NASA's Unexplained Files (2012–…): Season 4, Episode 5 - Curse of the Full Moon - full transcript

NASA'S MISSION
IS TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSE

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

IN THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS,

IT LAUNCHES ITS SCIENTISTS
INTO SPACE,

ITS CRAFT BEYOND THE LIMITS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

WE HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT'S OUT THERE.

THERE MIGHT BE DANGERS
LURKING IN THE DARKNESS.

WE RUN ACROSS MORE MYSTERIES
THAN DISCOVERIES.

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

THE DEADLY NAZI SECRET
THAT DOOMED THE HINDENBURG.



I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING
MORE TO THIS STORY

THAN JUST THE HYDROGEN EXPLODED.

MYSTERIOUS SCIENTIFIC READINGS

LINKED TO THE FULL MOON.

MANY EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN
DONE TO SEE IF THERE IS A LINK

BETWEEN THE FULL MOON
AND STRANGE PHENOMENA.

SCIENTISTS ARE DOING
REAL RESEARCH

AND IT'S COMING BACK
WITH SOMETHING STRANGE.

AND COULD PLANET EARTH
HAVE A SECRET TWIN?

IT'D BE AMAZING IF THERE WERE
OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE

ON ANOTHER PLANET THAT WERE
JUST HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

THESE ARE
NASA'S UNEXPLAINED FILES.

NASA's Unexplained Files - SEASON 4
EP - 5 - Curse of the Full Moon

A SOVIET SPACECRAFT
COMES DANGEROUSLY CLOSE



TO A FATAL COLLISION.

THE CREW IS IN TROUBLE,
IT'S UNABLE TO DOCK

WITH THE SPACE STATION
AND IT'S GOING DOWN.

THE RE-ENTRY GOES VERY WRONG.

THEY ARE ABOUT TO ENTER
A WHOLE WORLD OF PAIN.

DROWNING, FREEZING,
ASPHYXIATION,

TAKE YOUR PICK.

OCTOBER 1976,

SOYUZ 23 IS CARRYING COSMONAUTS

VYACHESLAV ZUDOV
AND VALERY ROZHDESTVENSKY

TO THE ORBITING SALYUT 5,

RUSSIA'S MILITARY OUTPOST.

SOYUZ 23 SPACECRAFT
IS PREPARED TO MAN

THIS MILITARY EQUIPMENT,

MOSTLY VERY POWERFUL CAMERAS

USED FOR MILITARY SURVEILLANCE

OF STRATEGICALLY
IMPORTANT OBJECTS.

THE COSMONAUTS ARE
SPIES WORKING FOR ALMAS,

THE SOVIET UNION'S
BLACK OPS PROGRAM

THAT MONITORS
THE U.S. FROM SPACE.

BAD WEATHER PUTS THEM OFF COURSE

AND 500 METERS AWAY FROM
THE SALYUT 5 SPACE STATION,

THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO
CRASH INTO THE WRONG SIDE OF IT.

THE SOYUZ HAS
A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUEL.

WITH JUST SECONDS UNTIL IMPACT,

ZUDOV AND ROZHDESTVENSKY
HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO ABORT.

THEY ARE RIGHT OUTSIDE
THE SALYUT 5 SPACE STATION,

BUT IF THEY TRY TO DOCK AGAIN,

THEY WON'T HAVE
ENOUGH FUEL TO GET HOME.

YOU CAN'T USE ALL YOUR FUEL UP.

YOU'LL BE STUCK IN ORBIT.
THAT'S JUST A SLOW DEATH.

BACK AT MISSION CONTROL,

THE FLIGHT DIRECTORS REALIZE

THAT THE ONLY OPTION LEFT
IS TO BRING THE GUYS HOME.

THE CREW PREPARES
FOR AN UNSCHEDULED RE-ENTRY.

WELL, THEY THINK THAT'S THE

BUT IT TURNS OUT,
IT'S ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

THE COSMONAUTS PLUMMET
BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

IT'S NIGHTTIME ON EARTH,

AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
ON THE GROUND HAVE WORSENED.

THEY ARE ALSO WAY OFF COURSE.

SO THE SOYUZ 23 HAS TO GET BACK
TO EARTH EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

THIS MEANS THAT THEY WILL
NOT LAND IN THE REGION

WHERE THEY WERE
SUPPOSED TO LAND.

THE SOYUZ 23 IS SUPPOSED TO LAND

ON THE KAZAKH STEPPE,

A DRY PLAIN BIGGER
THAN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

BUT TO THEIR HORROR,

THEY REALIZE THAT TOUCHDOWN
HAS BECOME SPLASHDOWN.

THEY HIT THE ONLY 20-MILE
WIDE LAKE

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT.

THEY'RE ABOUT TO ENTER
A WHOLE WORLD OF PAIN.

THE SOYUZ HAS LANDED
IN THE MIDDLE

OF THE TENGIZ LAKE,
AND IT'S PITCH BLACK OUTSIDE.

SNOW IS COMING
AND THE LAKE IS COVERED,

HALF SNOW, HALF ICE, HALF WATER.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE
A HALF FROZEN SWAMP.

AN EMERGENCY RADIO BEACON

GUIDES RESCUERS TO THE LOCATION.

BUT AS THE WEATHER CLOSES IN,

THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE
TEAM STRUGGLES

TO FIND THE SPACECRAFT
IN THE DARK.

THE RESCUE CREW

IS HEADING FOR THE
EMERGENCY LANDING SPOT,

BUT THEY CAN'T SEE THE CAPSULE,

THEY DON'T KNOW
WHERE IT'S LANDED.

THE FIRST HELICOPTER
WHICH ARRIVES TO THE SITE

ACTUALLY OVER-FLIES THE SITE

AND THEN THEY HAVE TO FLY BACK.

BUT ONCE THEY ACTIVATE
THE SEARCHLIGHT,

IT REFLECTS FROM THE HEAVY,
HEAVY SNOW WHICH HAS FALLEN,

SO THEY CANNOT
SEE THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE.

THE PARACHUTE
ATTACHED TO THE MODULE

FILLS WITH WATER,

DRAGGING THE CAPSULE ON ITS SIDE

AND PULLING THE COSMONAUTS'
ESCAPE HATCH

BENEATH THE SURFACE.

IF THEY OPEN THE HATCH,
THEY'LL DROWN.

IF THEY STAY INSIDE,
THEY'LL SUFFOCATE.

DROWNING OR ASPHYXIATION?

THAT'S NOT MUCH OF A CHOICE.

A HELICOPTER FINALLY
LOCATES THE STRICKEN SOYUZ.

THE COSMONAUTS WOULD HAVE
HEARD THE HELICOPTER OVERHEAD,

THEY WOULD HAVE REALIZED
THAT HELP WAS AT HAND.

BUT THE RECOVERY TEAM

IS NOT PREPARED
FOR A WATER RESCUE.

SOME OF THEIR CRUCIAL EQUIPMENT
FOR WATER RECOVERY IS MISSING

BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
NOBODY EVEN EXPECTED

THAT IT WILL END UP IN THE LAKE.

AND THE WEATHER IS SO BAD,

THEY CANNOT
REALLY LAND ON A LAKE.

THE RESCUE CREW
MAKES RADIO CONTACT

AND DISCOVERED THE TWO MEN
ARE STILL ALIVE,

BUT THEY'RE IN BAD SHAPE.

THEIR VOICES ARE CHANGING.

THEIR BREATHING IS
GETTING HEAVIER.

IT'S A CERTAIN SIGN
THAT THEY ARE SUFFERING

FROM CARBON DIOXIDE POISONING.

THEIR OWN BREATH
IS KILLING THEM.

BUT WITHOUT PROPER EQUIPMENT,

THEY ARE FORCED
TO DELAY THE OPERATION.

THEY HAVE TO POSTPONE
THE RESCUE OPERATIONS

AND TRY AGAIN
HOURS LATER AT DAWN.

THEY HAVE NO IDEA
WHETHER THE COSMONAUTS

WILL LIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT.

THE COSMONAUTS SLIP
DEEPER INTO DANGER.

THERE IS ANOTHER DRAMA
WHICH IS DEVELOPING

ON THE SPACECRAFT ITSELF

BECAUSE ALL THE SALTWATER STARTS

SEEPING INTO
THE DIFFERENT SENSORS

AND ONE OF THE SENSORS
ACTIVATES BACKUP PARACHUTE

AND THAT PARACHUTE DEPLOYS,

INTO THE WATER, OF COURSE,
FILLS WITH WATER.

THEY REALIZE THAT THE WATER
RUSHES INTO THE SPACECRAFT

AND THEY WILL DROWN IMMEDIATELY.

INSIDE THE SPACECRAFT,

THE TEMPERATURE
IS DROPPING DANGEROUSLY.

EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE
WEARING SPACE SUITS,

UNLESS THEY ARE RELEASED SOON,

THE COSMONAUTS ARE
IN SERIOUS RISK

OF FREEZING TO DEATH.

AT MINUS 7 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

THE AIRLESS SPACECRAFT DRIFTS

ON THE FROZEN LAKE
FOR MORE THAN 10 HOURS.

ICE CRYSTALS ACTUALLY FORM
ON THE INTERNAL WALLS

OF THE CAPSULE
AND THE CREW GETS REALLY COLD.

AT FIRST LIGHT,
THE RESCUE HELICOPTER RETURNS.

THEY HAVE LIMITED TIME

THEY COULD STAY ALIVE
IN THIS SITUATION,

SO THEY HAVE TO BE
RESCUED VERY QUICKLY.

THIS TIME, WHEN
RESCUERS RADIO THE SOYUZ,

THERE IS NO RESPONSE.

THE SIGNAL IS DEAD.

THE RESCUE TEAM
NOW FEARS THE WORST.

BUT STILL, THEY BRAVE
THE EXTREME CONDITIONS

TO RECOVER THE STRICKEN CAPSULE.

IN ORDER TO STAGE
THIS DARING RESCUE,

A DIVER HAS TO LOWER HIMSELF
DOWN ON A CABLE,

REACH THE CAPSULE AND
HOOK IT UP TO THE HELICOPTER,

RISKING HIS OWN LIFE
IN THE PROCESS.

AND THE HELICOPTER TRIES
TO LIFT THE CAPSULE

OUT OF THE WATER WITH THIS LINE

AND CANNOT DO IT.

THE CAPSULE WITH
THE PARACHUTE IS TOO HEAVY

FOR THE HELICOPTER
TO PULL OUT OF THE WATER.

IF THEY TRY TO LIFT THE CAPSULE,

THE WEIGHT COULD
BRING THE HELICOPTER

CRASHING INTO THE ICY LAKE.

THERE IS ONLY
ONE OTHER OPTION...

TO PULL THE CAPSULE TO SHORE.

THEY HAVE TO DRAG,
LITERALLY TOW THIS CAPSULE

TO THE EDGE OF THE LAKE,
A 45-MINUTE JOURNEY.

AND ALL THIS TIME,
THE PARACHUTE IS DRAGGING IT,

CAUSING EXTRA STRESS
AND LOAD ON THE HELICOPTER.

IT'S A COMPLETELY UNTESTED
AND DANGEROUS MANEUVER.

WHEN THEY BEACH THE CAPSULE

ON THE WOODED SHORES
OF THE LAKE,

THE RESCUERS OPEN THE HATCH.

WHAT THEY SEE INSIDE
APPEARS TO CONFIRM

ALL THEIR WORST FEARS.

THEY FULLY EXPECT
THE COSMONAUTS TO BE DEAD

WHEN THEY OPEN THE CAPSULE.

THAT'S IT. IT'S OVER.

THE RESCUERS THINK THEY ARE
JUST TRYING TO RECOVER BODIES NOW.

MORE THAN 10 HOURS
AFTER A DISASTROUS

EMERGENCY SPLASHDOWN
INTO ICY WATERS,

RUSSIAN RESCUE CREWS HAVE
PULLED THE STRICKEN

SOYUZ CAPSULE
ONTO THE NEAREST SHORE.

INSIDE THE FROZEN CAPSULE,

THE TWO COSMONAUTS
ARE NOT MOVING.

THEN...

...ONE OF THEM BREATHES.

AGAINST ALL THE ODDS,

THE TWO COSMONAUTS ARE ALIVE.

ONE OF THEM
IS ALREADY UNCONSCIOUS

AND ANOTHER BARELY CAN BREATHE.

THE INCIDENT IS HUSHED UP

TO PREVENT SOVIET HUMILIATION.

WHEN THE RUSSIANS GAVE
THEIR REPORTS TO NASA

ABOUT SOYUZ LANDING SAFETY,

EVENTS LIKE THE SOYUZ 23'S
NEAR-DISASTER

WERE AIRBRUSHED OUT.

THE OFFICIAL SOVIET
DOCUMENTATION WAS FALSE.

IT'S NOT UNTIL
GLASNOST A FULL DECADE LATER

THAT THE TRUE NATURE
OF THE MISSION IS REVEALED.

ZUDOV AND ROZHDESTVENSKY
WERE THE VICTIMS

OF A DEEPLY FLAWED SYSTEM

THAT WAS TRYING
TO COMPETE IN SPACE

WITH INADEQUATE EQUIPMENT
AND RESOURCES.

SOYUZ 23 MISSION IS PROBABLY

ONE OF THE UNDERAPPRECIATED
AND LITTLE KNOWN CASES

IN HUMAN SPACE-FLIGHT HISTORY

WHERE CREW CAME REALLY CLOSE
TO LOSING THEIR LIVES

AND THEY HAD TO COPE WITH
ALL OF THOSE SITUATIONS

AND PRETTY MUCH
THEY HAD TO IMPROVISE

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

THE PRIDE OF NAZI
GERMANY ERUPTS IN FLAMES.

IT IS THE FIRST MAJOR AVIATION
DISASTER CAPTURED ON FILM,

AND IT'S HORRIFYING.

IT WAS REDUCED TO
A TWISTED MASS OF METAL

IN JUST MERE SECONDS.

AN 80-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY
THAT'S NEVER BEEN SOLVED.

NO ONE CAN AGREE ON EXACTLY
WHERE THE FIRE STARTED OR WHY.

WHAT CAUSED IT STILL
REMAINS UNEXPLAINED.

UNTIL A NASA SCIENTIST UNLOCKS

A DEADLY SECRET
KNOWN ONLY TO THE NAZIS.

I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING
MORE TO THE STORY

THAN JUST HYDROGEN EXPLODED.

THE HINDENBURG AIRSHIP,

SHOWCASE OF NAZI ENGINEERING,

APPROACHES ITS DESTINATION...

LAKEHURST NAVAL AIR STATION
IN NEW JERSEY.

THE HINDENBURG COMES IN
AND IT'S CIRCLING THE FIELD,

IT'S CHANGING ITS BOWS.

YOU SEE THEM DROPPING
THE LANDING LINES.

THE CREW'S ON THE GROUND
GRABBING AHOLD OF THEM.

AS THE CREW BEGIN
LANDING PROCEDURE,

THE REAR OF THE HINDENBURG
SUDDENLY ERUPTS IN FLAMES.

GET THIS, CHARLEY.
IT'S CRASHING.

IT'S CRASHING TERRIBLE.

WITHIN A MINUTE,
THE WHOLE AIRSHIP IS ALIGHT.

OH, MY, GET OUT
OF THE WAY PLEASE.

IT'S BURNING, BURSTING
INTO FLAMES AND IT'S...

AND IT'S FALLING
ON THE MOORING MAST

AND ALL THE FOLKS AGREE
THAT THIS IS TERRIBLE.

THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST
CATASTROPHES IN THE WORLD.

97 PASSENGERS ARE
TRAPPED BENEATH THE INFERNO.

CAMERAS CAPTURE
THE ENTIRE EVENT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE SMOKE AND THE FLAMES NOW.

OH, THE HUMANITY!

IT IS THE FIRST MAJOR AVIATION
DISASTER CAPTURED ON FILM,

AND IT'S HORRIFYING.

THE HINDENBURG
IS OVER FOUR TIMES

THE LENGTH OF A 747,

BUT IT WAS REDUCED
TO A TWISTED MASS OF METAL

IN JUST MERE SECONDS.

THE DISASTER IS A BLOW

TO THE GROWING REPUTATION
OF NAZI ENGINEERING.

THE HINDENBURG WAS THE PRIDE
AND JOY OF NAZI GERMANY.

TO LOSE THIS AIRSHIP
WAS A HUGE EMBARRASSMENT.

INVESTIGATORS
IMMEDIATELY SUSPECT SABOTAGE.

THIS IS 1937 AND ANTI-NAZI
SENTIMENT IN THE U.S.

IS ALREADY RUNNING HIGH.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO MAKE

A HIGHLY VISIBLE ATTACK
ON NAZI ARROGANCE

THAN TO STRIKE
AT ITS GREATEST FLAGSHIP?

THE FBI OPENS A CASE FILE.

BUT THE INVESTIGATION
DRAWS A BLANK.

THERE'S NO CONCRETE EVIDENCE

TO SUPPORT THE SABOTAGE THEORY,

ONLY HEARSAY AND SPECULATION.

SO THE PRECISE CAUSE
OF THE ACCIDENT

REMAINS A MYSTERY.

FOR 60 YEARS,
RESEARCHERS HAVE TO ASSUME

THAT THE CATASTROPHE WAS
CAUSED BY A HYDROGEN LEAK.

BUT WHEN NASA ROCKET SCIENTIST
AND HYDROGEN EXPERT

ADDISON BAIN READS THE REPORTS,

HE IS NOT CONVINCED.

I KNEW THERE WAS
SOMETHING MORE TO THIS STORY

THAN JUST HYDROGEN EXPLODED.

AND THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED ME
THEN TO START INVESTIGATING.

BAIN ONCE HEADED
THE HYDROGEN PROGRAM AT NASA.

WITH HIS EXTENSIVE
WORK FOR APOLLO

AND OTHER SPACE MISSIONS,

HE RE-EXAMINES
THE ORIGINAL HINDENBURG

INVESTIGATION REPORTS.

WITH THE NEXT
MORNING'S FIRST LIGHT,

A NAVAL INSPECTION BOARD

SEARCH THE STILL-SMOKING RUINS
FOR A POSSIBLE CLUE

THAT MIGHT YIELD A KEY
TO THE MYSTERIOUS DISASTER.

HE FIRST RE-EXAMINES
THE WIDELY HELD BELIEF

THAT A HYDROGEN LEAK
SPARKED THE CONFLAGRATIONS.

THE HINDENBURG CONTAINED
ENOUGH HIGHLY FLAMMABLE HYDROGEN

TO FILL MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
SEVEN TIMES OVER.

IN THE 1930s,

ZEPPELIN ENSURED
THAT THEIR EXPLOSIVE GAS

WAS PROTECTED INSIDE
AN AIRTIGHT SKIN.

FIRE REQUIRES FUEL,
OXYGEN AND A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE
THE OXYGEN CAME FROM

AND THINKS THEY KNOW
WHERE THE FUEL CAME FROM.

EYEWITNESS REPORTS SUGGEST

THAT AS IT LANDED,

HYDROGEN WAS LEAKING
FROM THE CRAFT.

THE ZEPPELIN WAS LISTING
AND ONE WITNESS

CLAIMED TO SEE
A COVER FLUTTERING

AS IF GAS WAS RISING.

THE CONCLUSION
SEEMS STRAIGHTFORWARD.

ONE SMALL SPARK

AND THE PASSENGER SHIP
BECOMES A FIREBALL.

THE PREVAILING THEORY

IS THAT ONE OF THE HYDROGEN
GAS CELLS IGNITED,

CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION

THAT ENGULFED THE ENTIRE
HINDENBURG IN FLAMES.

BUT BAIN KNOWS THAT
ALTHOUGH FLAMMABLE,

HYDROGEN WILL NOT IGNITE

UNLESS IT IS MIXED WITH EXACTLY

THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF OXYGEN

AND THAT IS VIRTUALLY
IMPOSSIBLE TO HAPPEN BY CHANCE.

YOU KNOW, THE FLAW IS PRIMARILY
THAT HYDROGEN'S SO RICH,

IT'S NOT GOING TO IGNITE
UNTIL YOU GET OUT THERE

WHERE YOU HAVE A GOOD MIXTURE
OF HYDROGEN AND AIR.

YOU GOT TO HAVE THE RIGHT
MIXTURE BEFORE IT IGNITES,

SO THAT THEORY THAT ACTUALLY

HAS THAT COMBINATION
IS VERY DIFFICULT

AND TO HAVE THAT IGNITION
OCCURRING AT THAT SAME TIME

IS SO FAR OUT THERE
THAT THE THEORY FALLS APART.

BAIN REVISITS
THE DISASTER FOOTAGE.

HE IS IMMEDIATELY STRUCK
BY THE SPEED OF THE FIRE.

IT SPREADS
AT 49 FEET PER SECOND.

SOMETHING IN THE OUTER
COVERING OF THE HINDENBURG

IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE.

THE OUTER SKIN OF THE HINDENBURG
HOLDS THE KEY TO THE MYSTERY.

SOMETHING ELSE IS BURNING
VERY RAPIDLY AROUND THE AIRSHIP.

BITS OF BLACKENED
FABRIC ARE ALL THAT REMAINS

OF THE PROUD
LUXURY AIRLINER HINDENBURG.

INCREDIBLY, BAIN IS
ABLE TO ACQUIRE A FRAGMENT

OF THE HINDENBURG'S SKIN
THAT SURVIVED THE INFERNO.

HIS LAB SUBJECTS IT
TO A BARRAGE OF TESTS.

SO I TOOK SAMPLES OF THE FABRIC

AND THEN WE STARTED TESTING
THE COMPATIBILITY,

THE MAKE-UP OF THE MATERIAL,

ELECTROSTATIC PROPERTIES
AND ALL OF THAT.

AND OVER TIME THINGS
STARTED TO GEL

AS TO REALLY WHAT HAPPENED.

TO THE UNTRAINED EYE,

THE LIST OF CHEMICALS

THAT COATED THE FABRIC
SEEMS UNREMARKABLE.

ITS ALLOYS ARE
A FABRIC-BASED STRUCTURE

THAT'S BEEN DOPED
WITH A COMBINATION

OF ALUMINUM POWDER, IRON OXIDE,

BUTYL ACETATE, CHEMICALS.

TO NASA SCIENTISTS,

THE CHEMICAL COCKTAIL
IS SHOCKING.

IT RESEMBLES A COMPOUND
CALLED THERMITE.

EVENTUALLY USED TO FUEL
JET ENGINES.

THIS IS NUTS!

THE NAZIS BASICALLY PAINTED
THE HINDENBURG IN ROCKET FUEL.

DR. ADDISON BAIN AND HIS TEAM

HAVE DISCOVERED THAT
THE HINDENBURG WAS COATED

IN A SUBSTANCE
RESEMBLING ROCKET FUEL.

THE SMALLEST ELECTROSTATIC
SPARK WILL SET OFF

THE PRECISE CHAIN REACTION

THAT LIGHTS UP THE HINDENBURG.

ONCE THAT FLAMES START
AND THEY SPREAD RAPIDLY,

THAT HEATED UP THE HYDROGEN,

SO THE CELL JUST
ACTUALLY EXPLODED.

BUT BEFORE BAIN CAN
CLOSE THE BOOK ON THE MYSTERY,

HE HAS ONE FINAL
OBSTACLE TO OVERCOME.

THERE'S A FLAW HERE.

OTHER AIRSHIPS THAT HAVE
USED THE SAME COATING

HAVE NOT BURNED UP
LIKE THE HINDENBURG.

SO WHY DID THE
HINDENBURG GO UP IN FLAMES

AND OTHER ZEPPELINS DIDN'T?

BAIN BELIEVES HE HAS THE ANSWER

WHEN HE UNCOVERS SOMETHING
UNUSUAL IN REPORTS

FROM THE AIRSHIP'S
SURVIVING CREW MEMBERS.

U.S. NAVY WANTED ME THEM
TO COME IN

AT WHAT'S CALLED A HIGH MOORING,
SOMETHING LIKE 200 FEET.

BAIN BELIEVES THIS
WAS A FATAL MISTAKE.

AT LOWER MOORINGS,
THE ZEPPELIN DROPS

A 50-FOOT CONDUCTIVE WIRE
TO THE GROUND

TO DISCHARGE BUILT-UP
STATIC ELECTRICITY.

AT THAT ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET,

THE AMOUNT OF CHARGE
BUILT UP WAS WAY IN EXCESS

OF WHAT IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN AT 50 FEET.

AT 200 FEET,
THE HINDENBURG WAS HOVERING TOO HIGH

TO SHED THE POTENTIALLY
DEADLY STATIC.

THE MANEUVER INCREASED
THE CHANCES OF A STRAY SPARK.

THE RESULT...

KABOOM! ALL ENDS IN A MATTER
OF SECONDS.

BUT BAIN'S THEORIES
HAVEN'T CONVINCED EVERYONE.

BAIN'S THEORIES HAVE
A LOT OF FLAWS.

ONE, THE PHOTOS
HAVE BEEN COLORIZED,

SO IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL

WHAT COLOR THE FLAME
ACTUALLY WAS.

TWO, LOTS OF OTHER HYDROGEN
AIRSHIPS HAVE BURNED,

ESPECIALLY DURING WORLD WAR II

WITHOUT THAT OUTER
COATING IGNITING.

SOME CONSPIRACY
THEORISTS ALSO FEEL

THAT THE U.S. NAVY'S INSISTENCE
ON A 200-FOOT MOORING

IS DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS.

SO WHILST SOME BELIEVE
THIS NASA SCIENTIST

MAY HAVE SOLVED ONE
OF THE MOST ENDURING MYSTERIES

IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION,

NOT EVERYONE IS CONVINCED
THAT HE IS RIGHT.

DESPITE DECADES OF ANALYSIS,

IT APPEARS THAT
WE MAY NEVER KNOW

WHAT HAPPENED ON
THAT TRAGIC DAY.

SCIENTISTS BOUNCE
LASERS OFF THE MOON.

WHEN THE SIGNAL VANISHES...

THE TIMING IS UNCANNY.

THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF THE LASER SIGNAL

ALWAYS COINCIDES
WITH THE FULL MOON.

COULD THIS BE
THE CURSE OF THE FULL MOON?

SOUNDS LIKE A CRAZY STORY.

THIS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
REALLY DID FIND SOMETHING WEIRD.

THE FULL MOON
HAS LONG BEEN A SOURCE

OF FASCINATION AND WONDER,

INFLUENCING HUMAN BEHAVIOR
AND INSPIRING FOLKLORE.

WE ALWAYS HAVE THESE LEGENDS,

THESE MYSTERIES OF THE MOON
WHEN IT'S FULL.

WOLVES HOWL,
PEOPLE BECOME CRAZY,

WEREWOLVES COME OUT.

MANY EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN
DONE TO SEE IF THERE IS A LINK

BETWEEN THE FULL MOON
AND STRANGE PHENOMENA.

NO STUDY HAS EVER
FOUND A GENUINE LINK

BETWEEN THE MOON
AND UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR,

UNTIL NOW.

THIS TIME, SCIENTISTS ARE
DOING REAL RESEARCH

AND IT'S COMING BACK
WITH SOMETHING STRANGE.

JULY 2005,
ASTRONOMER RUSSET McMILLAN

AND HER TEAM
AT APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY

ARE MAKING PRECISE MEASUREMENTS
OF THE DISTANCE TO THE MOON.

THE TEAM BOUNCES
THEIR POWERFUL LASERS OFF

RETROREFLECTORS LEFT
ON THE LUNAR SURFACE

BY THREE OF THE APOLLO MISSIONS.

THEY WERE BASICALLY
SUITCASE-SIZED BANKS

OF VERY SMALL PRISMS

THAT BOUNCED BACK A LASER SIGNAL

FROM EARTH AT THE SAME ANGLE
THAT IT COMES IN AT.

BUT ASTRONOMERS BEGIN TO NOTICE

SOMETHING VERY ODD
WITH THEIR EXPERIMENT.

ROUGHLY EVERY FOUR WEEKS,

THE REFLECTED LASER SIGNAL
MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS.

SO, ONCE A MONTH, WE'RE
SHINING OUR LASER AT THE MOON

AND THE SIGNAL LEVEL
DROPS DRASTICALLY.

IT'S REALLY STRANGE
TO SHOOT A LASER

AND NOT RECEIVE ANYTHING BACK.

THAT'S REALLY ODD.

MONTHS AFTER MONTHS, WE ARE
SEEING THE SAME THING HAPPEN.

STRANGER STILL IS
THE TIMING OF THE SIGNAL LOSS.

FOR SOME REASON
THE DISAPPEARANCE

OF A LASER SIGNAL
COINCIDES WITH A FULL MOON.

THE QUESTION HERE IS WHY?

WHAT IS GOING ON?

THAT'S WHAT
WE WANT TO FIGURE OUT.

SCIENTISTS
AT APACHE POINT UNIVERSITY

ARE SPOOKED WHEN SIGNALS
BOUNCED OFF LUNAR REFLECTORS

MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEAR
DURING EVERY FULL MOON.

THE RETROREFLECTORS HAVE BEEN
SITTING ON THE MOON

FOR OVER 40 YEARS,

SINCE THE APOLLO 11 CREW
DEPOSITED THE FIRST ONE.

BUZZ ALDRIN
PULLS THIS DEVICE OUT

AND SET IT DOWN ON THE GROUND

AND THEN MADE SURE
THAT HE POINTED IT

VERY ACCURATELY BACK AT EARTH.

THE TEAM SUSPECTS
THAT THE PROBLEM

COULD BE DUE TO A FAULT
WITH THE REFLECTOR PANELS.

TO TEST THIS IDEA,

THEY BOUNCED
THEIR LASERS OFF PANELS

ATTACHED TO DISCARDED
SOVIET LUNAR HARDWARE.

THOSE REFLECTORS STILL HAD
THE SAME PROBLEM.

WE SEE THE SAME REDUCTION
IN THE REFLECTED LIGHT

FROM THE LASER
ON THE RUSSIAN ROVER.

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

COULD LUNAR DUST BE
BLOCKING THEIR SIGNALS?

THE MOON IS A DUSTY
AND DIRTY PLACE.

TO WATCH THE ASTRONAUTS
BOUNCING AROUND ON THE MOON

AND THE DUST
IS GETTING KICKED UP

BY THEIR LUNAR ROVER
AND THEIR BOOTS.

THE DUST ON THE MOON
IS EXTREMELY FINE

AND IT STICKS TO EVERYTHING.

IT GOT OUR SUITS DIRTY
AND YOU COULDN'T DUST IT OFF.

AND WE TOLD NASA
WHEN WE GOT BACK,

"YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP
WITH A CLEANING KIT

FOR THE NEXT MISSION."

LUNAR DUST IS CREATED
BY METEORS AND ASTEROIDS

THAT ARE CONSTANTLY
BOMBARDING THE MOON.

THOSE IMPACTS HAPPEN
ALL THE TIME ON THE MOON.

SO OVER TIME, ANY EQUIPMENT LEFT

ON THE SURFACE,
LIKE THESE RETROREFLECTORS,

IS GOING TO GET DUSTY
FROM ALL THESE IMPACTS.

BUT THE LUNAR DUST
THEORY HAS ITS OWN PROBLEMS.

IF IT'S DUST, WHY DO WE GET
A PERFECT LASER SIGNAL

FROM THE LUNAR REFLECTORS

FOR THE ENTIRE REST
OF THE MONTH?

DUST WOULD BE THERE
ALL THE TIME,

SO IT'S GOT TO BE
SOMETHING ELSE.

SOME COMMENTATORS
BEGIN TO WONDER

WHETHER THE FULL MOON ITSELF

IS SOMEHOW CAUSING THE CHANGE.

FOR A LONG TIME,
THE FULL MOON HAS BEEN SEEN

AS A VERY SPECIAL TIME.

AND WHEN SCIENTISTS FOUND

THAT THEY WEREN'T
RECEIVING THESE SIGNALS

BACK FROM THE RETROREFLECTORS,

IT KIND OF FELL IN LINE
WITH THE IDEA

OF THERE BEING SOMETHING WEIRD
WITH THE FULL MOON.

WE GET THE WORD
"LUNATIC" FROM THE IDEA

THAT THE FULL MOON
HAS STRANGE POWERS.

IDEAS LIKE THAT
NEVER REALLY GO AWAY.

ONCE A MONTH AS THE
EARTH AND MOON ORBIT THE SUN,

THE FACE WE SEE BECOMES
COMPLETELY BATHED IN SUNLIGHT,

RESULTING IN A FULL MOON.

COULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT
THERE IS SOME SORT OF ACTIVITY

THAT ONLY OCCURS ON THE MOON

WHEN IT'S UNDER DIRECT SUNLIGHT?

IF IT WAS A LIFE-FORM THAT
REMAINED DORMANT IN THE DARK,

THAT WOULD EXPLAIN
WHY THE LASER SIGNAL

ONLY DISAPPEARED INTERMITTENTLY.

IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC,
BUT IT'S NOT UNHEARD OF.

ON EARTH THERE ARE MANY
FORMS OF LIFE THAT ARE DORMANT,

THAT ARE INACTIVE WHEN THEY
ARE IN THE COLD AND IN THE DARK

AND ONLY REALLY COME ALIVE
WHEN THERE IS DIRECT SUNLIGHT,

WHEN THERE IS HEAT.

IN 2009, BIOLOGISTS
FOUND DORMANT BACTERIA

DEEP IN THE FREEZING
ENVIRONMENT OF THE ARCTIC.

THESE MICROORGANISMS
CAME BACK TO LIFE

WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT.

COULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT BE
HAPPENING ON THE MOON AS WELL?

BUT SCIENTISTS DON'T
BELIEVE THERE ARE "WEREBUGS"

ON THE MOON.

THE MOON HAS BEEN DEAD
FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THE ASTRONOMERS
ARE LEFT PERPLEXED

AND WITH NO EXPLANATION
FOR THEIR FULL MOON CURSE.

FOR FIVE YEARS THE CURSE
GOES UNEXPLAINED

UNTIL IN DECEMBER 2010,

McMILLAN'S TEAM SHINE
THEIR LASERS TOWARDS

THE FULL MOON AS IT ENTERS
A TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE.

SO, AT FULL MOON THE SURFACE

OF THE MOON
IS LIT UP BY THE SUN.

IT'S VERY HOT.

DURING A LUNAR ECLIPSE,

THE EARTH MOVES DIRECTLY
BETWEEN THE MOON AND THE SUN.

OUR PLANET BLOCKS THE
SUNLIGHT REACHING THE MOON.

AS THE EARTH'S SHADOW
PASSES ACROSS THE MOON,

ALL OF A SUDDEN
THE TEMPERATURES PLUMMET,

THE SUNLIGHT GOES AWAY

AND WE SEE THE SIGNAL
FROM THE REFLECTORS RECOVER.

BUT THE REFLECTED LASER LIGHT

IS COMING BACK
EVEN STRONGER THAN NORMAL.

COULD THE SUN'S HEAT BE
BEHIND THE FULL MOON CURSE?

SO WHAT THEY APPEAR
TO HAVE ACTUALLY DISCOVERED

IS THAT THESE RETROREFLECTORS
CHANGE THEIR PROPERTIES

DEPENDING UPON TEMPERATURE.

IN OTHER WORDS,
THEY WORK DIFFERENTLY

WHEN THEY ARE HOT VERSUS
WHEN THEY ARE COLD.

THE RETROREFLECTORS ARE MADE UP

OF DOZENS OF SMALL PRISMS.

THEY ARE DESIGNED
TO RETURN LASER LIGHT

EXACTLY IN THE DIRECTION
FROM WHICH IT COMES.

HOWEVER, DURING A FULL MOON,

INTENSE SUNLIGHT CAUSES THEM
TO WARP SLIGHTLY.

THE LAYER OF DUST
WILL HEAT UP IN THE SUNLIGHT

AND WARM THE REFLECTOR,

THAT WILL CAUSE THE REFLECTION
TO BE MUDDLED

SO THAT IT MAY REFLECT
IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS.

THAT'S WHEN THEIR SIGNALS
KIND OF GO AWRY.

ANCIENT TRADITIONS
ARE EASILY DISMISSED

AS PRIMITIVE SUPERSTITIONS,

BUT SOMETIMES SCIENCE

IS SPOOKIER THAN
OUR IMAGINATION.

THIS IS ACTUAL
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

AND IT REALLY DID FIND
SOMETHING WEIRD.

STILL TO COME, IS A SECRET WORLD

HIDING BEHIND THE SUN?

IT'D BE AMAZING
IF THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE

OUT THERE ON ANOTHER PLANET

THAT WERE JUST HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

AND PILLARS OF FIRE
IGNITE IN OUR ATMOSPHERE.

WHAT ARE THEY? WE DIDN'T KNOW.

TWO DISTANT PLANETS

PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK
AROUND THEIR STAR.

IT APPEARS THAT AROUND A STAR,

THERE ARE TWO PLANETS
THAT OCCUPY THE SAME ORBIT.

COULD THE SAME THING
HAPPEN AROUND OUR SUN?

IT'D BE AMAZING
IF THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE

OUT THERE ON ANOTHER PLANET

THAT WERE JUST HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

COULD OUR EARTH HAVE A TWIN?

NASA SCIENTISTS EXPLORING
THE OUTER REACHES

OF OUR UNIVERSE
DISCOVER KOI-730,

A BIZARRE DISTANT SOLAR SYSTEM

WHERE ORBITING PLANETS ARE
DOING SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY.

THEY SEE WHAT APPEARS
TO BE FOUR PLANETS

AND WHAT'S STRANGE
IS THAT TWO OF THE PLANETS

HAVE THE EXACT SAME ORBIT.

ASTRONOMERS BELIEVE
THAT TWIN PLANETS

IN THE DISTANT SOLAR SYSTEM

COULD BE A WINDOW TO OUR PAST.

IN THE EARLY PARTS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,

THERE WERE PLANETS
ALL OVER THE PLACE.

IT COULD BE POSSIBLE
THAT WHAT WE ARE SEEING

IS INDEED TWO PLANETS

SHARING THE SAME
ORBIT AROUND THE STAR.

AND THAT OPENS UP
THE INTRIGUING POSSIBILITY

THAT THERE COULD STILL
BE AN ENTIRE WORLD

PERMANENTLY HIDDEN FROM SIGHT
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR SUN.

IT'S A VERY APPEALING IDEA.

THERE IS A TWIN EARTH
ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF THE SUN PERPETUALLY
HIDDEN FROM OUR VIEW.

IT'S LIKE DANCE PARTNERS,
NOT TOUCHING ONE ANOTHER

BUT PIROUETTING AROUND
A DANCE FLOOR IN SYNCHRONISM.

SO THAT THEY SWEEP
AROUND THE STAR

IN THE SAME NUMBER OF DAYS,

BUT THEY WOULD BE INVISIBLE
TO ONE ANOTHER.

SINCE THE DAWN OF CIVILIZATION,

MANKIND HAS SPECULATED

ABOUT A DISTANT PLANETARY TWIN.

THIS OBSERVATION
BRINGS TO MIND IDEAS

THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF HUMANS
SINCE THE EARLY CIVILIZATION.

IT SHOWS UP IN POPULAR CULTURE

AND IT'S EVEN SHOWN UP
IN SCI-FI MOVIES.

BOTH SCIENTISTS AND AUTHORS

HAVE LONG SPECULATED

ABOUT THESE LOST WORLDS
ON FANTASTICAL ORBITS

OR EVEN A DOPPLEGANGER PLANET
NEARING OUR OWN.

ALTHOUGH FANTASTIC,
A STEALTH TWIN HIDDEN

BEHIND OUR SUN
IS SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE.

TO US TODAY, IT SOUNDS PERHAPS
LIKE A LOOPY IDEA

THAT THERE IS THIS
COUNTER EARTH.

BUT IT ACTUALLY
HAS A BASIS IN PHYSICS.

THERE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN MODERN
SCIENTISTS WHO'VE POSTULATED

THAT THERE ARE HIDDEN WORLDS
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

IT'S A FASCINATING CONCEPT.

IT'D BE AMAZING
IF THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE

OUT THERE ON ANOTHER PLANET

THAT WERE JUST HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

AND THIS TWIN EARTH WOULD BE

COMPLETELY SHIELDED
FROM SIGHT BY THE SUN.

THE SUN IS SO BIG AND BRIGHT

THAT FROM OUR VANTAGE
POINT HERE ON EARTH,

WE COULD NEVER SEE A PLANET
IN THIS BLIND SPOT.

AND IN FACT THIS BLIND SPOT
IS REALLY BIG,

SO YOU COULD HIDE
A SIGNIFICANT BODY THERE.

I MEAN THAT PLANET
COULD BE AS BIG AS JUPITER

AND YOU STILL WOULDN'T SEE IT.

IT MAKES US WONDER WHETHER
WE CAN EVER REALLY RULE OUT

WHETHER THERE IS
SOMETHING THERE.

IT'S VERY MYSTERIOUS.

IN 2006, NASA LAUNCHED A MISSION

TO INVESTIGATE THE SUN,

WHICH WOULD PROVE OR DISPROVE

THE TWO-EARTH THEORY
ONCE AND FOR ALL.

A SPECIAL SPACECRAFT
CALLED STEREO,

THERE'S TWO OF THEM ACTUALLY
THAT ARE OBSERVING OUR SUN.

THEY ACTUALLY ARE SOMETIMES

ABLE TO GO
AT A VERY SPECIAL ANGLE

WHERE THEY CAN SEE THE REGION
THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

AND SO, FOR JUST A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME,
THERE IS NO BLIND SPOT

AND WE HAVE NOT
SEEN ANOTHER EARTH.

EARTH MAY NOT HAVE
A HIDDEN TWIN TODAY,

BUT SCIENTISTS BELIEVE
THAT AN ANCIENT SECOND EARTH

IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST

AND THE MOST FAMILIAR WORLD
IN OUR NIGHT SKY.

THERE IS NO TWIN OF EARTH
IN OUR ORBIT TODAY,

BUT, YOU KNOW, FOUR,

FOUR AND A HALF
BILLION YEARS AGO,

THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.

THE MOON WAS A RESULT
OF A COLLISION,

A SMASHUP BETWEEN TWO WORLDS,

OUR PLANET AND ANOTHER WORLD
ABOUT THE SIZE OF MARS.

WHERE DID THAT ROCK
THE SIZE OF MARS COME FROM?

IT WAS IN ORBIT AROUND THE SUN,
THE SAME ORBIT AS EARTH

AND SUDDENLY THE PARTNERS
GET A LITTLE TOO CLOSE

AND THERE IS A COLLISION
THAT RESULTED

IN WHAT WE SEE
IN THE SKY EVERY NIGHT.

WHEN SCIENTISTS EXAMINE DATA

FROM THE FAR AWAY SYSTEM
MORE CLOSELY,

THEY REALIZE THAT THE PLANETS
DON'T QUITE EXIST

IN EXACTLY THE SAME ORBIT,

BUT THE CONCEPT STILL
REMAINS POSSIBLE.

SO FAR, WE HAVE NO EXAMPLES
OF TWO PLANETS SHARING AN ORBIT.

BUT UNDER THE RIGHT
CIRCUMSTANCES,

THERE IS NOTHING
THAT SAYS THEY CAN'T.

SO, AS LONG AS WE
KEEP SEARCHING,

PERHAPS ONE DAY WE WILL.

ASTRONAUTS ABOARD
THE ISS WITNESS PILLARS

OF FIRE EXPLODING
HIGH ABOVE THE EARTH.

THEY ARE WAY TOO HIGH
FOR NATURAL LIGHTS

FROM THE GROUND.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE
OUR ATMOSPHERE'S ON FIRE.

COULD THE EARTH BE UNDER ATTACK?

IN AUGUST 2015, THE CREW
ABOARD THE ISS

ARE LOOKING DOWN AT THE EARTH
249 MILES BELOW THEM.

YOU CAN SEE ALL
THE DIFFERENT NATURAL,

YOU KNOW, BEAUTIES
OF THE RAINFORESTS,

THE MOUNTAINS, LAKES, OCEANS,
THINGS LIKE THAT.

EVERY PART OF THE EARTH,

WHETHER IT'S DAY OR NIGHT,
IS INTERESTING.

BUT ON THIS MISSION,

THE TEAM CAPTURES
A STARTLING IMAGE.

WHEN THE PHOTOS WERE
RECEIVED HERE ON EARTH,

PEOPLE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE
SOME REALLY STRANGE STREAKS,

PILLARS OF FIRE, BRANCHING UP.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE
WE ARE UNDER ATTACK.

LIKE OUR ATMOSPHERE'S ON FIRE,
THE BLOOD RED COLOR.

IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF CREEPY.

THEY LOOK VERY STRANGE,
THEY LOOK ALIEN.

AND I CAN'T THINK
OF ANYTHING ELSE

I HAVE EVER SEEN
IN THE ATMOSPHERE

THAT COULD BE COMPARABLE
TO WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.

WHAT ARE THEY? WE DIDN'T KNOW.

WHEN NASA RELEASES PICTURES

OF THE MYSTERIOUS COLORED LIGHTS

PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE ISS,
THE IMAGES GO GLOBAL.

THE GLOWING RED LIGHT SEEMS
TO BE RADIATING ENERGY

FROM A MUCH LARGER AREA
OF INTENSE WHITE LIGHT.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOME WEIRD FORCE,

SOMETHING STRANGE AND ALIEN,

BUT COULD IT HAVE
AN EARTHLY ORIGIN?

IN 2012, AMATEUR
ASTRONOMERS IN TEXAS

ACTUALLY PLANNED AN EXPERIMENT

TO CONTACT THE SPACE STATION

USING A ONE-WATT LASER.

IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO
INDICATE SOMETHING TO THE ISS.

OF COURSE IF SOMEONE
WERE TO SHINE

A POWERFUL ENOUGH LASER,

YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

ALTHOUGH THE
ASTRONOMERS WERE SUCCESSFUL,

SIGNALING THE ISS REQUIRED
SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT

AND COORDINATION ON BOTH SIDES.

THE RESEARCHERS USED A
REALLY POWERFUL ONE-WATT LASER.

MOST OF THE RED DOT LASERS
YOU ARE FAMILIAR

WITH ARE ONLY A FRACTION
OF THAT POWER.

IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY DIFFICULT
TO SIGNAL THE ISS WITH A LASER.

THIS SHAPE, FORM AND INTENSITY

OF THE HIGH-ALTITUDE
LIGHT DISPLAY

MAKES THE LASER
EXPLANATION SEEM UNLIKELY.

THESE BRANCHING RED LIGHTS

ARCING HIGH INTO THE ATMOSPHERE,

THEY HAVE A VERY ORGANIC SHAPE.

THESE ARE NOT WEAK LIGHTS.

THESE ARE VERY POWERFUL FLASHES.

THEY DON'T LOOK
LIKE A LASER BEAM.

THIS CLEARLY HAS TO BE
SOMETHING ELSE.

COULD THE LOCATION
AND TIME OF YEAR BE THE KEY

TO SOLVING THE MYSTERY?

IT WAS NEAR THE TIME
OF CARNIVAL.

THIS WAS FILMED OVER MEXICO

AND THE LIGHTS KIND OF LOOK
IN THE SHAPE OF FIREWORK

AND MANY FIREWORKS ARE RED.

BUT SOME PEOPLE WERE SPECULATING

THAT IT COULD BE
A FIREWORK SHOW.

BUT WHEN THE PHOTOS
ARE CROSS-REFERENCED

WITH THE TIMING OF CARNIVAL,

THE FIREWORKS THEORY
FIZZLES OUT.

CARNIVAL IS STILL
SIX MONTHS AWAY.

UNFORTUNATELY FIREWORKS,
ASTRONAUTS CAN'T SEE THEM.

THEY ARE JUST TOO LOW
IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

THEY ARE JUST TOO DIM.
THEY ARE TOO SMALL.

THESE LIGHTS ARE WAY TOO BIG

AND THEY ARE WAY TOO HIGH
FOR NATURAL LIGHTS

FROM THE GROUND.

THE LIGHTS
AREN'T COMING FROM EARTH.

EXPERTS MUST NOW CONSIDER

IF THEY ARE RELATED
TO OBJECTS FROM OUTER SPACE.

SOME MIGHT ARGUE
THAT THIS MASSIVE LIGHT

COULD HAVE BEEN
A METEORITE OR AN ASTEROID

OR FOR THAT MATTER EVEN A COMET.

EARTH IS HIT BY TONS AND TONS
OF SPACE ROCKS EVERY DAY.

THEY COME IN FROM OUTER SPACE.

THEY BURN UP IN OUR ATMOSPHERE
MOST OF THE TIME.

THEY CREATE FIREBALLS,
SOMETIMES THEY CREATE OBJECTS

CALLED BOLIDES.

BOLIDE IS WHEN A LARGE ENOUGH
METEORITE ACTUALLY EXPLODES

AND IT GIVES OFF
FLASHES OF LIGHT.

WHEN A BOLIDE ENTERS
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE,

IT DISINTEGRATES ON ENTRY,

LEAVING FIERY STREAKS
ACROSS THE SKY.

IN 2013, A BOLIDE EXPLODED
OVER CHELYABINSK, RUSSIA,

CREATING A FLASH OF LIGHT

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN
SEEN FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES.

BUT IF THE FIERY PILLARS
WERE BOLIDES,

NASA WOULD HAVE SEEN THEM
COMING.

NASA HAS WHAT WE CALL
THE NEAR EARTH OBJECT PROGRAM,

BUT THEY CAN DETECT AND CATALOG

ONLY THE THINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED.

AND ON OCCASIONS,
THERE ARE OBJECTS

THAT WE DO NOT SEE.

NOTHING WAS FORECAST TO HIT

AT THE TIME
THE LIGHTS WERE SEEN.

AND THE COLOR OF THE LIGHTS
OVER MEXICO

MAKES THE BOLIDE
THEORY UNLIKELY.

THESE LIGHTS ARE CRIMSON RED.

METEORS ARE USUALLY
A BRIGHT BLUE, WHITE,

GREEN MAYBE,
BUT NOT USUALLY RED.

WHEN ATMOSPHERIC
SCIENTISTS VIEW THE IMAGES,

THEY REALIZED THAT THE
ASTRONAUTS' UNIQUE VANTAGE POINT

IS THE KEY
TO THE STRANGE PHENOMENON.

ASTRONAUTS ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

HAVE A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING.

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE
AT HIGH ALTITUDE.

THIS MEANS THAT
THE ASTRONAUTS' POSITION

ABOVE THE ATMOSPHERE HAS
GRANTED THEM PRIVILEGED ACCESS,

ENABLING THEM TO PHOTOGRAPH
AN UNUSUAL METEOROLOGICAL EVENT

THAT IS RARELY SEEN BELOW...

AN EXPLOSION OF RED SPRITES.

RED SPRITES ARE BASICALLY

WHAT WE CALL REVERSE
OR POSITIVE LIGHTNING.

NITROGEN ATOMS
ARE GETTING EXCITED

OVER MASSIVE THUNDERCLOUDS.

THEY ARE SORT OF LIKE LIGHTNING

EXCEPT INSTEAD OF GOING DOWN,

THEY GO UP.

THEY HAPPEN VERY HIGH
UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE,

PLUS THEY HAPPEN VERY,
VERY QUICKLY,

JUST A MILLISECOND.

THEY ARE MORE OF A DISCHARGE

OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY
ABOVE A LIGHTNING STORM.

IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OBSERVE
RED SPRITES FROM THE GROUND

SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE CLOUDS

OF THE THUNDERSTORM
USUALLY HIDE THEM.

NOW THAT WE HAVE
ASTRONAUTS IN ORBIT,

THEY CAN GET PICTURES
FROM ABOVE.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLE
STROKE OF LUCK FOR NASA.

THE ASTRONAUTS WERE
IN THE RIGHT PLACE

AT THE RIGHT TIME

TO CAPTURE RED SPRITES
ON FILM FROM SPACE.

THESE PHOTOS
WILL BE VITAL IN GAINING

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY
ATMOSPHERIC EVENT.

SPRITES ARE STILL VERY RARE

AND THEY ARE ONLY
RECENTLY DISCOVERED,

SO THERE'S STILL A LOT
THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THEM.

I'M SURE THERE IS MORE
THAT WE CAN LEARN.

THE MORE TIME WE SPEND IN SPACE,
ORBITING EARTH,

THE MORE STRANGE PHENOMENA
WE ARE GOING TO SEE.

Subtitles Diego Moraes
www.oakisland.tk