Space's Deepest Secrets (2016–…): Season 4, Episode 10 - Pluto's Strange Secrets - full transcript
NASA's mission to Pluto gathered the first close-up pictures of this strange and distant world, and now, new discoveries and the latest science reveal the secrets of its alien features, which could point to extraterrestrial life.
Narrator:
PLUTO, A TINY DWARF PLANET
IN THE FAR REACHES
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
HAS SET THE WORLD
OF ASTRONOMY ALIGHT.
WE WERE EXPECTING IT TO BE DEAD,
FROZEN, JUST SITTING THERE,
AND WHAT WE SAW
WAS COMPLETELY THE OPPOSITE.
Narrator:
PLUTO IS BURSTING WITH DRAMA --
SOARING MOUNTAINS,
FLOWING GLACIERS,
AND CHURNING, ICY PLAINS.
Thaller: YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
HOW PROFOUND THIS IS.
NO HAD NO EXPECTATION
THAT PLUTO WOULD BE ALIVE.
MORE THAN THAT, WE DON'T KNOW
HOW IT'S POSSIBLE.
Narrator: TODAY, INVESTIGATORS
RACE TO UNRAVEL
THIS STRANGE PLANET'S
DARK SECRETS.
DO ALIEN VOLCANOES
COVER ITS SURFACE?
IS ITS MYSTERIOUS HEART-SHAPED
PLAIN EVIDENCE
OF A GIANT IMPACT?
AND IS PLUTO'S BIGGEST MOON,
CHARON, A COSMIC THIEF?
THE NEW HORIZONS'
OBSERVATIONS OF PLUTO
ARE LIKE
A GIANT DETECTIVE STORY --
THE CLUES ARE ALL THERE,
AND NOW WE NEED
TO UNRAVEL ITS MYSTERIES.
Narrator: WE DIVE DEEP INSIDE
THIS ICY WORLD
TO REVEAL PLUTO'S MYSTERIOUS
HIDDEN HISTORY.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
♪♪
INVESTIGATORS ACROSS THE GLOBE
ARE TRYING TO SOLVE
ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES
IN ASTRONOMY --
WHY A TINY WORLD AT THE EDGE
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
APPEARS TO SEETHE
WITH GEOLOGICAL LIFE.
FROM EARTH, PLUTO IS
BARELY VISIBLE...
Man: THREE, TWO, ONE...
...SO NASA LAUNCHES
THE NEW HORIZONS SPACE PROBE
ON A 3.1 BILLION MILE VOYAGE
TO EXAMINE IT UP CLOSE
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
Tremblay:
AND AS WE SENT NEW HORIZONS
ON ITS APPROACH TO PLUTO,
THAT LITTLE FAINT DOT BECAME
THIS STUNNING, PROFOUND,
REMARKABLE WORLD
WITH A COMPLEXITY
THAT WE COULD'VE NEVER IMAGINED.
♪♪
Narrator: NEW HORIZONS
TEAM MEMBER CATHY OLKIN
FOLLOWS EVERY STEP OF
THIS SPACE PROBE'S JOURNEY
HERE AT MISSION CONTROL.
Olkin: THIS WAS THE BEST IMAGE
THAT WE HAD OF PLUTO
BEFORE THE SPACECRAFT
GOT THERE IN 2015,
AND YOU CAN SEE
THERE'S REALLY NO DETAIL.
IT'S BLURRY.
YOU CAN'T SEE
ANY SURFACE FEATURES.
IT'S JUST A BLOB.
Narrator:
AFTER NINE YEARS OF TRAVEL,
NEW HORIZONS TAKES
THE FIRST EVER
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
OF PLUTO'S SURFACE.
WHAT IT REVEALS STUNS THE WORLD.
Olkin: WHEN I FIRST
SAW THIS IMAGE,
I WAS DELIGHTED
AND I WAS AMAZED.
THIS DETAIL ON PLUTO
FAR EXCEEDED ANYTHING THAT
I THOUGHT WE'D SEE.
BEFORE NEW HORIZONS,
PLUTO WAS A COMPLETE MYSTERY.
SINCE NEW HORIZONS,
PLUTO IS AN EVEN BIGGER MYSTERY.
Howett: THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON
ON PLUTO'S SURFACE
THAT ONE IMAGE ALONE,
IT'S A LIFETIME'S WORTH OF WORK
TO UNDERSTAND IT.
Narrator: 3.7 BILLION MILES
FROM THE SUN,
SCIENTISTS EXPECT PLUTO TO BE
A COLD, DEAD,
HEAVILY CRATERED WORLD.
WHAT THEY FIND IS ASTONISHING.
NITROGEN FREEZES
OUT THE ATMOSPHERE,
COATING THE LAND
IN A THICK FROST.
MOUNTAIN RANGES TOWER ABOVE.
AND CLUES HINT THAT THE PRESENCE
OF A LIQUID OCEAN BELOW.
BUT PLUTO'S MOST STRIKING
FEATURE IS A VAST,
SMOOTH HEART ON ITS SURFACE
WHERE MASSIVE NITROGEN GLACIERS
SLOWLY FLOW INTO A DEEP,
ICY BASIN.
MOUNTAIN RANGES...
SMOOTH PLAINS...
FLOWING GLACIERS...
ALL SUGGEST THAT PLUTO
IS GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE.
BUT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE
SO FAR FROM THE SUN?
Oluseyi: WE HAD NEVER SEEN
PLUTO UP CLOSE,
SO WE HAD A CERTAIN
SET OF EXPECTATIONS.
IT'S OUT THERE AT THE EDGE
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
IT'S NOT RECEIVING MUCH LIGHT
FROM THE SUN,
SO WE EXPECTED IT TO BE A DEAD,
ICY WORLD
PROBABLY COVERED BY CRATERS.
WELL, IT TURNED OUT
TO BE ANYTHING BUT.
Narrator: WHAT COULD BE CAUSING
PLUTO'S ACTIVE GEOLOGY?
INVESTIGATORS START WITH PLUTO'S
MOST STRIKING FEATURE --
ITS GIANT, HEART-SHAPED,
NITROGEN ICE GLACIER.
THEY NAME THE WESTERN LOBE
SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
BUT SPUTNIK PLANITIA
IS A MYSTERY.
IT'S FAR SMOOTHER
THAN SCIENTISTS EXPECT.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS FILLED WITH
SPEEDING ASTEROIDS AND COMETS.
THESE SMASH INTO PLANETS
AND LEAVE THEIR SCARS BEHIND.
SPUTNIK PLANITIA SHOULD BE
COVERED IN THESE SCARS,
BUT IT'S SMOOTH,
AS IF SOME MYSTERIOUS FORCE
IS HEALING THE SURFACE,
BUT WHAT?
AT NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER
IN CALIFORNIA,
DR. ORKAN UMURHAN BELIEVES
THE WEIRD MATERIAL
THAT MAKES UP THE PLAIN IS KEY.
Umurhan: SO, ON THE EARTH,
NITROGEN EXISTS IN GASEOUS FORM
AND MAKES UP 70%
OF THE ATMOSPHERE,
AND THAT'S BECAUSE
IT'S REALLY WARM ON THE EARTH,
BUT ON PLUTO,
BECAUSE IT'S SO COLD,
ALL THAT NITROGEN EXISTS
IN THE FORM OF ICE.
Narrator: NITROGEN ICE FLOWS
ON TO THE LOWLAND PLAIN
FROM VAST GLACIERS
THAT SURROUND SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
BUT THEN THE ICE
DOES SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL --
IT FORMS A STRANGE PATTERN.
COULD THESE SHAPES BE A CLUE
TO WHAT'S WIPING OUT
THE CRATERS?
Umurhan: ALL THAT ICE MAKES
ITS WAY INTO SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
AND WHEN YOU DO A CLOSE-UP
AND YOU ZOOM IN ON
SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
YOU SEE HONEYCOMB PATTERNS
ALL OVER THAT PLACE.
Narrator: SURPRISINGLY,
ORKAN THINKS THIS PATTERN
IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALL SEEN
BEFORE IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
Umurhan: A FEW DAYS AFTER
THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH PLUTO,
WE HAD HAULED ON OUT
TO A JAPANESE RESTAURANT,
AND THEY BROUGHT OUT
THE MISO SOUP,
AND I LOOKED IN THE MISO SOUP,
AND I WAS LIKE, "OH MY GOD,
IT'S THE SAME PATTERNS THAT
WE SEE ON SPUTNIK PLANITIA."
Narrator: ORKAN REPLICATES
THIS EFFECT IN THE LAB
BY HEATING MISO SOUP.
THE CHURNING PATTERNS THAT
APPEAR ON BOWLS OF HOT LIQUID
ARE CALLED CONVECTION CELLS.
CONVECTION OCCURS
WHEN HOT LIQUID RISES
FROM THE BOTTOM
OF A DEEP CONTAINER
AND COOL LIQUID SINKS
DOWN FROM THE SURFACE.
THIS RISING AND FALLING CREATES
AND A PATCHWORK OF HONEYCOMB
CELLS ON THE SURFACE,
JUST LIKE THE PATTERNS
ON SPUTNIK PLANITIA.
Umurhan: SO, WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IS THE PATTERNS
THAT THAT'S FORMING
IN THE FLUID
AND THEY'RE REMARKABLY SIMILAR
TO THE PATTERNS THAT YOU SEE
ON PLUTO'S SPUTNIK PLANITIA.
Narrator: ORKAN THINKS
THE NITROGEN ICE
IN SPUTNIK PLANITIA ACTS
LIKE A SLOW-MOTION LIQUID.
THE FAINT HEAT OF THE PLANET'S
INTERIOR DRIVES POCKETS
OF WARM ICE UPWARDS,
CREATING THE WEIRD PATTERN
AND WIPING OUT ANY CRATERS
ON THE SURFACE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU GET THIS
GIANT CONVECTION-CELL PATTERN
WHERE IT'S LIKE A CONVEYOR BELT
GOING AROUND
IN A CIRCLE LIKE THIS.
Narrator: MISO SOUP HELPS
TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY
OF THE HONEYCOMB PATTERN,
BUT IT ALSO REVEALS
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY
ABOUT SPUTNIK PLANITIA.
CONVECTION NEEDS A VERY DEEP
BODY OF FLUID TO BE EFFECTIVE.
WHAT SCIENTISTS
FIRST THOUGHT WAS A PLAIN
MUST REALLY BE A BASIN OF ICE
AS DEEP AS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
BUT HOW COULD SUCH A VAST
BASIN FORM?
THE LEADING THEORY SUGGESTS
THAT FOUR BILLION YEARS AGO,
A SPACE ROCK MORE THAN 60 MILES
ACROSS DRIFTS INTO PLUTO'S PATH.
IT SMASHES INTO THE CRUST,
BLASTING OUT A COLOSSAL SCAR
620 MILES WIDE
AND 5 1/2 MILES DEEP.
NITROGEN FROM THE ATMOSPHERE
CONDENSES ON THE LOWEST-LYING
PARTS OF THE CRATER
AND SETTLES AS FROST,
FILLING IN THE DEPRESSION.
OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS,
THE NITROGEN ICE CHURNS AWAY
TO CREATE THE HONEYCOMB PATTERN
WE SEE TODAY.
A GIANT IMPACT
SOLVES THE MYSTERY
OF PLUTO'S HONEYCOMB HEART.
BUT NOT ALL OF SPUTNIK PLANITIA
SEEMS TO PLAY BY THE SAME RULES.
THE LOWER EDGES
OF THIS VAST PLAIN
ARE JUST AS SMOOTH
AS THE INSIDES,
BUT THERE'S NO SIGN
OF CONVECTION CELLS HERE.
DO THE FRINGES OF SPUTNIK
PLANITIA
HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT
SELF-HEALING SUPERPOWER?
AND COULD PLUTO'S MYSTERIOUS
MOUNTAINS ACTUALLY BE VOLCANOES
MADE FROM SOLID ICE?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: PLUTO'S ICONIC HEART,
SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
IS A GIANT BASIN
FILLED WITH NITROGEN ICE.
IT SHOULD BE COVERED
IN ASTEROID CRATERS,
LIKE THE REST OF THE PLANET,
BUT SOMETHING
IS SMOOTHING IT OUT.
HONEYCOMB CONVECTION CELLS
ACCOUNT FOR MOST
OF THE SMOOTHING, BUT NOT ALL.
AT THE SOUTHERN EDGES
OF SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
THE ICE IS STILL SMOOTH,
BUT THERE'S NO SIGN
OF ANY CONVECTION.
WHAT WE SUPPOSE IS THAT
THE BASIN IN THIS AREA
IS TOO SHALLOW FOR CONVECTION
TO TAKE PLACE.
Narrator: ON PLUTO,
TEMPERATURES DROP TO A FRIGID
MINUS-400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
ORKAN SUSPECTS THIS MAKES
THE NITROGEN ICE
BEHAVE IN A VERY UNUSUAL WAY.
HE THINKS THAT THE ICE
COULD BE SELF-HEALING.
TO TEST HIS IDEAS, ORKAN RUNS
A COMPUTER SIMULATION
OF SPUTNIK PLANITIA
TO SEE HOW NITROGEN ICE FLOWS
AT PLUTO'S
FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
WE START THE PROCESS, AND YOU
CAN SEE THAT THE NITROGEN ICE,
UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT,
SMOOTHES ITSELF OUT.
Narrator: ORKAN'S SIMULATION
REVEALS THAT AT PLUTO'S
TEMPERATURES, THE NITROGEN ICE
IN SPUTNIK PLANITIA CAN FLOW.
IT HAS THE CONSISTENCY
OF MOLTEN CANDLE WAX.
THIS MEANS WHEN
AN ASTEROID HITS IT,
SOMETHING ASTONISHING HAPPENS.
AN ASTEROID PIERCES
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
AND STRIKES
THE LEFT LOBE OF ITS HEART.
IT BLASTS OUT
AN ENORMOUS CRATER.
THE THICK,
PARTIALLY FROZEN NITROGEN
THAT COATS THE DAMAGED
SURFACE BEGINS TO FLOW.
THE NITROGEN ICE ON THE CRATER
WALLS FLOWS DOWN INTO THE CRATER
AND THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE
CRATER PUSH INWARDS AND UPWARDS.
[ RUMBLING ]
THE SCAR SHRINKS UNTIL
IT DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY,
LEAVING SPUTNIK PLANITIA SMOOTH,
AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.
WELL, IT'S REALLY PRETTY AMAZING
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT AN ICE
THAT KIND OF BEHAVES LIKE
CANDLE WAX AND THAT IT'S ABLE
TO HEAL ITSELF IN A REALLY SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING
THAT NORMALLY COMES TO MIND,
BUT IT'S HAPPENING TODAY
ON A PLACE LIKE PLUTO.
Narrator: BUT PLUTO'S REMARKABLE
HEART-SHAPED BASIN
ISN'T ITS ONLY
SURPRISING FEATURE.
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
REVEAL AN ENORMOUS MOUNTAIN,
93 MILES ACROSS
AND 2 1/2 MILES HIGH,
WITH A CAVERNOUS CRATER
AT ITS SUMMIT.
CATHY OLKIN IS ONE OF THE FIRST
TO SPOT THIS MYSTERIOUS OBJECT.
THIS IS ANOTHER
AMAZING FEATURE ON PLUTO,
AND IT'S QUITE MYSTERIOUS.
WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE
WHAT IT IS,
BUT IT SURE LOOKS A LOT
LIKE A VOLCANO.
Narrator: HOW COULD VOLCANOES
BE POSSIBLE ON A WORLD SO COLD
THAT WATER SETS AS HARD AS ROCK
AND NITROGEN SETTLES AS FROST?
PLUTO IS SO SMALL AND SO FAR
FROM THE SUN THAT WE EXPECTED IT
TO BE FROZEN
ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE LAST THINGS
YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE
ON THE SURFACE
WOULD BE A VOLCANO.
Narrator: SO WHAT
FORCES CREATE VOLCANOES
AT SUCH FREEZING TEMPERATURES?
MISSION SCIENTIST WILL GRUNDY
INVESTIGATES THIS MYSTERY.
THIS IS THE HIGHEST
RESOLUTION COLOR IMAGE
THAT WE GOT OF PLUTO'S SURFACE.
SO, THIS FEATURE ON PLUTO
REALLY LOOKS LIKE A VOLCANO.
IT'S AN ENORMOUS UPLIFT
WITH A BIG CENTRAL PIT,
AND IT'S COMPARABLE IN SIZE
TO THE LARGEST VOLCANOES
HERE ON EARTH.
Narrator:
IF THESE FEATURES ARE VOLCANIC,
THEY MUST BE FORMED BY LAVA,
BUT ON PLUTO, THERE IS NO ROCK
ON THE SURFACE TO MELT.
BELOW PLUTO'S NITROGEN-ICE
FROSTING LIES A BEDROCK
OF WATER ICE,
FROZEN HARD AS GRANITE.
IS THE LAVA THAT BUILDS PLUTO'S
VOLCANOES SIMPLY MOLTEN ICE?
THE PROBLEM IS,
PLUTO IS SO COLD.
IT'S WAY, WAY, WAY BELOW
THE FREEZING POINT OF ICE,
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE
A LOT OF ENERGY TO MELT IT.
Narrator: PLUTO IS TOO COLD EVEN
FOR WATER ICE TO MELT INTO LAVA.
WILL HAS AN IDEA.
HE THINKS THAT NATURALLY
FORMING CHEMICALS
MAY LOWER THE FREEZING POINT
OF THE WATER,
ACTING AS AN ANTI-FREEZE.
THIS COULD TURN PLUTO'S WATER
ICE INTO A THICK,
GLOOPY SUBSTANCE
CALLED CRYOLAVA.
ONE COULD IMAGINE
LIQUID WATER,
HELPED BY HAVING THESE
ANTI-FREEZE INGREDIENTS IN IT,
SPEWING OUT OF A PLACE LIKE THIS
AND FREEZING
AS IT SETTLES TO THE GROUND
OR FLOWING ACROSS THE SURFACE.
Narrator: WILL WANTS TO FIND OUT
WHICH SPECIAL CHEMICALS
ALLOW WATER TO BECOME CRYOLAVA
AT PLUTO'S TEMPERATURES.
HE MIXES WATER WITH TWO
ANTI-FREEZE INGREDIENTS,
AMMONIA AND ALCOHOL,
AND COOLS THE MIXTURE
DOWN WITH LIQUID NITROGEN.
WATER USUALLY FREEZES SOLID
AT 32 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
WILL COOLS HIS MIXTURE MORE THAN
70 DEGREES BELOW
THE FREEZING POINT.
NORMAL WATER WOULD BE FROZEN,
AND IT'S STILL LIQUID,
BUT THAT'S NOT COLD ENOUGH,
I WANT TO GO COLDER,
SO I'M GONNA ADD
A LITTLE BIT MORE NITROGEN.
Narrator: THE WATER MIX
REMAINS A LIQUID,
BUT IT STARTS TO THICKEN,
GIVING IT A SIMILAR CONSISTENCY
TO LAVA WE SEE ON EARTH,
BUT INSTEAD OF BEING HOT,
THIS CRYOLAVA IS EXTREMELY COLD.
AMAZINGLY, NEW HORIZONS
FINDS EVIDENCE
FOR THESE EXACTLY ANTI-FREEZE
CHEMICALS DURING ITS FLY-BY.
THESE TWO TYPES OF ANTI-FREEZE,
AMMONIA AND ALCOHOL,
HAVE BOTH BEEN DETECTED
IN THE PLUTO SYSTEM.
Narrator: WILL THINKS
THIS LIQUID COULD BE JUST LIKE
THE CRYOLAVA
THAT ERUPTS ON PLUTO.
Grundy: IF THIS KIND
OF MATERIAL WERE TO ERUPT
TO THE SURFACE OF PLUTO, IT
WOULD FLOW ACROSS THE SURFACE,
FORMING A VERY THICK FLOW,
MUCH LIKE LAVA FLOWS ON EARTH.
Narrator: AS THIS SUPER-COLD
CRYOLAVA FLOWS ACROSS
THE SURFACE, IT FREEZES SOLID,
MAKING A THICK, ICY DEPOSIT
ALMOST IDENTICAL
TO ROCKY LAVA FLOWS ON EARTH.
WILL'S SHOWN HOW WATER
CAN FORM A GLOOPY LAVA
AT PLATO'S TEMPERATURES,
BUT LAVA ALONE ISN'T ENOUGH
TO BUILD VOLCANOES
THE SIZE OF THE MONSTERS
WE SEE ON PLUTO.
WHAT MAKES PLUTO'S VOLCANOES
SO HIGH?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator:
THE DWARF PLANET PLUTO
IS FINALLY GIVING UP
ITS SECRETS.
UNPRECEDENTED IMAGES FROM
THE NEW HORIZONS PROBE
STUN THE WORLD.
TODAY, SCIENTISTS RACE TO PIECE
TOGETHER THE CLUES TO UNDERSTAND
HOW THIS TINY WORLD
SO FAR FROM THE SUN
CAN BE SO GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE.
NOTHING ABOUT PLUTO
SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE.
THIS SHOULD BE A COLD,
DEAD LITTLE BODY,
AND YET WE FIND GIANT VOLCANOES,
ICE VOLCANOES
THAT ARE AS MUCH AS 100 ACROSS,
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW BIG
THAT IS COMPARED
TO THIS TINY BODY,
YOU REALIZE THAT PLUTO HAS
SOME OF THE LARGEST VOLCANOES
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
IN PROPORTION
TO THE SIZE OF THE WORLD.
Narrator: ON EARTH, HEAT
AND PRESSURE FROM THE PLANET'S
SCORCHING INTERIOR WELLS UP
AND DRIVES VOLCANOES.
BUT PLUTO'S TINY SIZE
MEANS INTERNAL HEAT
IS HARD TO COME BY.
Grundy: THERE'S SO LITTLE
ENERGY AVAILABLE
THAT IT WOULD BE KIND OF HARD
TO EXPLAIN A LOT OF MOLTEN WATER
COMING UP OUT OF THE GROUND.
Narrator: SO WHAT MAKES
PLUTO'S VOLCANOES SO HIGH?
A CLUE COMES FROM EARTH'S
LARGEST VOLCANOES.
GASSES DISSOLVED IN THE LAVA
SUPERCHARGE ERUPTIONS.
THIS MAKES THE VOLCANOES
GROW LIKE THEY'RE ON STEROIDS.
COULD DISSOLVED GAS
BE SUPERCHARGING
PLUTO'S CRYOLAVA, TOO?
THE CLUES ALL POINT
TO AN AMAZING REVELATION.
DEEP INSIDE PLUTO, A SUBSURFACE
OCEAN OF LIQUID WATER
MUST SURROUND THE ROCKY CORE.
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN
THE CORE GENERATES HEAT,
WHICH GENTLY WARMS UP
THE GAS-RICH OCEAN ABOVE.
AS THE WATER WARMS,
IT EXPANDS AND RISES.
GASSY BUBBLES ERUPT
OUT OF THE SOLUTION,
FORCING THE
ANTI-FREEZE-FILLED WATER
TO SPEW OUT ON TO THE SURFACE.
AS THE WATER SPREADS,
IT GRADUALLY FREEZES,
BUILDING ENORMOUS VOLCANOES
THAT TOWER MORE THAN
2.5 MILES ABOVE THE SURFACE.
WILL BELIEVES
THAT GASSY CRYOLAVA
IS THE SECRET INGREDIENT
IN PLUTO'S ENORMOUS VOLCANOES.
Grundy: BY JUST ADDING
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS,
ANTI-FREEZE AND DISSOLVED
GASSES, TO WATER,
WE CAN TURN IT INTO AN EXPLOSIVE
VOLCANO-BUILDING MATERIAL,
SO REALLY, EVEN THOUGH
THE INGREDIENTS ARE DIFFERENT,
THE MECHANISMS ARE VERY SIMILAR
FOR MAKING VOLCANOES ON PLUTO
AND THE WAY
WE BUILD VOLCANOES ON EARTH.
THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF WHAT
A VOLCANO IS IN PRINCIPLE
IS THE SAME BUT IN REALITY
IS INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE SOMETHING
OUT OF SCI-FI.
Narrator:
BUT PLUTO'S ACTIVE FEATURES
AREN'T THE ONLY MYSTERY
SCIENTISTS WANT TO SOLVE.
AS NEW HORIZONS FLIES
PAST PLUTO,
IT TAKES THE PLANET'S
TEMPERATURE.
THE RESULT IS A HUGE SURPRISE.
PLUTO IS SO FAR FROM THE SUN
THAT IT IS REALLY COLD,
BUT WHAT'S WEIRD IS THAT
IT'S COLDER THAN WE EXPECTED.
SOMETHING IS CHILLING PLUTO.
IT MEANS THAT THERE MUST'VE BEEN
SOMETHING PREVENTING IT FROM
SOAKING UP THE SUN'S RAYS
TO THE DEGREE THAT WE THOUGHT
IT WOULD,
AND WHAT IS THAT SOMETHING?
IT'S BEEN A REAL MYSTERY,
AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY
EXCITING DISCOVERY.
Narrator: WHAT COULD BE
COOLING PLUTO DOWN?
NEW HORIZONS REVEALS A CLUE --
PLUTO HAS AN ATMOSPHERE,
AND IT'S ONE WEIRDEST
WE'VE EVER SEEN.
Olkin: THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
AMAZING IMAGES OF PLUTO.
IT COULD ONLY BE GOTTEN FROM THE
SPACECRAFT AFTER WE PASSED BY.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS,
WE'RE LOOKING AT PLUTO
AND WE'RE SEEING ITS ATMOSPHERE
BACK-LIT BY THE SUN,
SO THE SUN AND THE EARTH
AND EVERYTHING WE KNOW
IS ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THIS IMAGE.
Narrator: THE TEAM NOTICES
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
HAS A STRANGE APPEARANCE.
IT'S SPLIT INTO SEPARATE
LAYERS OF HAZE.
HAZES ARE SOLID PARTICLES
THAT HANG SUSPENDED IN THE AIR,
LIKE DUST IN A SANDSTORM.
SOMEHOW PLUTO IS FINDING A WAY
TO TURN THE GAS
IN ITS ATMOSPHERE
INTO SOLID HAZE PARTICLES,
BUT HOW?
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE GOT TO
PLUTO WHETHER THERE'D BE
AN ATMOSPHERE AT ALL.
ONE OF THE IDEAS WAS THAT
THE ATMOSPHERE
WOULD'VE COMPLETELY COLLAPSED
ONTO PLUTO'S SURFACE,
AND YET, WHEN WE GOT THERE,
THERE WAS THIS
WONDERFUL ATMOSPHERE MADE OF
DIFFERENT LAYERS AND OF HAZES,
AND A WONDER TO BEHOLD.
Narrator: WHAT ARE THESE HAZES?
AND CAN THEY EXPLAIN
WHY PLUTO IS SO COLD?
ONE SCIENTIST
IS ABOUT TO FIND OUT.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: IN A LAB AT
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY,
PLANETARY SCIENTIST SARAH HORST
IS ABOUT TO RECREATE
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
TO INVESTIGATE
HOW ITS MYSTERIOUS HAZES FORM.
Horst: WE TRIED TO
PUT TOGETHER AN EXPERIMENT
THAT IS AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE
TO WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
Narrator: SARAH SUSPECTS
THAT SUNLIGHT TRIGGERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
INSIDE PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE,
TURNING GASSES INTO TINY,
SOLID HAZE PARTICLES.
TO TEST THIS THEORY, SHE FILLS
A CHAMBER WITH METHANE,
NITROGEN, AND CARBON MONOXIDE --
THE MAIN CONSTITUENTS
OF PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
SHE THEN SUBJECTS THESE GASSES
TO HIGH-ENERGY PLASMA
TO REPLICATE THE SUN'S ENERGY.
Horst: SUNLIGHT ACTUALLY
DRIVES THE CHEMISTRY
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE,
SO THE LIGHT THAT COMES
FROM THE SUN,
THE VERY ENERGETIC PARTS OF IT,
CAN ACTUALLY BREAK APART
THE MOLECULES.
THAT'S THE STARTING PROCESS
FOR THE CHEMISTRY
THAT RESULTS IN A BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT MOLECULES
AND EVENTUALLY
THE HAZE PARTICLES
THAT WE SEE
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
Narrator: SUNLIGHT RIPS INTO
THE METHANE, CARBON MONOXIDE,
AND NITROGEN MOLECULES.
IT BREAKS THEM DOWN INTO
THEIR SMALLER PARTS,
INCLUDING CARBON ATOMS.
THE CARBON ATOMS
THEN LINK TOGETHER
TO FORM SOLID PARTICLES.
SCIENTISTS CALL THESE HAZE
PARTICLES ORGANIC MOLECULES.
SARAH'S ORGANIC MOLECULES
TURN OUT TO BE A DEEP, DARK RED.
Horst: THE SOLID MATERIAL
THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED,
LIKE WE SEE HERE IN THIS VIAL,
IS SOMETHING THAT
WE CALL "THOLIN,"
WHICH IS JUST A CATCH-ALL TERM
FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS A BUNCH
OF COMPLICATED
ORGANIC MOLECULES IN IT.
ONE OF THE THING'S THAT'S REALLY
EXCITING ABOUT SEEING
THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL ON PLUTO
IS THAT WE DIDN'T
NECESSARILY THINK
THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE
FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AT PLUTO,
BECAUSE IT'S SO FAR AWAY
FROM THE SUN.
THERE'S VERY LITTLE SUNLIGHT,
REQUIRED TO DRIVE THE CHEMISTRY,
THAT GETS TO PLUTO.
Narrator: SARAH'S EXPERIMENT
PROVES THAT THE SUN
DRIVES PLUTO'S WEIRD HAZES,
AND IT ALSO SHEDS LIGHT ON WHY
PLUTO IS COLDER THAN EXPECTED.
BECAUSE FOR A DISTANT WORLD
LIKE PLUTO,
ORGANIC HAZES ACT
LIKE COSMIC SUNSCREEN.
Horst: THESE PARTICLES
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
DO TWO THINGS.
FIRST, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY
GOOD AT ABSORBING LIGHT
THAT'S COMING FROM THE SUN,
BUT THEY'RE ALSO REALLY GOOD
AT RADIATING THAT ENERGY
BACK TO SPACE, AND IN DOING SO,
THEY ACTUALLY ACT TO COOL
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE OVERALL.
Narrator: SARAH'S WORK SHOWS
WHY PLUTO IS COLDER
THAN IT SHOULD BE, BUT IT ALSO
UNCOVERS A DEEPER MYSTERY --
WHY SO MUCH OF PLUTO
IS STAINED RED.
AS THE SUN CONTINUES
TO BUILD HAZE PARTICLES,
THEY GROW BIGGER AND HEAVIER
UNTIL THE ATMOSPHERE CAN'T
HOLD ON TO THEM ANY LONGER.
THESE RED ORGANIC MOLECULES FALL
TOWARDS THE SURFACE OF PLUTO
WHERE THEY SETTLE, STAINING
THE ICE ITS DISTINCTIVE COLOR.
Thaller: IT'S AMAZING TO THINK
THAT THERE'S EVEN PINK SNOW,
ORGANIC SNOW,
FALLING ON PLUTO RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: PLUTO IS NOT ALONE
IN HAVING UNUSUAL RED MARKINGS.
NEW HORIZONS IMAGES REVEAL
THAT PLUTO'S GIANT MOON
CHARON HAS A RED-STAINING, TOO.
UNLIKE PLUTO, WHICH IS
COVERED IN RED PATCHES,
CHARON, AT FIRST, APPEARS
TO ONLY HAVE ONE LARGE SPOT,
ON ITS NORTH POLE,
BUT THIS POSES A PROBLEM.
CHARON DOESN'T HAVE
AN ATMOSPHERE,
SO WHAT CAUSES ITS RED SPOT?
Thaller: THERE'S ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING LIKE
THE PLUTO-CHARON SYSTEM ANYWHERE
ELSE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
CHARON IS A GIANT MOON COMPARED
TO THE SIZE OF ITS PLANET,
AND THEY ORBIT VERY,
VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER,
AND IT SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING
THAT MAYBE THESE TWO WORLDS
ACTUALLY INTERACT
IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
Narrator: COULD CHARON'S
RED SPOT HAVE STARTED LIFE
ON NEARBY PLUTO?
Horst: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING
THAT WE DISCOVERED
FROM NEW HORIZONS
IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE
SOME OF THE METHANE
FROM PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
ACTUALLY ENDS UP ON CHARON.
Narrator: BUT HOW CAN CHARON
STEAL PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
SARAH HAS A THEORY.
SHE THINKS A SIMILAR PROCESS
HAPPENS IN HER LAB
WHEN AIR ENCOUNTERS
SOMETHING EXTREMELY COLD.
Horst: RIGHT NOW,
THIS METAL LINE IS FILLING
WITH LIQUID NITROGEN
AND BECAUSE OF THAT THE METAL
IS GETTING EXTREMELY COLD,
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE METAL
IS ACTUALLY PULLING WATER
OUT OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
AND IT'S CONDENSING
ON TO THE METAL SURFACE,
FORMING SOMETHING
KIND OF LIKE SNOW.
Narrator: MOLECULES
FROM PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
ARE SOMEHOW FREEZING OUT
ON CHARON'S CHILLY POLE,
BUT HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE
WHEN THE TWO BODIES
ARE ALMOST 12,500 MILES APART?
SCIENTISTS ARE FORCED
TO CONSIDER
AN EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITY.
AS SOLAR WIND RUSHES THROUGH THE
FAR REACHES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
IT COLLIDES WITH PLUTO'S
THIN ATMOSPHERE.
IT STRIPS AWAY THE METHANE
AND NITROGEN
AND CARRIES THEM
FROM PLUTO AS A THIN,
WISPY TAIL INTO THE PATH
OF CHARON'S ORBIT.
WHEN THE TAIL HITS CHARON'S
CHILLY POLAR REGION,
THE METHANE FREEZES OUT
AND SETTLES,
JUST LIKE WATER VAPOR CONDENSING
ON SARAH'S COLD LAB PIPES.
SUNLIGHT THEN SLAMS INTO
THIS STOLEN CARBON-RICH ICE CAP,
KICK-STARTING THE PRODUCTION
OF COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES,
AND STAINING CHARON'S POLE
A DEEP, DARK RED.
CHARON'S ACTUALLY TAKING
THE METHANE AWAY FROM PLUTO
IN THE SAME WAY
THAT THIS COLD PIPE
IS PULLING THE WATER
OUT OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
AND KEEPING IT THERE
AS LONG AS IT STAYS COLD.
Narrator: THIS IS
A STUNNING POSSIBILITY.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME ASTRONOMERS
HAVE EVER SEEN TWO WORLDS
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
SHARING AN ATMOSPHERE.
PLUTO IS LITERALLY DONATING
ITS ATMOSPHERE
TO THE SURFACE OF ITS MOON.
Howett: THE INTERACTION
BETWEEN PLUTO AND CHARON
IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE
OF HOW PLUTO
IS REWRITING OUR RULE BOOK.
Narrator: ASTRONOMERS ARE
PIECING TOGETHER PLUTO'S
TRUE NATURE, BUT THERE REMAINS
MANY UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.
CAN PLUTO'S MEGA SEASONS
HELP EXPLAIN
ITS MYSTERIOUS RIVER CHANNELS?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: NEW HORIZONS'
OBSERVATION OF PLUTO'S
ATMOSPHERE DELIVERS
AN INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY,
BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES ONE OF
THE HARDEST MYSTERIES TO SOLVE.
NEW HORIZONS SCIENTISTS SPOT
SOME STRIKING FEATURES
ON PLUTO'S SURFACE
WHICH LOOK LIKE THEY'VE BEEN
CARVED BY RAGING LIQUID.
THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF THE BIZARRE FEATURES
THAT WE SEE ON PLUTO'S SURFACE.
YOU CAN SEE THESE
LONG CHANNELS HERE.
SO THESE ARE DEEP VALLEY
NETWORKS ON PLUTO.
Narrator:
THESE VALLEYS ARE SIMILAR
TO RIVER CHANNELS
WE SEE ON EARTH,
BUT PLUTO IS THE LAST PLACE
YOU'D EXPECT TO FIND RIVERS.
PLANETS NEED THICK ATMOSPHERES
TO STOP SURFACE LIQUIDS
FROM BOILING AWAY INTO SPACE,
AND PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
IS TOO THIN.
TO PROVE THIS, WILL GRUNDY FILLS
A CHAMBER WITH METHANE GAS
AND COOLS IT TO FORM A LIQUID.
Grundy: I'M LETTING METHANE
INTO THE CELL HERE
BY BLEEDING IT
IN THROUGH THIS VALVE.
Narrator: BUT WILL KEEPS
THE PRESSURE ARTIFICIALLY HIGH.
SO WE HAVE LIQUID IN THE CELL,
BUT IT'S A PRESSURE THAT'S
MUCH HIGHER THAN
THE SURFACE PRESSURE ON PLUTO,
SO WE'LL DROP THE PRESSURE
TO PLUTO'S SURFACE PRESSURE
AND SEE IF THIS LIQUID
IS STABLE.
Narrator: AS WILL DROPS
THE PRESSURE TO PLUTO LEVELS,
THE STILL-COLD LIQUID
BEGINS TO BOIL AWAY.
SO, IF YOU TAKE ANY OF THE ICES
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT
ON THE SURFACE OF PLUTO
AND MELT THEM INDIVIDUALLY,
THEY'LL FORM A LIQUID,
BUT THAT LIQUID WILL NOT BE
STABLE AT THE LOW PRESSURES
THAT ARE PREVALENT
ON THE SURFACE OF PLUTO.
Narrator: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR
PLUTO'S CURRENT ATMOSPHERE
TO SUPPORT LIQUIDS
ON THE SURFACE,
SO HOW DID THE CHANNELS
GET THERE?
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AT SOME TIME
IN THE ANCIENT PAST,
PLUTO HAD A MUCH
THICKER ATMOSPHERE
AND MUCH WARMER LIQUIDS
COULD'VE FLOWED
ACROSS THE SURFACE.
Narrator: PLUTO'S LONG SEASONS
MAY TRIGGER A DRAMATIC CHANGE
IN ITS ATMOSPHERE.
Grundy: PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
VARIES WITH THE SEASONS,
AND IT VARIES QUITE A BIT,
UNLIKE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
WHICH IS PRETTY CONSTANT.
Narrator: PLUTO HAS
AN EXTREME ELLIPTICAL ORBIT
AND A HUGE 120-DEGREE TILT.
THIS MEANS THAT AS PLUTO
TRAVELS AROUND THE SUN,
THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT
HITTING THE SURFACE CHANGES
DRAMATICALLY AT DIFFERENT
STAGES OF PLUTO'S ORBIT.
THIS CAUSES MASSIVE
TEMPERATURE SWINGS.
DURING THE SUMMER,
SUNLIGHT HEATS THE ICE.
THE VAPORIZING ICE FEEDS
THE ATMOSPHERE,
MAKING IT A LITTLE BIT THICKER,
BUT NOT THICK ENOUGH
TO SUPPORT RIVERS.
THEN, JUST ONCE
EVERY 3 MILLION YEARS,
SOMETHING SPECTACULAR HAPPENS.
PLUTO'S TILT AND ORBIT ALIGN TO
CREATE A SERIES OF MEGA SUMMERS.
IF IT'S POINTING POLE ON TO THE
SUN, IT'S JUST GETTING COOKED,
AND IF THAT HAPPENS
TO COINCIDE WITH
WHEN PLUTO IS AT ITS CLOSEST
TO THE SUN,
IT'S REALLY GETTING COOKED.
Narrator: THE CONSTANT BARRAGE
OF SUNLIGHT HEATS THE SURFACE
ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM
THE DWARF PLANET.
AS PLUTO MOVES
INTO ITS MEGA-SUMMER CYCLE,
SUNLIGHT COOKS THE SURFACE.
NITROGEN ICE EVAPORATES
IN THE NEWFOUND WARMTH,
MAKING THE ATMOSPHERE SO THICK,
EXOTIC MIXTURES OF ICES
ON THE SURFACE BEGIN TO MELT
AND RIVERS START TO FLOW,
CARVING DEEP CHANNELS
INTO THE SURFACE.
WHEN SUMMER FADES,
THE ATMOSPHERE THINS
AND THE RIVERS BOIL AWAY,
LEAVING THE EMPTY
CHANNELS BEHIND.
♪♪
Howett: IT ALL POINTS TO THE
IDEA THAT MAYBE THE TEMPERATURES
AND PRESSURES WERE HIGH ENOUGH
TO SUPPORT A LIQUID
ON THE SURFACE,
AND THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
PLUTO IS COLD AND A LONG WAY
FROM THE SUN --
THE IDEA THAT LIQUID COULD'VE
EVER BEEN ON ITS SURFACE
IS JUST MIND-BOGGLING.
Narrator: PERHAPS IN
A FEW MILLION YEARS,
WHEN THE NEXT MEGA-SUMMER
CYCLE KICKS IN,
FUTURE GENERATIONS
OF PLANETARY EXPLORERS
WILL FIND A WORLD
WITH VALLEYS FILLED
WITH FLOWING LIQUID ONCE MORE.
THE NEW HORIZONS SPACE PROBE
REVEALS HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
OF PLUTO FOR THE FIRST TIME.
NOW, AFTER YEARS OF RESEARCH,
SCIENTISTS ARE COMING
TO SOME REMARKABLE CONCLUSIONS,
BUT THIS INCREDIBLE LITTLE
SPACECRAFT ISN'T DONE YET.
SCIENTISTS KNOW
THAT PLUTO ISN'T ALONE,
IT'S PART OF VAST
NUMBER OF ICY BODIES
THAT SURROUND THE SOLAR SYSTEM
KNOWN AS THE KUIPER BELT.
AS NEW HORIZONS SPEEDS
PAST PLUTO,
IT SETS ITS GAZE
ON THESE NEW TARGETS.
COULD PLUTO'S ICY COMPANIONS
REVEAL MORE SECRETS
ABOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: NEW HORIZONS
SAILS PAST PLUTO
AT OVER 32,000 MILES PER HOUR.
IT VENTURES DEEP INTO
PLUTO'S BACKYARD,
A MYSTERIOUS REGION
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
KNOWN AS THE KUIPER BELT.
THE KUIPER BELT
IS A BAND OF MATERIAL
THAT SURROUNDS THE PLANETS,
FILLED WITH GIANT ICY COMETS
AND OTHER DWARF PLANETS
SIMILAR TO PLUTO.
WE ONLY KNOW IT EXISTS
THANKS TO FAINT DOTS OF LIGHT
SEEN FROM EARTH'S
MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPES.
Olkin: ALL THESE SMALL ICY
BODIES COMPOSE THE KUIPER BELT.
WHEN I WAS A KID IN SCHOOL,
WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
ANY OF THESE EXISTED
EXCEPT FOR PLUTO,
SO IT REALLY IS THE UNKNOWN.
Narrator: SCIENTISTS ARE
DESPERATE TO STUDY
A SMALL KUIPER BELT OBJECT
UP CLOSE,
SO WITH PLENTY OF FUEL
LEFT IN NEW HORIZONS' TANK,
ITS ENGINEERS DIVERT THE ROBOTIC
PROBE TO STUDY NEW TARGETS.
SCIENTISTS HOPE THIS MISSION
WILL HELP THEM
SOLVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE VERY EARLIEST HISTORY
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
BECAUSE THE KUIPER BELT
IS PROBABLY MADE OF
PRIMORDIAL OBJECTS, THAT MEANS
OBJECTS THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED
SINCE THE SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED,
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND
HOW OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED,
WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT
THAN BY GOING AND LOOKING
AT OBJECTS THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED
SINCE IT DID FORM?
Narrator: IN BOULDER, COLORADO,
PLANETARY SCIENTIST
ANNE VERBISCER HAS NEW HORIZONS'
NEXT TARGET IDENTIFIED.
AHEAD OF THE ENCOUNTER,
SHE NEEDS TO COLLECT
AS MUCH DATA
ABOUT THE OBJECT AS POSSIBLE
TO ENSURE THE PERFECT FLY-BY.
IT'S TOTALLY
UNEXPLORED TERRITORY,
SO WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT THIS NEXT TARGET
IS GONNA LOOK LIKE UP CLOSE.
Narrator: ANNE RELIES ON
A COSMIC COINCIDENCE
TO GET VITAL DATA
ON THE NEW OBJECT.
EACH TIME IT PASSES IN FRONT
OF BACKGROUND STAR,
THE OBJECT CASTS A FAINT SHADOW
ON THE SURFACE OF EARTH,
BRIEFLY REVEALING
ITS SIZE AND SHAPE.
THE NEXT SHADOW IS PREDICTED
TO FALL IN A FEW MONTHS' TIME.
IT'S A RARE OPPORTUNITY
ANNE'S TEAM NEEDS
TO GRAB WITH BOTH HANDS.
SO, HERE IS A MAP OF THE WORLD,
AND I CAN ILLUSTRATE
WHERE THE SHADOW
OF THE NEXT NEW HORIZONS TARGET
IS GOING TO FALL ON THE EARTH.
Narrator:
ANNE'S GREATEST CHALLENGE
IS TO ENSURE SHE HAS TELESCOPES
IN THE RIGHT PLACE
AT THE RIGHT TIME
AS THE SHADOW OF THE EVENT
RACES OVER THE EARTH.
Verbiscer: THE CURRENT
PREDICTED PATH
CROSSES THE NORTHERN PORTION
OF SOUTH AMERICA
AND MOVES OVER INTO SENEGAL,
WESTERN AFRICA,
MALI, AND ALGERIA.
Narrator: THE SHADOW IS DUE
TO RACE ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS,
SO ANNE PREPARES TO SEND
A GROUP OF TELESCOPES
TO EACH SPOT ALONG THE PATH.
SHE CAN'T AFFORD FOR BAD WEATHER
OR A TECHNICAL FAILURE
IN ONE COUNTRY TO RUIN THE DATA.
ONE OF ANNE'S MOST IMPORTANT
TASKS IS TO WORK OUT
HOW BRIGHT HORIZONS'
NEXT TARGET WILL BE.
SO, A SUCCESSFUL OBSERVATION
ON OUR NEXT EXPEDITION
WILL ALSO TELL US THE SIZE
OF THE NEXT NEW HORIZONS TARGET,
AND IF YOU KNOW THE SIZE,
THEN YOU KNOW HOW MUCH LIGHT
IS REFLECTED --
IS IT REALLY, REALLY DARK,
OR IS IT BRIGHT,
OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN?
Narrator: THIS ALLOWS HER TO
PROGRAM THE SPACECRAFT'S
CAMERA SETTINGS WELL IN ADVANCE
TO GET PERFECTLY EXPOSED IMAGES.
TWO MONTHS LATER, ANNE
AND HER TEAM ARRIVE IN SENEGAL
TO WITNESS THE BIG EVENT.
THEY SPEND A DAY SETTING UP
AND TESTING THE TELESCOPES,
AND THEN, AS NIGHT FALLS,
THEY WAIT FOR
THE MYSTERIOUS SILHOUETTE
TO PASS IN FRONT
OF THE BACKGROUND STAR.
THE MOMENT IS BRIEF, BUT EVEN
THIS TINY DIMMING
CARRIES VITAL INFORMATION
FOR ANNE TO PLAN THE PERFECT
NEW HORIZONS FLY-BY AND REVEAL
OUR FIRST EVER CLOSE-UP GLIMPSE
OF A KUIPER BELT
OBJECT BEYOND PLUTO.
THE TEAM STILL HAS WEEKS
OF ANALYSIS AHEAD OF THEM,
BUT ALREADY THEY BELIEVE THEY'VE
MADE A TANTALIZING DISCOVERY.
THIS TARGET MAY IN FACT
BE TWO OBJECTS LOCKED TOGETHER
IN A CLOSE ORBIT WITH A COMBINED
SPAN OF 18.6 MILES.
TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE
ON EARTH
TO WATCH AN OBJECT BLINK OUT
THE LIGHT OF A DISTANT STAR
FOR ONLY A SECOND OR SO
WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING.
Narrator: WHATEVER REVELATIONS
LIE AHEAD, ONE THING IS CLEAR --
THE FURTHER WE EXPLORE,
THE MORE WE LEARN
ABOUT OUR PLANETARY BACKYARD
AND OUR PLACE IN THIS COSMOS.
Thaller: WE ARE NOW
IN ONE OF THESE
GOLDEN ERAS OF EXPLORATION.
THERE ARE PARTS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
WE HAVE JUST NEVER BEEN.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT THERE CAN'T
BE HUGE MYSTERIES
WAITING OUT THERE FOR US.
Howett: NEW HORIZONS GAVE THE
SCIENCE COMMUNITY DESIRE
BUT ALSO THE CONFIDENCE TO GO
AND EXPLORE THE KUIPER BELT.
I HOPE THAT IN THE DECADES
THAT FOLLOW,
WE'LL BE BACK AND BACK
WITH A VENGEANCE.
Narrator: ONE TINY SPACECRAFT
HAS TRANSFORMED PLUTO
FROM A MYSTERIOUS DWARF PLANET
INTO AN ICONIC WORLD
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM --
WITH ICE VOLCANOES...
A SELF-HEALING HEART...
AND AN ATMOSPHERE
THAT REACHES ITS MOON...
BUT PLUTO IS JUST THE START.
AS NEW HORIZONS VENTURES ONWARDS
INTO THE NEXT FRONTIER
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
WHO KNOWS WHAT
FURTHER MYSTERIES AWAIT.
Adjusted CORNELDVD
PLUTO, A TINY DWARF PLANET
IN THE FAR REACHES
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
HAS SET THE WORLD
OF ASTRONOMY ALIGHT.
WE WERE EXPECTING IT TO BE DEAD,
FROZEN, JUST SITTING THERE,
AND WHAT WE SAW
WAS COMPLETELY THE OPPOSITE.
Narrator:
PLUTO IS BURSTING WITH DRAMA --
SOARING MOUNTAINS,
FLOWING GLACIERS,
AND CHURNING, ICY PLAINS.
Thaller: YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
HOW PROFOUND THIS IS.
NO HAD NO EXPECTATION
THAT PLUTO WOULD BE ALIVE.
MORE THAN THAT, WE DON'T KNOW
HOW IT'S POSSIBLE.
Narrator: TODAY, INVESTIGATORS
RACE TO UNRAVEL
THIS STRANGE PLANET'S
DARK SECRETS.
DO ALIEN VOLCANOES
COVER ITS SURFACE?
IS ITS MYSTERIOUS HEART-SHAPED
PLAIN EVIDENCE
OF A GIANT IMPACT?
AND IS PLUTO'S BIGGEST MOON,
CHARON, A COSMIC THIEF?
THE NEW HORIZONS'
OBSERVATIONS OF PLUTO
ARE LIKE
A GIANT DETECTIVE STORY --
THE CLUES ARE ALL THERE,
AND NOW WE NEED
TO UNRAVEL ITS MYSTERIES.
Narrator: WE DIVE DEEP INSIDE
THIS ICY WORLD
TO REVEAL PLUTO'S MYSTERIOUS
HIDDEN HISTORY.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
♪♪
INVESTIGATORS ACROSS THE GLOBE
ARE TRYING TO SOLVE
ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES
IN ASTRONOMY --
WHY A TINY WORLD AT THE EDGE
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
APPEARS TO SEETHE
WITH GEOLOGICAL LIFE.
FROM EARTH, PLUTO IS
BARELY VISIBLE...
Man: THREE, TWO, ONE...
...SO NASA LAUNCHES
THE NEW HORIZONS SPACE PROBE
ON A 3.1 BILLION MILE VOYAGE
TO EXAMINE IT UP CLOSE
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
Tremblay:
AND AS WE SENT NEW HORIZONS
ON ITS APPROACH TO PLUTO,
THAT LITTLE FAINT DOT BECAME
THIS STUNNING, PROFOUND,
REMARKABLE WORLD
WITH A COMPLEXITY
THAT WE COULD'VE NEVER IMAGINED.
♪♪
Narrator: NEW HORIZONS
TEAM MEMBER CATHY OLKIN
FOLLOWS EVERY STEP OF
THIS SPACE PROBE'S JOURNEY
HERE AT MISSION CONTROL.
Olkin: THIS WAS THE BEST IMAGE
THAT WE HAD OF PLUTO
BEFORE THE SPACECRAFT
GOT THERE IN 2015,
AND YOU CAN SEE
THERE'S REALLY NO DETAIL.
IT'S BLURRY.
YOU CAN'T SEE
ANY SURFACE FEATURES.
IT'S JUST A BLOB.
Narrator:
AFTER NINE YEARS OF TRAVEL,
NEW HORIZONS TAKES
THE FIRST EVER
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
OF PLUTO'S SURFACE.
WHAT IT REVEALS STUNS THE WORLD.
Olkin: WHEN I FIRST
SAW THIS IMAGE,
I WAS DELIGHTED
AND I WAS AMAZED.
THIS DETAIL ON PLUTO
FAR EXCEEDED ANYTHING THAT
I THOUGHT WE'D SEE.
BEFORE NEW HORIZONS,
PLUTO WAS A COMPLETE MYSTERY.
SINCE NEW HORIZONS,
PLUTO IS AN EVEN BIGGER MYSTERY.
Howett: THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON
ON PLUTO'S SURFACE
THAT ONE IMAGE ALONE,
IT'S A LIFETIME'S WORTH OF WORK
TO UNDERSTAND IT.
Narrator: 3.7 BILLION MILES
FROM THE SUN,
SCIENTISTS EXPECT PLUTO TO BE
A COLD, DEAD,
HEAVILY CRATERED WORLD.
WHAT THEY FIND IS ASTONISHING.
NITROGEN FREEZES
OUT THE ATMOSPHERE,
COATING THE LAND
IN A THICK FROST.
MOUNTAIN RANGES TOWER ABOVE.
AND CLUES HINT THAT THE PRESENCE
OF A LIQUID OCEAN BELOW.
BUT PLUTO'S MOST STRIKING
FEATURE IS A VAST,
SMOOTH HEART ON ITS SURFACE
WHERE MASSIVE NITROGEN GLACIERS
SLOWLY FLOW INTO A DEEP,
ICY BASIN.
MOUNTAIN RANGES...
SMOOTH PLAINS...
FLOWING GLACIERS...
ALL SUGGEST THAT PLUTO
IS GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE.
BUT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE
SO FAR FROM THE SUN?
Oluseyi: WE HAD NEVER SEEN
PLUTO UP CLOSE,
SO WE HAD A CERTAIN
SET OF EXPECTATIONS.
IT'S OUT THERE AT THE EDGE
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
IT'S NOT RECEIVING MUCH LIGHT
FROM THE SUN,
SO WE EXPECTED IT TO BE A DEAD,
ICY WORLD
PROBABLY COVERED BY CRATERS.
WELL, IT TURNED OUT
TO BE ANYTHING BUT.
Narrator: WHAT COULD BE CAUSING
PLUTO'S ACTIVE GEOLOGY?
INVESTIGATORS START WITH PLUTO'S
MOST STRIKING FEATURE --
ITS GIANT, HEART-SHAPED,
NITROGEN ICE GLACIER.
THEY NAME THE WESTERN LOBE
SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
BUT SPUTNIK PLANITIA
IS A MYSTERY.
IT'S FAR SMOOTHER
THAN SCIENTISTS EXPECT.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS FILLED WITH
SPEEDING ASTEROIDS AND COMETS.
THESE SMASH INTO PLANETS
AND LEAVE THEIR SCARS BEHIND.
SPUTNIK PLANITIA SHOULD BE
COVERED IN THESE SCARS,
BUT IT'S SMOOTH,
AS IF SOME MYSTERIOUS FORCE
IS HEALING THE SURFACE,
BUT WHAT?
AT NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER
IN CALIFORNIA,
DR. ORKAN UMURHAN BELIEVES
THE WEIRD MATERIAL
THAT MAKES UP THE PLAIN IS KEY.
Umurhan: SO, ON THE EARTH,
NITROGEN EXISTS IN GASEOUS FORM
AND MAKES UP 70%
OF THE ATMOSPHERE,
AND THAT'S BECAUSE
IT'S REALLY WARM ON THE EARTH,
BUT ON PLUTO,
BECAUSE IT'S SO COLD,
ALL THAT NITROGEN EXISTS
IN THE FORM OF ICE.
Narrator: NITROGEN ICE FLOWS
ON TO THE LOWLAND PLAIN
FROM VAST GLACIERS
THAT SURROUND SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
BUT THEN THE ICE
DOES SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL --
IT FORMS A STRANGE PATTERN.
COULD THESE SHAPES BE A CLUE
TO WHAT'S WIPING OUT
THE CRATERS?
Umurhan: ALL THAT ICE MAKES
ITS WAY INTO SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
AND WHEN YOU DO A CLOSE-UP
AND YOU ZOOM IN ON
SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
YOU SEE HONEYCOMB PATTERNS
ALL OVER THAT PLACE.
Narrator: SURPRISINGLY,
ORKAN THINKS THIS PATTERN
IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALL SEEN
BEFORE IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
Umurhan: A FEW DAYS AFTER
THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH PLUTO,
WE HAD HAULED ON OUT
TO A JAPANESE RESTAURANT,
AND THEY BROUGHT OUT
THE MISO SOUP,
AND I LOOKED IN THE MISO SOUP,
AND I WAS LIKE, "OH MY GOD,
IT'S THE SAME PATTERNS THAT
WE SEE ON SPUTNIK PLANITIA."
Narrator: ORKAN REPLICATES
THIS EFFECT IN THE LAB
BY HEATING MISO SOUP.
THE CHURNING PATTERNS THAT
APPEAR ON BOWLS OF HOT LIQUID
ARE CALLED CONVECTION CELLS.
CONVECTION OCCURS
WHEN HOT LIQUID RISES
FROM THE BOTTOM
OF A DEEP CONTAINER
AND COOL LIQUID SINKS
DOWN FROM THE SURFACE.
THIS RISING AND FALLING CREATES
AND A PATCHWORK OF HONEYCOMB
CELLS ON THE SURFACE,
JUST LIKE THE PATTERNS
ON SPUTNIK PLANITIA.
Umurhan: SO, WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IS THE PATTERNS
THAT THAT'S FORMING
IN THE FLUID
AND THEY'RE REMARKABLY SIMILAR
TO THE PATTERNS THAT YOU SEE
ON PLUTO'S SPUTNIK PLANITIA.
Narrator: ORKAN THINKS
THE NITROGEN ICE
IN SPUTNIK PLANITIA ACTS
LIKE A SLOW-MOTION LIQUID.
THE FAINT HEAT OF THE PLANET'S
INTERIOR DRIVES POCKETS
OF WARM ICE UPWARDS,
CREATING THE WEIRD PATTERN
AND WIPING OUT ANY CRATERS
ON THE SURFACE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU GET THIS
GIANT CONVECTION-CELL PATTERN
WHERE IT'S LIKE A CONVEYOR BELT
GOING AROUND
IN A CIRCLE LIKE THIS.
Narrator: MISO SOUP HELPS
TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY
OF THE HONEYCOMB PATTERN,
BUT IT ALSO REVEALS
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY
ABOUT SPUTNIK PLANITIA.
CONVECTION NEEDS A VERY DEEP
BODY OF FLUID TO BE EFFECTIVE.
WHAT SCIENTISTS
FIRST THOUGHT WAS A PLAIN
MUST REALLY BE A BASIN OF ICE
AS DEEP AS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
BUT HOW COULD SUCH A VAST
BASIN FORM?
THE LEADING THEORY SUGGESTS
THAT FOUR BILLION YEARS AGO,
A SPACE ROCK MORE THAN 60 MILES
ACROSS DRIFTS INTO PLUTO'S PATH.
IT SMASHES INTO THE CRUST,
BLASTING OUT A COLOSSAL SCAR
620 MILES WIDE
AND 5 1/2 MILES DEEP.
NITROGEN FROM THE ATMOSPHERE
CONDENSES ON THE LOWEST-LYING
PARTS OF THE CRATER
AND SETTLES AS FROST,
FILLING IN THE DEPRESSION.
OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS,
THE NITROGEN ICE CHURNS AWAY
TO CREATE THE HONEYCOMB PATTERN
WE SEE TODAY.
A GIANT IMPACT
SOLVES THE MYSTERY
OF PLUTO'S HONEYCOMB HEART.
BUT NOT ALL OF SPUTNIK PLANITIA
SEEMS TO PLAY BY THE SAME RULES.
THE LOWER EDGES
OF THIS VAST PLAIN
ARE JUST AS SMOOTH
AS THE INSIDES,
BUT THERE'S NO SIGN
OF CONVECTION CELLS HERE.
DO THE FRINGES OF SPUTNIK
PLANITIA
HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT
SELF-HEALING SUPERPOWER?
AND COULD PLUTO'S MYSTERIOUS
MOUNTAINS ACTUALLY BE VOLCANOES
MADE FROM SOLID ICE?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: PLUTO'S ICONIC HEART,
SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
IS A GIANT BASIN
FILLED WITH NITROGEN ICE.
IT SHOULD BE COVERED
IN ASTEROID CRATERS,
LIKE THE REST OF THE PLANET,
BUT SOMETHING
IS SMOOTHING IT OUT.
HONEYCOMB CONVECTION CELLS
ACCOUNT FOR MOST
OF THE SMOOTHING, BUT NOT ALL.
AT THE SOUTHERN EDGES
OF SPUTNIK PLANITIA,
THE ICE IS STILL SMOOTH,
BUT THERE'S NO SIGN
OF ANY CONVECTION.
WHAT WE SUPPOSE IS THAT
THE BASIN IN THIS AREA
IS TOO SHALLOW FOR CONVECTION
TO TAKE PLACE.
Narrator: ON PLUTO,
TEMPERATURES DROP TO A FRIGID
MINUS-400 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
ORKAN SUSPECTS THIS MAKES
THE NITROGEN ICE
BEHAVE IN A VERY UNUSUAL WAY.
HE THINKS THAT THE ICE
COULD BE SELF-HEALING.
TO TEST HIS IDEAS, ORKAN RUNS
A COMPUTER SIMULATION
OF SPUTNIK PLANITIA
TO SEE HOW NITROGEN ICE FLOWS
AT PLUTO'S
FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
WE START THE PROCESS, AND YOU
CAN SEE THAT THE NITROGEN ICE,
UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT,
SMOOTHES ITSELF OUT.
Narrator: ORKAN'S SIMULATION
REVEALS THAT AT PLUTO'S
TEMPERATURES, THE NITROGEN ICE
IN SPUTNIK PLANITIA CAN FLOW.
IT HAS THE CONSISTENCY
OF MOLTEN CANDLE WAX.
THIS MEANS WHEN
AN ASTEROID HITS IT,
SOMETHING ASTONISHING HAPPENS.
AN ASTEROID PIERCES
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
AND STRIKES
THE LEFT LOBE OF ITS HEART.
IT BLASTS OUT
AN ENORMOUS CRATER.
THE THICK,
PARTIALLY FROZEN NITROGEN
THAT COATS THE DAMAGED
SURFACE BEGINS TO FLOW.
THE NITROGEN ICE ON THE CRATER
WALLS FLOWS DOWN INTO THE CRATER
AND THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE
CRATER PUSH INWARDS AND UPWARDS.
[ RUMBLING ]
THE SCAR SHRINKS UNTIL
IT DISAPPEARS COMPLETELY,
LEAVING SPUTNIK PLANITIA SMOOTH,
AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.
WELL, IT'S REALLY PRETTY AMAZING
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT AN ICE
THAT KIND OF BEHAVES LIKE
CANDLE WAX AND THAT IT'S ABLE
TO HEAL ITSELF IN A REALLY SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING
THAT NORMALLY COMES TO MIND,
BUT IT'S HAPPENING TODAY
ON A PLACE LIKE PLUTO.
Narrator: BUT PLUTO'S REMARKABLE
HEART-SHAPED BASIN
ISN'T ITS ONLY
SURPRISING FEATURE.
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
REVEAL AN ENORMOUS MOUNTAIN,
93 MILES ACROSS
AND 2 1/2 MILES HIGH,
WITH A CAVERNOUS CRATER
AT ITS SUMMIT.
CATHY OLKIN IS ONE OF THE FIRST
TO SPOT THIS MYSTERIOUS OBJECT.
THIS IS ANOTHER
AMAZING FEATURE ON PLUTO,
AND IT'S QUITE MYSTERIOUS.
WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE
WHAT IT IS,
BUT IT SURE LOOKS A LOT
LIKE A VOLCANO.
Narrator: HOW COULD VOLCANOES
BE POSSIBLE ON A WORLD SO COLD
THAT WATER SETS AS HARD AS ROCK
AND NITROGEN SETTLES AS FROST?
PLUTO IS SO SMALL AND SO FAR
FROM THE SUN THAT WE EXPECTED IT
TO BE FROZEN
ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE LAST THINGS
YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE
ON THE SURFACE
WOULD BE A VOLCANO.
Narrator: SO WHAT
FORCES CREATE VOLCANOES
AT SUCH FREEZING TEMPERATURES?
MISSION SCIENTIST WILL GRUNDY
INVESTIGATES THIS MYSTERY.
THIS IS THE HIGHEST
RESOLUTION COLOR IMAGE
THAT WE GOT OF PLUTO'S SURFACE.
SO, THIS FEATURE ON PLUTO
REALLY LOOKS LIKE A VOLCANO.
IT'S AN ENORMOUS UPLIFT
WITH A BIG CENTRAL PIT,
AND IT'S COMPARABLE IN SIZE
TO THE LARGEST VOLCANOES
HERE ON EARTH.
Narrator:
IF THESE FEATURES ARE VOLCANIC,
THEY MUST BE FORMED BY LAVA,
BUT ON PLUTO, THERE IS NO ROCK
ON THE SURFACE TO MELT.
BELOW PLUTO'S NITROGEN-ICE
FROSTING LIES A BEDROCK
OF WATER ICE,
FROZEN HARD AS GRANITE.
IS THE LAVA THAT BUILDS PLUTO'S
VOLCANOES SIMPLY MOLTEN ICE?
THE PROBLEM IS,
PLUTO IS SO COLD.
IT'S WAY, WAY, WAY BELOW
THE FREEZING POINT OF ICE,
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE
A LOT OF ENERGY TO MELT IT.
Narrator: PLUTO IS TOO COLD EVEN
FOR WATER ICE TO MELT INTO LAVA.
WILL HAS AN IDEA.
HE THINKS THAT NATURALLY
FORMING CHEMICALS
MAY LOWER THE FREEZING POINT
OF THE WATER,
ACTING AS AN ANTI-FREEZE.
THIS COULD TURN PLUTO'S WATER
ICE INTO A THICK,
GLOOPY SUBSTANCE
CALLED CRYOLAVA.
ONE COULD IMAGINE
LIQUID WATER,
HELPED BY HAVING THESE
ANTI-FREEZE INGREDIENTS IN IT,
SPEWING OUT OF A PLACE LIKE THIS
AND FREEZING
AS IT SETTLES TO THE GROUND
OR FLOWING ACROSS THE SURFACE.
Narrator: WILL WANTS TO FIND OUT
WHICH SPECIAL CHEMICALS
ALLOW WATER TO BECOME CRYOLAVA
AT PLUTO'S TEMPERATURES.
HE MIXES WATER WITH TWO
ANTI-FREEZE INGREDIENTS,
AMMONIA AND ALCOHOL,
AND COOLS THE MIXTURE
DOWN WITH LIQUID NITROGEN.
WATER USUALLY FREEZES SOLID
AT 32 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
WILL COOLS HIS MIXTURE MORE THAN
70 DEGREES BELOW
THE FREEZING POINT.
NORMAL WATER WOULD BE FROZEN,
AND IT'S STILL LIQUID,
BUT THAT'S NOT COLD ENOUGH,
I WANT TO GO COLDER,
SO I'M GONNA ADD
A LITTLE BIT MORE NITROGEN.
Narrator: THE WATER MIX
REMAINS A LIQUID,
BUT IT STARTS TO THICKEN,
GIVING IT A SIMILAR CONSISTENCY
TO LAVA WE SEE ON EARTH,
BUT INSTEAD OF BEING HOT,
THIS CRYOLAVA IS EXTREMELY COLD.
AMAZINGLY, NEW HORIZONS
FINDS EVIDENCE
FOR THESE EXACTLY ANTI-FREEZE
CHEMICALS DURING ITS FLY-BY.
THESE TWO TYPES OF ANTI-FREEZE,
AMMONIA AND ALCOHOL,
HAVE BOTH BEEN DETECTED
IN THE PLUTO SYSTEM.
Narrator: WILL THINKS
THIS LIQUID COULD BE JUST LIKE
THE CRYOLAVA
THAT ERUPTS ON PLUTO.
Grundy: IF THIS KIND
OF MATERIAL WERE TO ERUPT
TO THE SURFACE OF PLUTO, IT
WOULD FLOW ACROSS THE SURFACE,
FORMING A VERY THICK FLOW,
MUCH LIKE LAVA FLOWS ON EARTH.
Narrator: AS THIS SUPER-COLD
CRYOLAVA FLOWS ACROSS
THE SURFACE, IT FREEZES SOLID,
MAKING A THICK, ICY DEPOSIT
ALMOST IDENTICAL
TO ROCKY LAVA FLOWS ON EARTH.
WILL'S SHOWN HOW WATER
CAN FORM A GLOOPY LAVA
AT PLATO'S TEMPERATURES,
BUT LAVA ALONE ISN'T ENOUGH
TO BUILD VOLCANOES
THE SIZE OF THE MONSTERS
WE SEE ON PLUTO.
WHAT MAKES PLUTO'S VOLCANOES
SO HIGH?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator:
THE DWARF PLANET PLUTO
IS FINALLY GIVING UP
ITS SECRETS.
UNPRECEDENTED IMAGES FROM
THE NEW HORIZONS PROBE
STUN THE WORLD.
TODAY, SCIENTISTS RACE TO PIECE
TOGETHER THE CLUES TO UNDERSTAND
HOW THIS TINY WORLD
SO FAR FROM THE SUN
CAN BE SO GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE.
NOTHING ABOUT PLUTO
SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE.
THIS SHOULD BE A COLD,
DEAD LITTLE BODY,
AND YET WE FIND GIANT VOLCANOES,
ICE VOLCANOES
THAT ARE AS MUCH AS 100 ACROSS,
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW BIG
THAT IS COMPARED
TO THIS TINY BODY,
YOU REALIZE THAT PLUTO HAS
SOME OF THE LARGEST VOLCANOES
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
IN PROPORTION
TO THE SIZE OF THE WORLD.
Narrator: ON EARTH, HEAT
AND PRESSURE FROM THE PLANET'S
SCORCHING INTERIOR WELLS UP
AND DRIVES VOLCANOES.
BUT PLUTO'S TINY SIZE
MEANS INTERNAL HEAT
IS HARD TO COME BY.
Grundy: THERE'S SO LITTLE
ENERGY AVAILABLE
THAT IT WOULD BE KIND OF HARD
TO EXPLAIN A LOT OF MOLTEN WATER
COMING UP OUT OF THE GROUND.
Narrator: SO WHAT MAKES
PLUTO'S VOLCANOES SO HIGH?
A CLUE COMES FROM EARTH'S
LARGEST VOLCANOES.
GASSES DISSOLVED IN THE LAVA
SUPERCHARGE ERUPTIONS.
THIS MAKES THE VOLCANOES
GROW LIKE THEY'RE ON STEROIDS.
COULD DISSOLVED GAS
BE SUPERCHARGING
PLUTO'S CRYOLAVA, TOO?
THE CLUES ALL POINT
TO AN AMAZING REVELATION.
DEEP INSIDE PLUTO, A SUBSURFACE
OCEAN OF LIQUID WATER
MUST SURROUND THE ROCKY CORE.
RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN
THE CORE GENERATES HEAT,
WHICH GENTLY WARMS UP
THE GAS-RICH OCEAN ABOVE.
AS THE WATER WARMS,
IT EXPANDS AND RISES.
GASSY BUBBLES ERUPT
OUT OF THE SOLUTION,
FORCING THE
ANTI-FREEZE-FILLED WATER
TO SPEW OUT ON TO THE SURFACE.
AS THE WATER SPREADS,
IT GRADUALLY FREEZES,
BUILDING ENORMOUS VOLCANOES
THAT TOWER MORE THAN
2.5 MILES ABOVE THE SURFACE.
WILL BELIEVES
THAT GASSY CRYOLAVA
IS THE SECRET INGREDIENT
IN PLUTO'S ENORMOUS VOLCANOES.
Grundy: BY JUST ADDING
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS,
ANTI-FREEZE AND DISSOLVED
GASSES, TO WATER,
WE CAN TURN IT INTO AN EXPLOSIVE
VOLCANO-BUILDING MATERIAL,
SO REALLY, EVEN THOUGH
THE INGREDIENTS ARE DIFFERENT,
THE MECHANISMS ARE VERY SIMILAR
FOR MAKING VOLCANOES ON PLUTO
AND THE WAY
WE BUILD VOLCANOES ON EARTH.
THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF WHAT
A VOLCANO IS IN PRINCIPLE
IS THE SAME BUT IN REALITY
IS INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE SOMETHING
OUT OF SCI-FI.
Narrator:
BUT PLUTO'S ACTIVE FEATURES
AREN'T THE ONLY MYSTERY
SCIENTISTS WANT TO SOLVE.
AS NEW HORIZONS FLIES
PAST PLUTO,
IT TAKES THE PLANET'S
TEMPERATURE.
THE RESULT IS A HUGE SURPRISE.
PLUTO IS SO FAR FROM THE SUN
THAT IT IS REALLY COLD,
BUT WHAT'S WEIRD IS THAT
IT'S COLDER THAN WE EXPECTED.
SOMETHING IS CHILLING PLUTO.
IT MEANS THAT THERE MUST'VE BEEN
SOMETHING PREVENTING IT FROM
SOAKING UP THE SUN'S RAYS
TO THE DEGREE THAT WE THOUGHT
IT WOULD,
AND WHAT IS THAT SOMETHING?
IT'S BEEN A REAL MYSTERY,
AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY
EXCITING DISCOVERY.
Narrator: WHAT COULD BE
COOLING PLUTO DOWN?
NEW HORIZONS REVEALS A CLUE --
PLUTO HAS AN ATMOSPHERE,
AND IT'S ONE WEIRDEST
WE'VE EVER SEEN.
Olkin: THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
AMAZING IMAGES OF PLUTO.
IT COULD ONLY BE GOTTEN FROM THE
SPACECRAFT AFTER WE PASSED BY.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS,
WE'RE LOOKING AT PLUTO
AND WE'RE SEEING ITS ATMOSPHERE
BACK-LIT BY THE SUN,
SO THE SUN AND THE EARTH
AND EVERYTHING WE KNOW
IS ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THIS IMAGE.
Narrator: THE TEAM NOTICES
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
HAS A STRANGE APPEARANCE.
IT'S SPLIT INTO SEPARATE
LAYERS OF HAZE.
HAZES ARE SOLID PARTICLES
THAT HANG SUSPENDED IN THE AIR,
LIKE DUST IN A SANDSTORM.
SOMEHOW PLUTO IS FINDING A WAY
TO TURN THE GAS
IN ITS ATMOSPHERE
INTO SOLID HAZE PARTICLES,
BUT HOW?
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE GOT TO
PLUTO WHETHER THERE'D BE
AN ATMOSPHERE AT ALL.
ONE OF THE IDEAS WAS THAT
THE ATMOSPHERE
WOULD'VE COMPLETELY COLLAPSED
ONTO PLUTO'S SURFACE,
AND YET, WHEN WE GOT THERE,
THERE WAS THIS
WONDERFUL ATMOSPHERE MADE OF
DIFFERENT LAYERS AND OF HAZES,
AND A WONDER TO BEHOLD.
Narrator: WHAT ARE THESE HAZES?
AND CAN THEY EXPLAIN
WHY PLUTO IS SO COLD?
ONE SCIENTIST
IS ABOUT TO FIND OUT.
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: IN A LAB AT
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY,
PLANETARY SCIENTIST SARAH HORST
IS ABOUT TO RECREATE
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
TO INVESTIGATE
HOW ITS MYSTERIOUS HAZES FORM.
Horst: WE TRIED TO
PUT TOGETHER AN EXPERIMENT
THAT IS AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE
TO WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
Narrator: SARAH SUSPECTS
THAT SUNLIGHT TRIGGERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
INSIDE PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE,
TURNING GASSES INTO TINY,
SOLID HAZE PARTICLES.
TO TEST THIS THEORY, SHE FILLS
A CHAMBER WITH METHANE,
NITROGEN, AND CARBON MONOXIDE --
THE MAIN CONSTITUENTS
OF PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
SHE THEN SUBJECTS THESE GASSES
TO HIGH-ENERGY PLASMA
TO REPLICATE THE SUN'S ENERGY.
Horst: SUNLIGHT ACTUALLY
DRIVES THE CHEMISTRY
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE,
SO THE LIGHT THAT COMES
FROM THE SUN,
THE VERY ENERGETIC PARTS OF IT,
CAN ACTUALLY BREAK APART
THE MOLECULES.
THAT'S THE STARTING PROCESS
FOR THE CHEMISTRY
THAT RESULTS IN A BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT MOLECULES
AND EVENTUALLY
THE HAZE PARTICLES
THAT WE SEE
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
Narrator: SUNLIGHT RIPS INTO
THE METHANE, CARBON MONOXIDE,
AND NITROGEN MOLECULES.
IT BREAKS THEM DOWN INTO
THEIR SMALLER PARTS,
INCLUDING CARBON ATOMS.
THE CARBON ATOMS
THEN LINK TOGETHER
TO FORM SOLID PARTICLES.
SCIENTISTS CALL THESE HAZE
PARTICLES ORGANIC MOLECULES.
SARAH'S ORGANIC MOLECULES
TURN OUT TO BE A DEEP, DARK RED.
Horst: THE SOLID MATERIAL
THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED,
LIKE WE SEE HERE IN THIS VIAL,
IS SOMETHING THAT
WE CALL "THOLIN,"
WHICH IS JUST A CATCH-ALL TERM
FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS A BUNCH
OF COMPLICATED
ORGANIC MOLECULES IN IT.
ONE OF THE THING'S THAT'S REALLY
EXCITING ABOUT SEEING
THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL ON PLUTO
IS THAT WE DIDN'T
NECESSARILY THINK
THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE
FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AT PLUTO,
BECAUSE IT'S SO FAR AWAY
FROM THE SUN.
THERE'S VERY LITTLE SUNLIGHT,
REQUIRED TO DRIVE THE CHEMISTRY,
THAT GETS TO PLUTO.
Narrator: SARAH'S EXPERIMENT
PROVES THAT THE SUN
DRIVES PLUTO'S WEIRD HAZES,
AND IT ALSO SHEDS LIGHT ON WHY
PLUTO IS COLDER THAN EXPECTED.
BECAUSE FOR A DISTANT WORLD
LIKE PLUTO,
ORGANIC HAZES ACT
LIKE COSMIC SUNSCREEN.
Horst: THESE PARTICLES
IN PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
DO TWO THINGS.
FIRST, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY
GOOD AT ABSORBING LIGHT
THAT'S COMING FROM THE SUN,
BUT THEY'RE ALSO REALLY GOOD
AT RADIATING THAT ENERGY
BACK TO SPACE, AND IN DOING SO,
THEY ACTUALLY ACT TO COOL
PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE OVERALL.
Narrator: SARAH'S WORK SHOWS
WHY PLUTO IS COLDER
THAN IT SHOULD BE, BUT IT ALSO
UNCOVERS A DEEPER MYSTERY --
WHY SO MUCH OF PLUTO
IS STAINED RED.
AS THE SUN CONTINUES
TO BUILD HAZE PARTICLES,
THEY GROW BIGGER AND HEAVIER
UNTIL THE ATMOSPHERE CAN'T
HOLD ON TO THEM ANY LONGER.
THESE RED ORGANIC MOLECULES FALL
TOWARDS THE SURFACE OF PLUTO
WHERE THEY SETTLE, STAINING
THE ICE ITS DISTINCTIVE COLOR.
Thaller: IT'S AMAZING TO THINK
THAT THERE'S EVEN PINK SNOW,
ORGANIC SNOW,
FALLING ON PLUTO RIGHT NOW.
Narrator: PLUTO IS NOT ALONE
IN HAVING UNUSUAL RED MARKINGS.
NEW HORIZONS IMAGES REVEAL
THAT PLUTO'S GIANT MOON
CHARON HAS A RED-STAINING, TOO.
UNLIKE PLUTO, WHICH IS
COVERED IN RED PATCHES,
CHARON, AT FIRST, APPEARS
TO ONLY HAVE ONE LARGE SPOT,
ON ITS NORTH POLE,
BUT THIS POSES A PROBLEM.
CHARON DOESN'T HAVE
AN ATMOSPHERE,
SO WHAT CAUSES ITS RED SPOT?
Thaller: THERE'S ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING LIKE
THE PLUTO-CHARON SYSTEM ANYWHERE
ELSE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
CHARON IS A GIANT MOON COMPARED
TO THE SIZE OF ITS PLANET,
AND THEY ORBIT VERY,
VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER,
AND IT SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING
THAT MAYBE THESE TWO WORLDS
ACTUALLY INTERACT
IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
Narrator: COULD CHARON'S
RED SPOT HAVE STARTED LIFE
ON NEARBY PLUTO?
Horst: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING
THAT WE DISCOVERED
FROM NEW HORIZONS
IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE
SOME OF THE METHANE
FROM PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
ACTUALLY ENDS UP ON CHARON.
Narrator: BUT HOW CAN CHARON
STEAL PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE.
SARAH HAS A THEORY.
SHE THINKS A SIMILAR PROCESS
HAPPENS IN HER LAB
WHEN AIR ENCOUNTERS
SOMETHING EXTREMELY COLD.
Horst: RIGHT NOW,
THIS METAL LINE IS FILLING
WITH LIQUID NITROGEN
AND BECAUSE OF THAT THE METAL
IS GETTING EXTREMELY COLD,
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE METAL
IS ACTUALLY PULLING WATER
OUT OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
AND IT'S CONDENSING
ON TO THE METAL SURFACE,
FORMING SOMETHING
KIND OF LIKE SNOW.
Narrator: MOLECULES
FROM PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
ARE SOMEHOW FREEZING OUT
ON CHARON'S CHILLY POLE,
BUT HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE
WHEN THE TWO BODIES
ARE ALMOST 12,500 MILES APART?
SCIENTISTS ARE FORCED
TO CONSIDER
AN EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITY.
AS SOLAR WIND RUSHES THROUGH THE
FAR REACHES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
IT COLLIDES WITH PLUTO'S
THIN ATMOSPHERE.
IT STRIPS AWAY THE METHANE
AND NITROGEN
AND CARRIES THEM
FROM PLUTO AS A THIN,
WISPY TAIL INTO THE PATH
OF CHARON'S ORBIT.
WHEN THE TAIL HITS CHARON'S
CHILLY POLAR REGION,
THE METHANE FREEZES OUT
AND SETTLES,
JUST LIKE WATER VAPOR CONDENSING
ON SARAH'S COLD LAB PIPES.
SUNLIGHT THEN SLAMS INTO
THIS STOLEN CARBON-RICH ICE CAP,
KICK-STARTING THE PRODUCTION
OF COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES,
AND STAINING CHARON'S POLE
A DEEP, DARK RED.
CHARON'S ACTUALLY TAKING
THE METHANE AWAY FROM PLUTO
IN THE SAME WAY
THAT THIS COLD PIPE
IS PULLING THE WATER
OUT OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
AND KEEPING IT THERE
AS LONG AS IT STAYS COLD.
Narrator: THIS IS
A STUNNING POSSIBILITY.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME ASTRONOMERS
HAVE EVER SEEN TWO WORLDS
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
SHARING AN ATMOSPHERE.
PLUTO IS LITERALLY DONATING
ITS ATMOSPHERE
TO THE SURFACE OF ITS MOON.
Howett: THE INTERACTION
BETWEEN PLUTO AND CHARON
IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE
OF HOW PLUTO
IS REWRITING OUR RULE BOOK.
Narrator: ASTRONOMERS ARE
PIECING TOGETHER PLUTO'S
TRUE NATURE, BUT THERE REMAINS
MANY UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.
CAN PLUTO'S MEGA SEASONS
HELP EXPLAIN
ITS MYSTERIOUS RIVER CHANNELS?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: NEW HORIZONS'
OBSERVATION OF PLUTO'S
ATMOSPHERE DELIVERS
AN INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY,
BUT IT ALSO PROVIDES ONE OF
THE HARDEST MYSTERIES TO SOLVE.
NEW HORIZONS SCIENTISTS SPOT
SOME STRIKING FEATURES
ON PLUTO'S SURFACE
WHICH LOOK LIKE THEY'VE BEEN
CARVED BY RAGING LIQUID.
THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF THE BIZARRE FEATURES
THAT WE SEE ON PLUTO'S SURFACE.
YOU CAN SEE THESE
LONG CHANNELS HERE.
SO THESE ARE DEEP VALLEY
NETWORKS ON PLUTO.
Narrator:
THESE VALLEYS ARE SIMILAR
TO RIVER CHANNELS
WE SEE ON EARTH,
BUT PLUTO IS THE LAST PLACE
YOU'D EXPECT TO FIND RIVERS.
PLANETS NEED THICK ATMOSPHERES
TO STOP SURFACE LIQUIDS
FROM BOILING AWAY INTO SPACE,
AND PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
IS TOO THIN.
TO PROVE THIS, WILL GRUNDY FILLS
A CHAMBER WITH METHANE GAS
AND COOLS IT TO FORM A LIQUID.
Grundy: I'M LETTING METHANE
INTO THE CELL HERE
BY BLEEDING IT
IN THROUGH THIS VALVE.
Narrator: BUT WILL KEEPS
THE PRESSURE ARTIFICIALLY HIGH.
SO WE HAVE LIQUID IN THE CELL,
BUT IT'S A PRESSURE THAT'S
MUCH HIGHER THAN
THE SURFACE PRESSURE ON PLUTO,
SO WE'LL DROP THE PRESSURE
TO PLUTO'S SURFACE PRESSURE
AND SEE IF THIS LIQUID
IS STABLE.
Narrator: AS WILL DROPS
THE PRESSURE TO PLUTO LEVELS,
THE STILL-COLD LIQUID
BEGINS TO BOIL AWAY.
SO, IF YOU TAKE ANY OF THE ICES
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT
ON THE SURFACE OF PLUTO
AND MELT THEM INDIVIDUALLY,
THEY'LL FORM A LIQUID,
BUT THAT LIQUID WILL NOT BE
STABLE AT THE LOW PRESSURES
THAT ARE PREVALENT
ON THE SURFACE OF PLUTO.
Narrator: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR
PLUTO'S CURRENT ATMOSPHERE
TO SUPPORT LIQUIDS
ON THE SURFACE,
SO HOW DID THE CHANNELS
GET THERE?
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AT SOME TIME
IN THE ANCIENT PAST,
PLUTO HAD A MUCH
THICKER ATMOSPHERE
AND MUCH WARMER LIQUIDS
COULD'VE FLOWED
ACROSS THE SURFACE.
Narrator: PLUTO'S LONG SEASONS
MAY TRIGGER A DRAMATIC CHANGE
IN ITS ATMOSPHERE.
Grundy: PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE
VARIES WITH THE SEASONS,
AND IT VARIES QUITE A BIT,
UNLIKE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
WHICH IS PRETTY CONSTANT.
Narrator: PLUTO HAS
AN EXTREME ELLIPTICAL ORBIT
AND A HUGE 120-DEGREE TILT.
THIS MEANS THAT AS PLUTO
TRAVELS AROUND THE SUN,
THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT
HITTING THE SURFACE CHANGES
DRAMATICALLY AT DIFFERENT
STAGES OF PLUTO'S ORBIT.
THIS CAUSES MASSIVE
TEMPERATURE SWINGS.
DURING THE SUMMER,
SUNLIGHT HEATS THE ICE.
THE VAPORIZING ICE FEEDS
THE ATMOSPHERE,
MAKING IT A LITTLE BIT THICKER,
BUT NOT THICK ENOUGH
TO SUPPORT RIVERS.
THEN, JUST ONCE
EVERY 3 MILLION YEARS,
SOMETHING SPECTACULAR HAPPENS.
PLUTO'S TILT AND ORBIT ALIGN TO
CREATE A SERIES OF MEGA SUMMERS.
IF IT'S POINTING POLE ON TO THE
SUN, IT'S JUST GETTING COOKED,
AND IF THAT HAPPENS
TO COINCIDE WITH
WHEN PLUTO IS AT ITS CLOSEST
TO THE SUN,
IT'S REALLY GETTING COOKED.
Narrator: THE CONSTANT BARRAGE
OF SUNLIGHT HEATS THE SURFACE
ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM
THE DWARF PLANET.
AS PLUTO MOVES
INTO ITS MEGA-SUMMER CYCLE,
SUNLIGHT COOKS THE SURFACE.
NITROGEN ICE EVAPORATES
IN THE NEWFOUND WARMTH,
MAKING THE ATMOSPHERE SO THICK,
EXOTIC MIXTURES OF ICES
ON THE SURFACE BEGIN TO MELT
AND RIVERS START TO FLOW,
CARVING DEEP CHANNELS
INTO THE SURFACE.
WHEN SUMMER FADES,
THE ATMOSPHERE THINS
AND THE RIVERS BOIL AWAY,
LEAVING THE EMPTY
CHANNELS BEHIND.
♪♪
Howett: IT ALL POINTS TO THE
IDEA THAT MAYBE THE TEMPERATURES
AND PRESSURES WERE HIGH ENOUGH
TO SUPPORT A LIQUID
ON THE SURFACE,
AND THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
PLUTO IS COLD AND A LONG WAY
FROM THE SUN --
THE IDEA THAT LIQUID COULD'VE
EVER BEEN ON ITS SURFACE
IS JUST MIND-BOGGLING.
Narrator: PERHAPS IN
A FEW MILLION YEARS,
WHEN THE NEXT MEGA-SUMMER
CYCLE KICKS IN,
FUTURE GENERATIONS
OF PLANETARY EXPLORERS
WILL FIND A WORLD
WITH VALLEYS FILLED
WITH FLOWING LIQUID ONCE MORE.
THE NEW HORIZONS SPACE PROBE
REVEALS HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES
OF PLUTO FOR THE FIRST TIME.
NOW, AFTER YEARS OF RESEARCH,
SCIENTISTS ARE COMING
TO SOME REMARKABLE CONCLUSIONS,
BUT THIS INCREDIBLE LITTLE
SPACECRAFT ISN'T DONE YET.
SCIENTISTS KNOW
THAT PLUTO ISN'T ALONE,
IT'S PART OF VAST
NUMBER OF ICY BODIES
THAT SURROUND THE SOLAR SYSTEM
KNOWN AS THE KUIPER BELT.
AS NEW HORIZONS SPEEDS
PAST PLUTO,
IT SETS ITS GAZE
ON THESE NEW TARGETS.
COULD PLUTO'S ICY COMPANIONS
REVEAL MORE SECRETS
ABOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM?
♪♪
♪♪
Narrator: NEW HORIZONS
SAILS PAST PLUTO
AT OVER 32,000 MILES PER HOUR.
IT VENTURES DEEP INTO
PLUTO'S BACKYARD,
A MYSTERIOUS REGION
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
KNOWN AS THE KUIPER BELT.
THE KUIPER BELT
IS A BAND OF MATERIAL
THAT SURROUNDS THE PLANETS,
FILLED WITH GIANT ICY COMETS
AND OTHER DWARF PLANETS
SIMILAR TO PLUTO.
WE ONLY KNOW IT EXISTS
THANKS TO FAINT DOTS OF LIGHT
SEEN FROM EARTH'S
MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPES.
Olkin: ALL THESE SMALL ICY
BODIES COMPOSE THE KUIPER BELT.
WHEN I WAS A KID IN SCHOOL,
WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
ANY OF THESE EXISTED
EXCEPT FOR PLUTO,
SO IT REALLY IS THE UNKNOWN.
Narrator: SCIENTISTS ARE
DESPERATE TO STUDY
A SMALL KUIPER BELT OBJECT
UP CLOSE,
SO WITH PLENTY OF FUEL
LEFT IN NEW HORIZONS' TANK,
ITS ENGINEERS DIVERT THE ROBOTIC
PROBE TO STUDY NEW TARGETS.
SCIENTISTS HOPE THIS MISSION
WILL HELP THEM
SOLVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE VERY EARLIEST HISTORY
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
BECAUSE THE KUIPER BELT
IS PROBABLY MADE OF
PRIMORDIAL OBJECTS, THAT MEANS
OBJECTS THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED
SINCE THE SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED,
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND
HOW OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED,
WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT
THAN BY GOING AND LOOKING
AT OBJECTS THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED
SINCE IT DID FORM?
Narrator: IN BOULDER, COLORADO,
PLANETARY SCIENTIST
ANNE VERBISCER HAS NEW HORIZONS'
NEXT TARGET IDENTIFIED.
AHEAD OF THE ENCOUNTER,
SHE NEEDS TO COLLECT
AS MUCH DATA
ABOUT THE OBJECT AS POSSIBLE
TO ENSURE THE PERFECT FLY-BY.
IT'S TOTALLY
UNEXPLORED TERRITORY,
SO WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT THIS NEXT TARGET
IS GONNA LOOK LIKE UP CLOSE.
Narrator: ANNE RELIES ON
A COSMIC COINCIDENCE
TO GET VITAL DATA
ON THE NEW OBJECT.
EACH TIME IT PASSES IN FRONT
OF BACKGROUND STAR,
THE OBJECT CASTS A FAINT SHADOW
ON THE SURFACE OF EARTH,
BRIEFLY REVEALING
ITS SIZE AND SHAPE.
THE NEXT SHADOW IS PREDICTED
TO FALL IN A FEW MONTHS' TIME.
IT'S A RARE OPPORTUNITY
ANNE'S TEAM NEEDS
TO GRAB WITH BOTH HANDS.
SO, HERE IS A MAP OF THE WORLD,
AND I CAN ILLUSTRATE
WHERE THE SHADOW
OF THE NEXT NEW HORIZONS TARGET
IS GOING TO FALL ON THE EARTH.
Narrator:
ANNE'S GREATEST CHALLENGE
IS TO ENSURE SHE HAS TELESCOPES
IN THE RIGHT PLACE
AT THE RIGHT TIME
AS THE SHADOW OF THE EVENT
RACES OVER THE EARTH.
Verbiscer: THE CURRENT
PREDICTED PATH
CROSSES THE NORTHERN PORTION
OF SOUTH AMERICA
AND MOVES OVER INTO SENEGAL,
WESTERN AFRICA,
MALI, AND ALGERIA.
Narrator: THE SHADOW IS DUE
TO RACE ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS,
SO ANNE PREPARES TO SEND
A GROUP OF TELESCOPES
TO EACH SPOT ALONG THE PATH.
SHE CAN'T AFFORD FOR BAD WEATHER
OR A TECHNICAL FAILURE
IN ONE COUNTRY TO RUIN THE DATA.
ONE OF ANNE'S MOST IMPORTANT
TASKS IS TO WORK OUT
HOW BRIGHT HORIZONS'
NEXT TARGET WILL BE.
SO, A SUCCESSFUL OBSERVATION
ON OUR NEXT EXPEDITION
WILL ALSO TELL US THE SIZE
OF THE NEXT NEW HORIZONS TARGET,
AND IF YOU KNOW THE SIZE,
THEN YOU KNOW HOW MUCH LIGHT
IS REFLECTED --
IS IT REALLY, REALLY DARK,
OR IS IT BRIGHT,
OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN?
Narrator: THIS ALLOWS HER TO
PROGRAM THE SPACECRAFT'S
CAMERA SETTINGS WELL IN ADVANCE
TO GET PERFECTLY EXPOSED IMAGES.
TWO MONTHS LATER, ANNE
AND HER TEAM ARRIVE IN SENEGAL
TO WITNESS THE BIG EVENT.
THEY SPEND A DAY SETTING UP
AND TESTING THE TELESCOPES,
AND THEN, AS NIGHT FALLS,
THEY WAIT FOR
THE MYSTERIOUS SILHOUETTE
TO PASS IN FRONT
OF THE BACKGROUND STAR.
THE MOMENT IS BRIEF, BUT EVEN
THIS TINY DIMMING
CARRIES VITAL INFORMATION
FOR ANNE TO PLAN THE PERFECT
NEW HORIZONS FLY-BY AND REVEAL
OUR FIRST EVER CLOSE-UP GLIMPSE
OF A KUIPER BELT
OBJECT BEYOND PLUTO.
THE TEAM STILL HAS WEEKS
OF ANALYSIS AHEAD OF THEM,
BUT ALREADY THEY BELIEVE THEY'VE
MADE A TANTALIZING DISCOVERY.
THIS TARGET MAY IN FACT
BE TWO OBJECTS LOCKED TOGETHER
IN A CLOSE ORBIT WITH A COMBINED
SPAN OF 18.6 MILES.
TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE
ON EARTH
TO WATCH AN OBJECT BLINK OUT
THE LIGHT OF A DISTANT STAR
FOR ONLY A SECOND OR SO
WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING.
Narrator: WHATEVER REVELATIONS
LIE AHEAD, ONE THING IS CLEAR --
THE FURTHER WE EXPLORE,
THE MORE WE LEARN
ABOUT OUR PLANETARY BACKYARD
AND OUR PLACE IN THIS COSMOS.
Thaller: WE ARE NOW
IN ONE OF THESE
GOLDEN ERAS OF EXPLORATION.
THERE ARE PARTS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
WE HAVE JUST NEVER BEEN.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT THERE CAN'T
BE HUGE MYSTERIES
WAITING OUT THERE FOR US.
Howett: NEW HORIZONS GAVE THE
SCIENCE COMMUNITY DESIRE
BUT ALSO THE CONFIDENCE TO GO
AND EXPLORE THE KUIPER BELT.
I HOPE THAT IN THE DECADES
THAT FOLLOW,
WE'LL BE BACK AND BACK
WITH A VENGEANCE.
Narrator: ONE TINY SPACECRAFT
HAS TRANSFORMED PLUTO
FROM A MYSTERIOUS DWARF PLANET
INTO AN ICONIC WORLD
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM --
WITH ICE VOLCANOES...
A SELF-HEALING HEART...
AND AN ATMOSPHERE
THAT REACHES ITS MOON...
BUT PLUTO IS JUST THE START.
AS NEW HORIZONS VENTURES ONWARDS
INTO THE NEXT FRONTIER
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
WHO KNOWS WHAT
FURTHER MYSTERIES AWAIT.
Adjusted CORNELDVD