1 00:00:26,861 --> 00:00:30,782 There are lots of promising leads for life in our solar system, 2 00:00:30,865 --> 00:00:33,285 but so far, nothing definite. 3 00:00:33,368 --> 00:00:37,956 That's why NASA and its international partners run overlapping missions. 4 00:00:38,039 --> 00:00:41,251 So they can follow as many different leads as possible. 5 00:00:41,334 --> 00:00:46,631 So maybe we need to think even bigger and look outside the solar system. 6 00:00:46,715 --> 00:00:49,009 I thought you'd never ask, Charles. 7 00:00:49,092 --> 00:00:52,888 As this map shows, the galaxy is pretty big. 8 00:01:08,278 --> 00:01:12,782 Our solar system is right about there. 9 00:01:14,451 --> 00:01:16,536 By that speck of dust? 10 00:01:17,203 --> 00:01:19,205 It is that speck of dust. 11 00:01:25,128 --> 00:01:27,297 Where are all these planets hiding? 12 00:01:27,380 --> 00:01:31,593 When you look at the night sky, all you see is space and stars. 13 00:01:31,676 --> 00:01:36,139 True, but each of those stars is a sun that might have its own planets. 14 00:01:36,806 --> 00:01:38,016 Exactly! 15 00:01:40,602 --> 00:01:42,145 Sorry about that. 16 00:01:42,229 --> 00:01:45,065 I've been working on my dramatic entrances. 17 00:01:45,899 --> 00:01:47,025 But Marcie is right. 18 00:01:47,108 --> 00:01:48,860 Every star is a sun, 19 00:01:48,944 --> 00:01:53,073 and the planets orbiting those distant suns are called exoplanets, 20 00:01:53,156 --> 00:01:55,617 or planets outside of our solar system. 21 00:01:56,201 --> 00:01:58,703 NASA has been looking for them for years. 22 00:01:58,787 --> 00:02:02,624 The search for exoplanets is one of NASA's most exciting projects. The search for exoplanets is one of NASA's most exciting projects. 23 00:02:03,208 --> 00:02:05,502 {\an8}One way we look for them is to study distant stars 24 00:02:05,585 --> 00:02:08,671 {\an8}to see if there's a little dip in their brightness. 25 00:02:09,004 --> 00:02:13,635 {\an8}That dip could indicate a planet passing by as it orbits the star. 26 00:02:13,718 --> 00:02:17,806 We can follow up with other telescopes that look for a little wobble in the light 27 00:02:17,889 --> 00:02:20,267 that could also be caused by a planet. 28 00:02:20,350 --> 00:02:21,768 When we do find a planet, 29 00:02:21,851 --> 00:02:28,775 we use very powerful space telescopes, like Hubble or the James Webb Telescope, 30 00:02:28,858 --> 00:02:30,944 to examine the planet more closely, 31 00:02:31,027 --> 00:02:33,697 to see if it might be able to support life. 32 00:02:35,657 --> 00:02:38,702 We've already recorded quite a few exoplanets. 33 00:02:38,785 --> 00:02:39,786 Have a look. 34 00:02:46,585 --> 00:02:48,461 Wow! 35 00:02:52,966 --> 00:02:57,220 Here's a planet that orbits the star once every 18 hours. 36 00:02:57,304 --> 00:03:00,849 That means a year is only 18 hours long! That means a year is only 18 hours long! 37 00:03:00,932 --> 00:03:03,268 It would be your birthday every day. 38 00:03:04,936 --> 00:03:08,023 Happy birthday to me 39 00:03:14,112 --> 00:03:16,072 Happy birthday to me 40 00:03:18,617 --> 00:03:20,785 Happy birthday to me 41 00:03:21,828 --> 00:03:23,538 Happy birthday to me 42 00:03:28,084 --> 00:03:31,796 Unfortunately, Sally, that planet is incredibly hot, 43 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,132 and the surface is made out of gas. 44 00:03:34,216 --> 00:03:36,593 Not the best spot for a birthday party. 45 00:03:36,676 --> 00:03:40,722 Oh, well, I'd probably get a stomachache from all that cake anyway. 46 00:03:41,348 --> 00:03:43,934 Here's an exoplanet that has two suns. 47 00:03:44,643 --> 00:03:47,229 Imagine how fast my garden would grow. 48 00:03:54,527 --> 00:03:58,448 Nothing beats a double sunny day and some hard work in the garden. 49 00:04:02,953 --> 00:04:04,955 I'm tired just thinking about it. 50 00:04:05,038 --> 00:04:07,249 Don't let the two suns fool you, Lucy. 51 00:04:07,332 --> 00:04:11,711 The average temperature on that planet is much too cold to grow your garden. 52 00:04:11,795 --> 00:04:14,256 Also, minor point, it has no soil. 53 00:04:16,550 --> 00:04:20,345 These exoplanets don't seem very promising so far. 54 00:04:20,428 --> 00:04:25,517 That's only two. It says here NASA has discovered over 4,000. 55 00:04:26,518 --> 00:04:27,936 4,000? 56 00:04:31,189 --> 00:04:35,902 And that's just the ones we know about. The actual number is probably closer to-- 57 00:04:35,986 --> 00:04:37,320 A jagillion? 58 00:04:38,238 --> 00:04:40,031 That's not a real number. 59 00:04:40,115 --> 00:04:41,908 More like a hundred billion. 60 00:04:43,285 --> 00:04:45,495 And that's just in the Milky Way. 61 00:04:45,579 --> 00:04:48,957 Which is one of billions and billions of galaxies! 62 00:04:54,504 --> 00:04:56,464 Billions and billions? 63 00:04:56,548 --> 00:04:59,384 Just when you think you understand the universe. 64 00:05:04,723 --> 00:05:07,475 Those are the controls for a high-powered telescope. 65 00:05:07,559 --> 00:05:09,185 Charlie Brown! 66 00:05:10,353 --> 00:05:12,355 I hope I didn't break it. 67 00:05:12,439 --> 00:05:16,151 I don't think my allowance can cover the cost of a NASA telescope. 68 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:21,364 Hang on. 69 00:05:23,742 --> 00:05:25,535 Interesting. 70 00:05:29,998 --> 00:05:32,000 I may be wrong, 71 00:05:32,083 --> 00:05:35,587 but it looks like the light from that star is dipping a bit. 72 00:05:35,670 --> 00:05:37,088 Checking coordinates. 73 00:05:37,172 --> 00:05:39,090 Beep-bop, boop-boop-boop, beep-bop-boop. 74 00:05:39,841 --> 00:05:41,635 Outstanding. 75 00:05:41,718 --> 00:05:42,928 Charlie Brown, 76 00:05:43,011 --> 00:05:47,641 I think you may have just discovered a brand-new exoplanet. 77 00:05:48,516 --> 00:05:50,143 Congratulations. 78 00:05:51,311 --> 00:05:53,271 My very own exoplanet? 79 00:05:53,772 --> 00:05:55,607 - Way to go, Charlie Brown! - Nice work. 80 00:05:55,690 --> 00:05:56,983 Awesome! Yeah! 81 00:05:57,067 --> 00:05:58,068 It's about time. 82 00:05:58,151 --> 00:06:00,403 Charlie Brown does it again. Charlie Brown does it again. 83 00:06:01,446 --> 00:06:04,241 It looks like it's almost the same size as Earth 84 00:06:04,324 --> 00:06:08,453 and about the same distance from its star as Earth's distance from the sun. 85 00:06:08,536 --> 00:06:12,040 That means it could be a perfect planet for life to exist. 86 00:06:12,582 --> 00:06:14,334 A perfect planet? 87 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,426 Are all those valentines for you, big brother? 88 00:06:23,510 --> 00:06:27,222 There's even one from The Little Red-Haired Girl. 89 00:06:27,514 --> 00:06:32,936 Before we start, I just want to say how much I appreciate you, Charlie Brown. 90 00:06:33,019 --> 00:06:34,354 No charge today. 91 00:06:37,857 --> 00:06:41,695 Say what you will about Charlie Brown, he knows how to fly a kite. 92 00:06:44,072 --> 00:06:46,700 Strike three! You're out! 93 00:06:46,783 --> 00:06:50,829 Wow, you pitched a perfect game, Charlie Brown. 94 00:06:50,912 --> 00:06:52,289 We won! 95 00:06:52,372 --> 00:06:54,791 Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown. 96 00:06:54,874 --> 00:06:57,210 Charlie Brown! 97 00:07:00,463 --> 00:07:04,426 I mean, wow, an exoplanet. 98 00:07:04,509 --> 00:07:06,136 How soon can we get there? 99 00:07:06,219 --> 00:07:09,556 Get there? It would take hundreds of years. 100 00:07:09,639 --> 00:07:11,349 Entire generations. 101 00:07:11,850 --> 00:07:15,145 It's a terrific discovery, Charlie Brown, 102 00:07:15,228 --> 00:07:19,065 but going there is pretty much impossible with today's technology. 103 00:07:19,149 --> 00:07:20,150 Rats. 104 00:07:39,336 --> 00:07:40,629 Hey! 105 00:07:41,630 --> 00:07:44,132 Has anyone seen my map of the galaxy? 106 00:07:44,758 --> 00:07:46,968 How do you lose a whole galaxy?