1 00:00:17,519 --> 00:00:20,689 We've made a major breakthrough in our search for life. 2 00:00:20,772 --> 00:00:22,190 Because of Charlie Brown, 3 00:00:22,274 --> 00:00:25,694 we've discovered an asteroid passing through our solar system. 4 00:00:25,777 --> 00:00:27,696 Sorry, everyone. 5 00:00:27,779 --> 00:00:30,323 We're thanking you, you blockhead! 6 00:00:31,366 --> 00:00:33,285 In that case, you're welcome. 7 00:00:33,368 --> 00:00:36,788 Everything in our solar system orbits in one direction, 8 00:00:36,871 --> 00:00:40,917 but Franklin noticed this asteroid is moving the opposite way. 9 00:00:41,001 --> 00:00:46,131 And that means it must have come from a different solar system, 10 00:00:46,214 --> 00:00:49,134 which makes it an interstellar traveler. 11 00:00:49,217 --> 00:00:53,054 {\an8}This is not the kind of interstellar traveler I signed up for. 12 00:00:53,138 --> 00:00:54,931 {\an8}Where are the blobby green aliens? 13 00:00:55,015 --> 00:00:57,767 {\an8}Where are the flying saucers? Where are the special effects? 14 00:00:58,977 --> 00:01:01,146 This isn't science fiction, Lucy. This isn't science fiction, Lucy. 15 00:01:01,229 --> 00:01:03,148 It's even better! 16 00:01:03,231 --> 00:01:04,858 For untold epochs, 17 00:01:04,940 --> 00:01:08,862 this asteroid roamed the stars on a great celestial journey. 18 00:01:08,945 --> 00:01:12,949 Of the billions of solar systems it could have passed through, 19 00:01:13,033 --> 00:01:15,577 what are the odds it would arrive in ours? 20 00:01:16,745 --> 00:01:20,081 {\an8}When you put it that way, I guess it is kind of exciting. 21 00:01:21,124 --> 00:01:22,667 For a rock. 22 00:01:22,751 --> 00:01:24,252 Kind of? 23 00:01:24,336 --> 00:01:26,338 This is incredible! 24 00:01:26,421 --> 00:01:30,759 For years, NASA has been hoping to find an interstellar traveler 25 00:01:30,842 --> 00:01:34,262 because they could teach us so much about faraway planets. 26 00:01:34,346 --> 00:01:35,639 Billions of years ago, 27 00:01:35,722 --> 00:01:40,560 the sun's gravitational pull made bits of dust collide into each other, 28 00:01:40,644 --> 00:01:42,270 like making a snowball. 29 00:01:42,354 --> 00:01:47,484 Some of those bits got bigger and bigger until they formed the planets, 30 00:01:47,567 --> 00:01:51,321 while the smaller leftover bits became the asteroids. 31 00:01:51,404 --> 00:01:54,282 Because asteroids aren't protected by an atmosphere, 32 00:01:54,366 --> 00:01:58,370 they don't have wind or rain or storms to change them, 33 00:01:58,453 --> 00:02:02,290 which means they've been preserved since they were formed. which means they've been preserved since they were formed. 34 00:02:02,374 --> 00:02:05,710 So, if we were able to look at one up close, 35 00:02:05,794 --> 00:02:09,965 it could teach us about the materials present billions of years ago 36 00:02:10,048 --> 00:02:12,050 that allowed the planets to form. 37 00:02:12,133 --> 00:02:15,845 We also believe that asteroids contain the building blocks of life. 38 00:02:15,929 --> 00:02:21,393 So, this asteroid might even give us important clues about how life began. 39 00:02:21,476 --> 00:02:24,646 {\an8}All that thanks to Charlie Brown? 40 00:02:24,729 --> 00:02:27,023 {\an8}What's the galaxy coming to? 41 00:02:27,107 --> 00:02:30,902 Wait. If we were able to capture the interstellar traveler, 42 00:02:30,986 --> 00:02:34,614 it could have material on it that tells us whether life exists somewhere else. 43 00:02:34,698 --> 00:02:36,283 Wow! 44 00:02:36,366 --> 00:02:40,161 That's right. It would be an amazing breakthrough. 45 00:02:40,245 --> 00:02:42,747 Well, what are we waiting for? 46 00:02:42,831 --> 00:02:44,958 Let's snag us an asteroid. 47 00:02:49,087 --> 00:02:51,464 I love your enthusiasm, gang. 48 00:02:51,548 --> 00:02:56,094 But catching an asteroid would be extremely difficult. 49 00:02:56,177 --> 00:02:58,638 We'll just have to come up with a plan. 50 00:02:58,722 --> 00:03:01,433 Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. 51 00:03:01,516 --> 00:03:05,562 Whoops. Looks like I need a quick reboot to clear some computer cobwebs. 52 00:03:05,645 --> 00:03:08,398 This won't take long. Good luck, gang. 53 00:03:26,499 --> 00:03:27,500 I know! 54 00:03:27,584 --> 00:03:31,213 When I wanna catch butterflies, I use a butterfly net. 55 00:03:31,296 --> 00:03:33,882 Okay. That's a good start. 56 00:03:37,928 --> 00:03:42,182 Unfortunately, it seems this asteroid is much too big for a net. 57 00:03:48,897 --> 00:03:51,691 Okay, so maybe not a net. 58 00:03:51,775 --> 00:03:55,362 - What are other ways to catch something? - I've got it. 59 00:03:55,445 --> 00:03:58,823 When cowboys wanna catch something, they use a lasso. 60 00:04:02,661 --> 00:04:03,870 Yeehaw! 61 00:04:06,957 --> 00:04:08,250 Great idea. 62 00:04:11,878 --> 00:04:16,507 Even for a very skilled cowboy, the asteroid would be way too fast. 63 00:04:18,759 --> 00:04:20,262 Yeehaw! 64 00:04:23,181 --> 00:04:27,143 I think I'd be more comfortable with a different approach. 65 00:04:27,227 --> 00:04:30,605 Okay, not that either. What else? 66 00:04:30,689 --> 00:04:32,399 Everyone loves fishing. 67 00:04:32,482 --> 00:04:35,902 If you can catch a fish, maybe you can catch an asteroid. 68 00:04:35,986 --> 00:04:38,196 Sure. Let's give it a shot. 69 00:05:34,252 --> 00:05:37,088 {\an8}Nets? Lassos? Fishing poles? 70 00:05:37,172 --> 00:05:39,591 {\an8}None of these silly ideas will ever work. 71 00:05:41,218 --> 00:05:43,511 You might be surprised, Lucy. 72 00:05:43,595 --> 00:05:47,265 All the methods NASA uses started out as ideas. 73 00:05:47,349 --> 00:05:49,601 Even ones we take for granted today, 74 00:05:49,684 --> 00:05:52,062 like safely landing people on the moon 75 00:05:52,896 --> 00:05:56,191 or using robots to explore distant space. 76 00:05:56,816 --> 00:06:01,988 Good scientific practice involves testing many different theoretical solutions, Good scientific practice involves testing many different theoretical solutions, 77 00:06:02,072 --> 00:06:04,866 no matter how wild they might seem at the time. 78 00:06:48,034 --> 00:06:49,327 Hey! 79 00:07:04,050 --> 00:07:06,595 Of course! That's it. 80 00:07:06,678 --> 00:07:09,431 If we could send a craft to orbit the asteroid, 81 00:07:09,514 --> 00:07:13,184 then we could use the grabbing action of a robot arm to get a sample. 82 00:07:13,268 --> 00:07:16,938 We don't need the whole asteroid. We could study a piece of it. 83 00:07:17,022 --> 00:07:19,190 That's a great idea, Franklin. 84 00:07:19,816 --> 00:07:20,859 Really? 85 00:07:20,942 --> 00:07:23,987 It'll take some time to organize the logistics, 86 00:07:24,070 --> 00:07:27,824 but I'd say you've come up with a fantastic plan. 87 00:07:27,908 --> 00:07:31,202 NASA will definitely be putting this mission into place. 88 00:07:31,286 --> 00:07:34,039 What a terrific way to end the day. 89 00:07:34,122 --> 00:07:35,707 Yeehaw! 90 00:07:38,418 --> 00:07:40,462 Thanks for the idea, Snoopy.