Narrator: NICKY FOX HAS SPENT THE PAST EIGHT YEARS

GETTING THE PARKER SOLAR PROBE READY TO FLY.

Fox: WE BASICALLY TAKE HER THROUGH A SIMULATED SPACE MISSION,

SO WE WILL TAKE THIS SPACECRAFT

TO AS HOT AS IT WILL GET ON ORBIT

AND ALSO AS COLD AS IT WILL GET ON ORBIT.

THE PROBE WILL DELIVER AN UNPRECEDENTED VIEW OF THE SUN.

IT WILL SOON HEAD TO CAPE CANAVERAL FOR ITS LAUNCH.

THIS IS THE FINAL BIG TEST THAT WE DO

BEFORE WE SHIP DOWN TO THE CAPE AND GET READY FOR LAUNCH.

Narrator: THE SPACECRAFT'S DESTINATION?

THE MOST VIOLENT PLACE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM --

THE SUN'S OUTER ATMOSPHERE,

ITS CORONA -- ONE-MILLION DEGREES HOTTER

THAN THE SUN'S SURFACE.

THIS IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE SOLAR WIND,

THE FORCE THAT CREATES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

♪♪

EVERY HOUR, BILLIONS OF TONS OF MATTER ERUPT FROM THE SUN

INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

THIS SO-CALLED "SOLAR WIND" PACKS A POWERFUL PUNCH,

AND HAS SHAPED THE SOLAR SYSTEM FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS.

IT HELPS CREATE THE BEAUTIFUL TAILS OF COMETS,

AND BECAUSE MARS HAS NO PROTECTIVE MAGNETIC FIELD,

THE SOLAR WIND STRIPPED BARE ITS ATMOSPHERE,

MAKING A ONCE WET WORLD INHOSPITABLE FOR LIFE.

THE PARKER SOLAR PROBE WILL TRY TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY

OF HOW THIS TORRENT OF MATERIAL STREAMS AWAY FROM THE SUN

AND HOW THAT HELPS SHAPE THE AURORA.

Fox: WE DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE SOLAR WIND IS BORN.

WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT PHYSICS ARE TAKING PLACE IN THAT REGION.

USING THE DATA FROM PARKER SOLAR PROBE,

WE WILL BE ABLE TO FILL IN THIS MISSING PIECE,

AND THAT WILL DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE OUR ABILITY

TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON THE SUN

AND PREDICT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE EARTH.

Narrator: THE PARKER SOLAR PROBE IS SET

TO MAKE SOME EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERIES.

AS IT JOURNEYS TO THE SUN,

THE SPACECRAFT WILL JOIN A FLEET OF NASA SATELLITES

CALLED THEMIS, ALREADY STUDYING THE SOLAR WIND.

EACH OF THE SPACECRAFT CIRCLE THE EARTH IN A DIFFERENT ORBIT.

♪♪

AND AURORA HUNTERS ARE USING THEIR DATA TO DISCOVER

EXACTLY HOW THE SOLAR WIND DRIVES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

♪♪

BACK IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES,

EMMA SPANSWICK IS RECEIVING THE FIRST IMAGES

FROM HER LATEST CAMERA.

YEAH, THE CAMERA'S UP. IT'S -- IT'S RUNNING SO FAR.

ALL SYSTEMS GO.

Narrator: SHE CAN COMBINE THESE GROUND IMAGES WITH THE DATA

STREAMING BACK FROM THE THEMIS SPACE PROBES

TO EXPLAIN ONE OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS' STRANGEST BEHAVIORS.

♪♪

IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY WEAK RIGHT NOW,

BUT SHOULD ENHANCE, I'M HOPING, SHORTLY.

EMMA'S STRUGGLING TO GET DATA

BECAUSE THE AURORA ARE SO HARD TO PREDICT.

BUT HER NETWORK OF CAMERAS

PRODUCES A CONTINENT-WIDE VIEW

THAT CAPTURES THE AURORA WHENEVER THEY HAPPEN.

WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE FIRST NIGHT

IN THE HISTORY OF THE ARRAY WHERE WE HAD CLEAR SKIES

ALL THE WAY ACROSS CANADA,

AND IT HAPPENED TO BE THE GEOMAGNETIC STORM,

AND SO WE HAD PERFECT CONDITIONS, FANTASTIC DATA.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLE EVENT.

SYNCING UP THESE EXTRAORDINARY IMAGES

WITH THE DATA FROM THE THEMIS SATELLITES

ALLOWS EMMA TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

APPEAR EXACTLY WHEN THEY DO.

THOSE SATELLITES ARE TAKING DETAILED PLASMA MEASUREMENTS

OF THE ACTUAL SPACE ENVIRONMENT THAT'S DRIVING THE AURORA,

AND TOGETHER WITH THE AURORAL IMAGES,

WE CAN CONNECT THEM AND TALK ABOUT THE PHYSICS

THAT DRIVES THE AURORA.

COMBINING THE VIEWS FROM THE GROUND AND FROM SPACE,

EMMA NOW HAS A COMPLETE PICTURE

OF WHAT CAUSES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS TO BURST INTO LIFE.

♪♪

THE CHARGED PARTICLES OF THE SOLAR WIND

CARRY THEIR OWN MAGNETIC FIELD.

AS THEY PLOW INTO THE EARTH'S PROTECTIVE FORCE FIELD,

THEY STRETCH IT OUT LIKE AN ELASTIC BAND.

♪♪

IT STRETCHES AND STRETCHES

UNTIL IT CAN NO LONGER TAKE THE STRAIN

AND SNAPS BACK,

CREATING HUGE BURSTS OF AURORA IN EARTH'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE.

THIS CYCLE REPEATS CONTINUOUSLY.

IT DICTATES WHEN THE AURORA'S FAINT AND WHEN IT'S BRIGHT.

♪♪

Spanswick: WE HAVE VERY GOOD IDEAS ABOUT THE LARGE-SCALE AURORA,

THINGS LIKE THAT, THE STUFF THAT'S REALLY DRIVEN

BY THE SOLAR WINDS, BUT A LOT OF MYSTERIES REMAIN.

♪♪

Narrator: AURORA HUNTERS LIKE EMMA AND CHRIS

Narrator: IN 2016, A TEAM OF AURORA HUNTERS

SPOTTED SOMETHING THEY HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE --

A SINGLE BAND OF BRIGHT, VIOLET LIGHT

STRETCHING ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY.

SINCE THE AURORA CHASERS BAGGED THEMSELVES THE DISCOVERY,

THEY ALSO CLAIMED THE NAMING RIGHTS,

SO THEY CHOSE TO CALL IT "STEVE",

JUST BECAUSE THEY COULD.

ERIC DONOVAN IS AN AURORA HUNTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY.

HE SPENT 30 YEARS STUDYING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS,

AND HIS LATEST MISSION IS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING STEVE.

♪♪

HE BELIEVES THE LIGHT'S COLOR

COULD BE THE KEY TO FINDING THE ANSWER.

I THINK A FIRE IS A GREAT WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THE COLORS

OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

ERIC'S CAMPFIRE CAN HELP EXPLAIN

WHY THE NORTHERN LIGHTS SHINE WITH SO MANY BEAUTIFUL COLORS

BECAUSE THE SAME PROCESSES THAT MAKE THE FLAMES GLOW

MAKE THE ATMOSPHERE LIGHT UP THE SKY.

Donovan: I'VE GOT THIS PROPANE TORCH HERE,

AND WHEN I START IT UP, WHAT YOU SEE IS THIS BLUE FLAME,

AND EVERY TIME YOU BURN PROPANE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT COLOR.

Narrator: ONE OF THE KEYS TO A FLAME'S COLOR

IS THE MATERIAL THAT'S BURNING.

DIFFERENT MATERIALS BURN WITH DIFFERENT COLORED FLAMES.

I'VE GOT ONE OF THESE CAMPFIRE COLOR-PACKETS,

AND I'M GOING TO TOSS IT ON HERE.

THE MIXTURE OF MATERIAL IN HERE

HAS COMPOUNDS THAT MAKE BLUE AND VIOLET AND GREEN LIGHTING.

YOU START TO SEE THESE FANTASTIC COLORS THAT COME OUT.

AND THE CAMPFIRE SPARKLER -- COPPER CHLORIDE -- BURNS BLUE.

AND COPPER SULFATE, GREEN.

IN JUST THE SAME WAY, DIFFERENT GASES HIGH UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE

PRODUCE THE AURORA'S COLORFUL DISPLAYS.

SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE AURORA, WHAT YOU SEE ARE THE COLORS

ARE LAYERED -- THE VIOLET IS AT THE BOTTOM

OF THE AURORAL DISPLAY,

AND THEN IF YOU GO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER,

YOU START TO SEE THE GREEN, AND YOU GO HIGHER THAN THAT,

YOU START TO SEE THE RED, AND THAT LAYERING IS ACTUALLY

TELLING US ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE

AND THE LAYERING,

THE STRUCTURING OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE.

Narrator: THE NORTHERN LIGHTS SHINE WHEN PARTICLES

DRIVEN BY THE SUN HIT EARTH'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE.

JUST AS DIFFERENT CHEMICALS IN A FLAME GLOW BRIGHT,

THE GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE GLOW WITH DIFFERENT COLORS.

♪♪

NITROGEN GLOWS VIOLET IN A BAND AT THE BOTTOM.

ABOVE, OXYGEN'S GREENS AND REDS CREATE A CURTAIN

ALMOST 250 MILES DEEP.

AND SENSITIVE CAMERAS CAN EVEN REVEAL

STREAKS OF HYDROGEN BLUE,

CREATING A MAGNIFICENT LADDER OF COLOR HIGH INTO THE SKY.

♪♪

ERIC CAN EXPLAIN WHAT CAUSES THE AURORA'S BEAUTIFUL COLORS,

SO, THIS IS STEVE. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS

THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS SEEN.

Donovan: THIS IS, OF COURSE, WHAT GOT MY ATTENTION,

AND THESE MARVELOUS PHOTOGRAPHS, THESE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS --

I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS AS A SCIENTIST BEFORE.

THIS IS NOT TYPICAL AURORA,

THIS IS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY AND PROFOUNDLY NEW FOR SCIENCE.

♪♪

DUSK TURNS INTO NIGHT,

AND ERIC SETS OUT THE EVENING'S PLANS

TO USE A SPECIAL CAMERA

THAT COULD SPLIT THE AURORA'S LIGHT INTO ITS COMPONENT COLORS.

THIS IS A SPECTRUM OF THE AURORA,

AND THIS REALLY CLEAR LINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS

IS THE GREEN LINE THAT COMES FROM THE OXYGEN.

-HMM. -THAT'S A FINGERPRINT

FOR THE CHEMISTRY AND THE PHYSICS THAT'S GOING ON.

IF CHRIS CAN GET THE SAME KIND OF PICTURE OF STEVE

WITH THIS CAMERA,

ERIC WILL BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT STEVE IS MADE OF.

BUT THE WEATHER ISN'T LOOKING GOOD.

THEY DECIDE TO HEAD NORTHEAST,

BUT THE CHANCES OF SEEING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS TONIGHT --

LET ALONE STEVE -- ARE DROPPING BY THE MINUTE.

♪♪

IT'S REALLY KILLING US.

IT'S -- IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S SOCKED IN RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND

ANY CLEAR SKY AROUND HERE.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY AURORA.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE STEVE.

WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO SEE STEVE.

THE NIGHT'S HUNT FOR STEVE IS A WRITE-OFF,

SO CHRIS AND ERIC NEED A NEW PLAN

TO FIND OUT WHAT STEVE REALLY IS.

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW IS GET THIS THING

SO, THE BIG THING FOR ME IS THAT I -- I THINK IT'S GLOW.

LIKE, I DON'T -- I DON'T THINK IT'S --

YOU KNOW, I THINK -- I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY THE AIR IS BEING

HEATED UP AND GLOWING,

AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE'LL BE ABLE TO TELL

FROM THE SPECTRUM.

ERIC THINKS STEVE IS A JET OF PARTICLES

ACCELERATED TO SUCH HIGH SPEEDS AND HIGH TEMPERATURES

THAT THE JET BEGINS TO GLOW.

BUT UNTIL CHRIS AND ERIC CAN CAPTURE AND DECODE ITS SPECTRUM,

STEVE'S TRUE IDENTITY WILL REMAIN A MYSTERY.

BUT SCIENTISTS ARE ALSO HOPING TO ANSWER

AN EVEN BIGGER QUESTION.

IF THEY CAN DETECT AURORA IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

AND BEYOND, COULD IT BE A SIGN OF LIFE?

♪♪

Hallinan: AND WE HAVE A TELESCOPE HERE THAT IMAGES THE ENTIRE SKY

EVERY TEN SECONDS,

LOOKING FOR THAT SIGNATURE RADIO EMISSION

THAT THOSE PLANETS ARE EXPERIENCING AN AURORA.

Narrator: AURORA HUNTERS ARE DISCOVERING

THAT AURORA AREN'T CONFINED TO EARTH.

♪♪

PAST THE ORBITS OF MERCURY, VENUS, EARTH, AND MARS,

THE SOLAR WIND MEETS JUPITER'S MAGNETIC FIELD.

THIS IS THE LARGEST STRUCTURE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

JUPITER'S VOLCANIC MOON IO

PUMPS IT FULL WITH SUPER-CHARGED VOLCANIC GAS.

THE GAS IS FUNNELED DOWN TO JUPITER'S ATMOSOSPHERE

AND HELPS CREATE AURORA 100 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN EARTH'S.

♪♪

AND JUPITER'S LIGHT SHOWS DON'T END THERE.

ITS LARGEST MOON, GANYMEDE, PLOWS THROUGH THIS PARTICLE SOUP

AND BREATHTAKING AURORA LIGHT UP ITS POLES.

♪♪

THE DISCOVERY OF AURORA ON OTHER PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

IS STRONG EVIDENCE FOR AN EVEN MORE RADICAL IDEA.

THE BIG QUESTION IS, CAN WE DETECT THOSE SAME AURORA

ON PLANETS OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,

ORBITING OTHER STARS?

Narrator: AT THE LONG-WAVELENGTH ARRAY

IN OWENS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA,

GREGG HALLINAN AND MARIN ANDERSON

ARE ON THE HUNT FOR ALIEN AURORA.

THEY BELIEVE THAT FINDING AURORA ON ALIEN WORLDS MAY HOLD THE KEY

TO SOLVING ONE OF THE GREATEST MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE.

DOES ALIEN LIFE EXIST?

WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER PLANETS ORBITING OTHER STARS,

WE'RE LOOKING FOR TRACES OF ATMOSPHERIC GASES

THAT TELLS US THERE'S LIFE ON THOSE PLANETS.

AURORA OFFER US A SHORTCUT.

Narrator: ON EARTH, MOST ORGANISMS ON THE PLANET

THEY SHINE BRIGHT WITH RADIO WAVES, TOO.

SO GREGG USES RADIO TELESCOPES LIKE THIS

TO LOOK AT DISTANT PLANETS,

AND HE SPOTTED HIS FIRST ALIEN AURORA.

WE FONDLY REFER TO IT AS LSR J1835+3259.

Narrator: GREGG'S TEAM HAS DISCOVERED THE FIRST-EVER AURORA

OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, 18 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH.

THIS FAILED STAR GLOWS WITH AURORA

A MILLION TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN JUPITER'S.

FROM ITS SURFACE, ITS POLAR LIGHTS WOULD SHINE

MUCH BRIGHTER THAN DAYLIGHT ON EARTH.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT SHOWS NO SIGN OF HARBORING LIFE.

♪♪

SCIENTISTS ARE ONLY JUST BEGINNING TO LEARN

HOW TO SPOT ALIEN AURORA.

♪♪

TO CATCH AN AURORA AS IT FLARES ON ANOTHER WORLD,

GREGG AND MARIN MUCH WATCH ALL THE NEAREST PLANETS

IN THE SKY ALL THE TIME.

WE WANT TO OBSERVE EVERY PLANET ORBITING EVERY STAR

OUT TO 100 LIGHT YEARS --

LITERALLY, THOUSANDS OF PLANETS,

LOOKING FOR RADIO EMISSION PRODUCED BY AURORA

DURING GEOMAGNETIC STORMS.

Narrator: GREGG HOPES TO PRODUCE A TARGET LIST OF WORLDS

THAT SHINE BRIGHT WITH THE GREEN GLOW OF OXYGEN,

A LIST OF WORLDS THAT SHINE BRIGHT

WITH THE GREEN GLOW OF LIFE.

♪♪

FOR CENTURIES, THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

HAVE CAPTURED HUMANITY'S IMAGINATION

AND MYSTIFIED SCIENTISTS,

BUT NOW WE ARE CLOSER THAN EVER TO DECODING THEIR SECRETS.

SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT BY EXPLAINING THE AURORA,

THEN THEY -- THEY SOMEHOW LOSE THEIR MAGIC, BUT I --

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FOR A SECOND.

TO ME, THE BEAUTY IN THE EXPLANATION JUST ADDS TO IT.

Narrator: THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE AMONG THE MOST AWE-INSPIRING

NATURAL WONDERS ON PLANET EARTH...

♪♪

...AND ALSO A REMINDER OF THE VIOLENCE

THAT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM HARBORS.

WHEN YOU SEE THE AURORA, IT'S LIKE THE FINGERS OF THE SUN

REACHING OUT AND TOUCHING OUR OWN PLANET,

SO YOU REALLY ARE CONNECTING IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY

WITH THE SUN WHEN YOU SEE THE AURORA.

Cully: IT MAKES YOU FEEL SMALL.

IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE A SMALL PART OF A --

OF A BIG, BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

I LOVE THAT FEELING.

THAT'S THE FEELING THAT I STILL GET

FROM WATCHING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

Narrator: AND NOW, AS WE LOOK FOR AURORA ON OTHER WORLDS,

IT'S A REMINDER THAT THE MORE WE LEARN ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS,

THE MORE WE UNDERSTAND OUR PLACE

IN A MAGICAL, WONDERFUL UNIVERSE.

♪♪