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NEIL deGRASSE TYSON:
In 1930, a farm boy with
a passion for the universe
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notices a tiny dot moving
across the night sky.
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He discovers Pluto,
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four billion miles from the sun
and cloaked in darkness.
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Pluto is a mystery.
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Our best images are nothing more
than a blur.
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And many scientists are arguing
over whether it's even a planet.
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When we fly our
spaceship to Pluto,
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we'll arrive at a round world.
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I'm able to use the word "world"
if you like, but planet?
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TYSON:
The scientific debate over Pluto
has even caused a media frenzy.
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I'm sorry, I thought planets
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might be one of the constants
in life.
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TYSON:
Pluto lovers of America have
taken to the streets.
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Pluto forever!
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TYSON:
What is Pluto?
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A new mission to the far reaches
of the solar system
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promises to answer this question
and more.
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It's true first-time
exploration.
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Pluto is going to be completely
revealed in all of its glory.
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TYSON:
Join me, Neil deGrasse Tyson,
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on a journey to explore
America's favorite planet.
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ALL:
Hi!
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TYSON:
And find out why some people are
blaming Pluto's problems on me.
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So, how do you feel
about Pluto, Dr. Tyson?
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TYSON:
These are "The Pluto Files,"
next on NOVA.
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Major funding for NOVA
is provided by the following...
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TYSON:
JOFor more than 75 years, theng
great stage of our solar system
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had a familiar cast
of characters,
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nine players in all.
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We even memorized their names.
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Mercury, Venus, Earth
and Mars...
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the rocky planets.
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Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
and Neptune...
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those gas giants.
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And all the way out to the very
edge of our solar system,
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perhaps the most popular
player of all,
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a lonely little misfit,
planet Pluto.
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But recently Pluto lost
its starring role,
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and some folks are blaming
that on me.
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I, Neil deGrasse Tyson, director
of the Hayden Planetarium,
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in New York City, have been
accused of being...
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a Pluto hater.
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Back in 2000, when my colleagues
and I were designing this place,
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instead of exhibiting
Pluto here
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with planets like
Earth and Mars,
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or up there with giants like
Jupiter and Saturn,
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we decided to boldly go where
no planetarium had gone before
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and put Pluto far, far away...
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all the way downstairs
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with a group of newly discovered
icy objects
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in the outer solar system.
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If you look hard enough,
you can find it right here.
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Little did I know how much this
decision would change my life.
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My troubles began with
the astute observation
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of one young visitor.
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I can't find Pluto!
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TYSON:
Who, just my luck, was overheard
by an off-duty journalist
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from the New York Times.
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He decides this is
a great story,
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so he calls his Times colleague,
science writer Kenneth Chang,
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and he's shocked.
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CHANG:
Well, I was looking for Pluto
and I couldn't find it.
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You look everywhere, you see
eight planets, not nine.
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TYSON:
A few days later, Chang's story
hits the front page,
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right beneath George W.'s
inauguration.
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The headline reads: "Pluto's Not
a Planet? Only in New York."
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I received angry e-mails...
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and tons of letters,
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especially from pissed-off
third graders.
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BOY:
"Dear Natural History Museum,
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Pluto is my favorite planet!"
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GIRL:
"Why can't Pluto be a planet?
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"Please write back,
but not in cursive
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because I can't read
in cursive."
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MIKE NOVACEK:
I thought, "Oh, my gosh,
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"kids will probably go to this
exhibit and cry
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because Pluto's no longer
a planet."
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Could it be the final indignity
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for the farthest and smallest
planet in our solar system?
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TYSON:
Our exhibit had stirred up
a media frenzy.
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Pluto was, since 1930,
a planet--
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he had stature,
he had friends.
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You come along and say,
"Da, da, da, da, da!"
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DIANE SAWYER:
Neil deGrasse Tyson,
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you have left a void in
the universe as big as Pluto.
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I never wanted to kick Pluto
out of the solar system;
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I just wanted to group it
with its icy brethren.
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COLBERT:
Are you saying
Pluto should be
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with its own kind,
separate but equal?
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Yeah, I guess it comes out
that way, doesn't it?
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Neil deGrasse Tyson
has betrayed us.
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He has thrown his weight around
a little bit too much.
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He's not the boss of the solar
system; he's not the boss of me.
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TYSON:
If Neptune or Mercury
had been reclassified,
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I don't think anybody
would have cared.
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But the fact that it happened
to Pluto
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seems to make
all the difference.
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Pluto has a remarkable grip
on the hearts and minds
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of the American public
and the press.
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Hat.
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Even my colleagues in
astrophysics are still arguing
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over what to do with Pluto
and I don't really know why.
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But I'm determined to find out.
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This is the story of my journey.
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These are "The Pluto Files."
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My first stop took me
to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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A visit to the hallowed halls
of Harvard
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just might help me make sense
of this Pluto problem.
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Welcome to the Harvard
University...
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football field.
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I brought a few props
along with me,
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much to the surprise
of my colleagues.
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(grunts)
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Astrophysicist Brian Marsden
doesn't think Pluto is a planet,
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while planetary scientist Mark
Sykes thinks it definitely is.
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And the esteemed historian
of science, Owen Gingerich,
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is looking for
the middle ground.
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SYKES:
Okay, Neil, what
are we doing here?
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We're making a scale model
of the solar system
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right here on this playing
field, so grab one of these.
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Let's do it.
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And let's do it.
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TYSON:
To evaluate Pluto's
planetary status,
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we need to take a closer look
at how it compares
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with the heavy hitters
on the solar system team.
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The planets are millions,
even billions, of miles apart,
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so this scale model can't
accurately depict their distance
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from one another.
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But it can show their
relative size.
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If this eight-foot balloon
represents our sun,
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how does Pluto size up against
the rest of the team?
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Let's find out.
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TYSON:
Mark, first up...
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Mercury.
Mercury.
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Represented
by a bead.
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In correct size
relative to the sun.
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Here we go.
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TYSON:
Miniscule Mercury may be small,
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but its diameter is still twice
as big as puny Pluto's.
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Next up, Venus--
you have the honor.
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Thank you.
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TYSON:
Venus, represented by
this tiny rubber ball,
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has a diameter five times
as big as Pluto.
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Earth.
Earth.
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TYSON:
Earth, the big blue marble,
is six times as wide as Pluto.
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Earth and Venus were
about an inch;
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Mars would be
about a half inch--
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00:08:16,930 --> 00:08:20,198
the sizes of these gumdrops,
relative to the sun.
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TYSON:
But it still trounces Pluto
three to one.
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Jupiter.
Jupiter.
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King of the planets.
King of the planets.
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You have the honor.
There you go.
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TYSON:
The largest planet,
King Jupiter,
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represented by a schoolyard
kickball,
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is a whopping 62 times as wide
as pipsqueak Pluto.
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Saturn.
Saturn.
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The size of
a bowling ball
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relative to the sun.
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TYSON:
Pluto doesn't fare much better
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against my favorite planet,
Saturn,
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or its next-door neighbor.
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Uranus.
Uranus.
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Represented
by a bocce ball.
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You ever play bocce?
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No, I've never
played bocce.
Neither have I.
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(both laugh)
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TYSON:
It would take 22 Plutos
on a chain
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to equal the diameter
of one Uranus.
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Croquet, anyone?
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What do you have now?
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Neptune.
Neptune.
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Why don't you
have the honor?
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TYSON:
Big blue Neptune is 21 times
as wide as Pluto.
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Last and least?
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And not least.
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We have Pluto.
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Represented by
a ball bearing
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removed from
a roller skate.
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Ah.
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Sometimes the most
valuable things
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are in the
smallest packages.
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There you go.
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Excellent.
Pluto.
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TYSON:
Pluto's diameter is just under
1,500 miles.
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In fact, if it ever decided
to visit America,
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it would stretch only
from California to Kansas.
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No matter how you look at it,
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Pluto makes a scrawny
little planet.
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Pluto's really puny, right?
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But so is Mercury.
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Pluto's a lot punier--
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1/20th the mass of Mercury.
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Of Mercury.
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00:10:00,133 --> 00:10:01,266
GINGERICH:
That's less than
the mass of the moon.
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00:10:01,335 --> 00:10:03,868
Touchdown right there.
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00:10:03,937 --> 00:10:05,904
(laughing)
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00:10:05,973 --> 00:10:08,840
TYSON:
If we were to keep score
of Pluto's oddball traits
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00:10:08,909 --> 00:10:11,209
versus its planetlike
characteristics,
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00:10:11,278 --> 00:10:13,511
how would it add up?
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00:10:13,580 --> 00:10:17,749
Brian thinks Pluto's puny size
disqualifies it
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00:10:17,818 --> 00:10:19,851
from the planet team.
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00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,921
So he gives one touchdown and,
of course, the extra point,
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00:10:22,990 --> 00:10:24,489
to Pluto the oddball.
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00:10:24,558 --> 00:10:25,624
This is ridiculous.
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00:10:25,692 --> 00:10:27,092
MARSDEN:
It's not ridiculous.
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00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:28,259
TYSON:
Mark disagrees.
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00:10:28,328 --> 00:10:31,563
For him, size is less important
than shape.
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00:10:31,632 --> 00:10:36,768
Pluto, like every player
on our planet team, is round
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and not potato-shaped
like nearly all asteroids.
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00:10:40,974 --> 00:10:44,376
This sequence of images taken
by the Hubble Space Telescope,
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00:10:44,444 --> 00:10:48,613
shows Pluto as a sphere
with a textured surface.
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00:10:48,682 --> 00:10:50,215
SYKES:
When we fly our spaceship
to Pluto,
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00:10:50,283 --> 00:10:54,152
we will arrive at a round world
that has an atmosphere,
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00:10:54,221 --> 00:10:56,655
that has bright and dark areas
on the surface.
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00:10:56,723 --> 00:10:59,324
And it will look
much more like
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00:10:59,393 --> 00:11:01,259
objects we call planets
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00:11:01,328 --> 00:11:04,062
than these little irregular
inert objects we call asteroids.
219
00:11:04,131 --> 00:11:06,431
So, roundness...
you give it a full touchdown.
220
00:11:06,500 --> 00:11:07,232
Yeah.
221
00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:08,633
Two touchdowns.
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00:11:08,702 --> 00:11:10,769
(all laughing)
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00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:14,873
TYSON:
But then again...
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00:11:14,941 --> 00:11:18,243
We all know Pluto's got
this really weird orbit.
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First of all, it's tipped.
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The most tipped orbit.
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What's that worth to you?
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MARSDEN:
Not too much.
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A field goal;
not quite a touchdown.
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That isn't really the problem.
231
00:11:30,090 --> 00:11:32,257
I think the problem was crossing
the orbit of Neptune.
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00:11:32,325 --> 00:11:36,828
TYSON:
Pluto's orbit isn't just tipped,
it's highly elliptical--
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not nearly circular
like other planets--
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00:11:39,833 --> 00:11:41,800
which actually forces Pluto
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00:11:41,868 --> 00:11:43,935
to cross the orbit
of another planet.
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That's bad.
237
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That is really bad.
Nobody else does that.
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There you go,
touchdown right there.
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Another seven points
for the oddball team.
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One way you might
define a planet
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00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,346
is that it ought
to have a moon,
242
00:11:55,415 --> 00:11:56,581
but of course Mercury and
Venus don't have moons.
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00:11:56,650 --> 00:11:58,717
And guess what?
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00:11:58,785 --> 00:12:00,719
Tiny little Pluto does.
245
00:12:00,787 --> 00:12:03,221
In fact, it has three.
246
00:12:03,290 --> 00:12:07,158
One of those moons, Charon, is
so large compared with Pluto
247
00:12:07,227 --> 00:12:11,196
that they both orbit a point
in space in between them.
248
00:12:11,264 --> 00:12:15,033
Which might make you wonder,
which one is the planet?
249
00:12:16,870 --> 00:12:21,673
The idea of planets orbiting
planets isn't really so foreign.
250
00:12:21,742 --> 00:12:23,708
We see many double stars
out there
251
00:12:23,777 --> 00:12:25,310
and we see galaxies orbiting
galaxies.
252
00:12:25,378 --> 00:12:28,880
The solar system is
such a complicated place,
253
00:12:28,949 --> 00:12:31,149
it's very important
to understand
254
00:12:31,218 --> 00:12:33,284
there is this richness
out there.
255
00:12:33,353 --> 00:12:34,986
So, Brian, if we go there
256
00:12:35,055 --> 00:12:38,389
and we find out Pluto
has mountains or craters
257
00:12:38,458 --> 00:12:40,258
or an atmosphere,
258
00:12:40,327 --> 00:12:42,627
it's got world properties
that match other objects
259
00:12:42,696 --> 00:12:44,095
we are happy to call planets.
260
00:12:44,164 --> 00:12:49,501
I'm able to use the word "world"
if you like, but "planet"?
261
00:12:49,569 --> 00:12:51,770
TYSON:
So, then, what is Pluto?
262
00:12:54,441 --> 00:12:56,841
Four billion miles from the sun,
263
00:12:56,910 --> 00:12:59,477
our best images of Pluto
and its moons
264
00:12:59,546 --> 00:13:02,013
are nothing more than a blur.
265
00:13:02,082 --> 00:13:05,316
By analyzing the light reflected
from Pluto's surface,
266
00:13:05,385 --> 00:13:07,952
planetary scientists think
that a day on Pluto
267
00:13:08,021 --> 00:13:10,555
might look like this:
268
00:13:10,624 --> 00:13:13,992
an icy, frosty winter's night
in the Arctic;
269
00:13:14,060 --> 00:13:17,829
the sun a tiny pinpoint
in a pitch-black sky;
270
00:13:17,898 --> 00:13:21,533
wispy clouds and fog
visible on the horizon;
271
00:13:21,601 --> 00:13:26,938
the temperature about 300
degrees below zero.
272
00:13:27,007 --> 00:13:29,674
No spacecraft has yet
visited Pluto.
273
00:13:29,743 --> 00:13:33,344
Until one does,
it will remain a mystery.
274
00:13:33,413 --> 00:13:35,280
Both of you are wrong.
275
00:13:35,348 --> 00:13:38,149
And no scoreboard today is going
to change that.
276
00:13:38,218 --> 00:13:39,884
(explosion)
277
00:13:39,953 --> 00:13:42,086
It was time for me to take
a closer look
278
00:13:42,155 --> 00:13:43,855
at why an oddball like Pluto
279
00:13:43,924 --> 00:13:46,758
was considered a planet
in the first place.
280
00:13:50,297 --> 00:13:53,298
It's a tale that begins
back in 1894
281
00:13:53,366 --> 00:13:56,901
when a New England aristocrat
by the name of Percival Lowell
282
00:13:56,970 --> 00:14:00,638
built a private observatory
near Flagstaff, Arizona,
283
00:14:00,707 --> 00:14:06,711
with one goal in mind:
to find life on Mars.
284
00:14:09,082 --> 00:14:11,115
After years of searching
in vain,
285
00:14:11,184 --> 00:14:14,018
Lowell turned his attention
to an unsolved mystery:
286
00:14:14,087 --> 00:14:16,154
the hunt for a distant planet
287
00:14:16,223 --> 00:14:18,456
whose gravity seemed to be
causing disturbances
288
00:14:18,525 --> 00:14:21,226
in Neptune's orbit.
289
00:14:21,294 --> 00:14:24,596
He called this hypothetical
object Planet X.
290
00:14:24,664 --> 00:14:27,265
Lowell spent the rest of his
life trying to find it
291
00:14:27,334 --> 00:14:29,300
but never did.
292
00:14:31,338 --> 00:14:32,871
After his death,
293
00:14:32,939 --> 00:14:36,174
the task was given to the
unlikeliest of planet hunters,
294
00:14:36,243 --> 00:14:41,179
a self-educated farm boy who
attended a one-room schoolhouse.
295
00:14:41,248 --> 00:14:43,648
Clyde Tombaugh's first job
in astronomy
296
00:14:43,717 --> 00:14:45,884
included cleaning telescopes
and sweeping up
297
00:14:45,952 --> 00:14:48,753
at the Lowell Observatory.
298
00:14:48,822 --> 00:14:50,822
He spent the rest
of his time searching
299
00:14:50,891 --> 00:14:52,891
for the mysterious Planet X.
300
00:14:55,662 --> 00:14:58,129
Every few nights he placed
a photosensitive glass plate
301
00:14:58,198 --> 00:15:00,331
on the telescope,
302
00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,600
securing it so it would
not shift.
303
00:15:04,304 --> 00:15:08,806
Then he exposed the plate
for two hours to the universe.
304
00:15:10,143 --> 00:15:13,311
During that time the motorized
telescope slowly moved
305
00:15:13,380 --> 00:15:16,347
to compensate for Earth's
rotation.
306
00:15:18,752 --> 00:15:21,085
Several days later
he'd retrace his steps,
307
00:15:21,154 --> 00:15:23,454
taking pictures of the same
section of the sky
308
00:15:23,523 --> 00:15:25,990
he had photographed earlier.
309
00:15:26,059 --> 00:15:29,794
Then, using an ingenious device
called a blink comparator,
310
00:15:29,863 --> 00:15:32,597
Clyde Tombaugh aligned
the two images
311
00:15:32,666 --> 00:15:34,799
to carefully examine
their differences.
312
00:15:37,504 --> 00:15:40,705
The blink comparator enabled him
to shift back and forth,
313
00:15:40,774 --> 00:15:43,474
searching for the subtlest
of changes.
314
00:15:45,979 --> 00:15:49,080
Although the human eye is good
at spotting differences,
315
00:15:49,149 --> 00:15:52,383
finding a dim celestial object
billions of miles away
316
00:15:52,452 --> 00:15:54,419
was a daunting task.
317
00:15:58,191 --> 00:16:00,892
After searching
for almost a year,
318
00:16:00,961 --> 00:16:04,462
a determined Clyde finally found
a tiny dot
319
00:16:04,531 --> 00:16:07,565
slowly moving across
the night sky.
320
00:16:09,803 --> 00:16:11,336
Can you see it?
321
00:16:13,974 --> 00:16:15,273
Here it is.
322
00:16:19,846 --> 00:16:22,747
A month later the Lowell
Observatory proudly announced
323
00:16:22,816 --> 00:16:24,882
that a young assistant
had fulfilled
324
00:16:24,951 --> 00:16:27,418
Percival Lowell's dream.
325
00:16:27,487 --> 00:16:31,122
Clyde Tombaugh had finally found
Planet X.
326
00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:35,593
The day after the announcement,
327
00:16:35,662 --> 00:16:38,696
the news hit the front page
of the New York Times.
328
00:16:38,765 --> 00:16:43,001
Soon the discovery was heralded
worldwide.
329
00:16:46,039 --> 00:16:49,340
But the new planet
needed a name.
330
00:16:49,409 --> 00:16:51,976
Across the Atlantic, an
11-year-old English schoolgirl
331
00:16:52,045 --> 00:16:55,513
would come up with one.
332
00:16:55,582 --> 00:16:59,751
On March 14, 1930,
Venetia Burney's grandfather,
333
00:16:59,819 --> 00:17:02,653
a librarian at Oxford, was
reading the morning newspaper
334
00:17:02,722 --> 00:17:05,423
and came across the story.
335
00:17:05,492 --> 00:17:09,694
An American has just
discovered a new planet.
336
00:17:09,763 --> 00:17:13,464
I wonder what
they'll call it.
337
00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:17,135
TYSON:
Venetia had just finished
studying the Roman gods
338
00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:19,270
and jumped at the opportunity
to name it
339
00:17:19,339 --> 00:17:21,039
after the god of the underworld.
340
00:17:21,107 --> 00:17:22,707
They could call it Pluto.
341
00:17:22,776 --> 00:17:25,910
Pluto.
342
00:17:25,979 --> 00:17:28,246
Perhaps... yes.
343
00:17:30,150 --> 00:17:33,317
TYSON:
Her grandfather thought that was
a splendid idea,
344
00:17:33,386 --> 00:17:37,522
so he wrote a note
to the Lowell Observatory.
345
00:17:37,590 --> 00:17:39,524
The director at Lowell liked it,
346
00:17:39,592 --> 00:17:42,093
especially because Pluto's
official symbol
347
00:17:42,162 --> 00:17:45,296
would be the overlapping letters
P and L,
348
00:17:45,365 --> 00:17:48,199
the initials of the
observatory's long-gone founder,
349
00:17:48,268 --> 00:17:53,271
the man who started the search
for Planet X, Percival Lowell.
350
00:17:55,975 --> 00:17:57,975
For most Americans,
351
00:17:58,044 --> 00:18:01,879
the name "Pluto" didn't exactly
conjure up affection.
352
00:18:01,948 --> 00:18:04,549
It was associated with
a well-known laxative
353
00:18:04,617 --> 00:18:08,186
called "Pluto Water," a popular
product that promised
354
00:18:08,254 --> 00:18:12,423
"relief from constipation
in 30 minutes to two hours."
355
00:18:12,492 --> 00:18:16,894
Its slogan: "When Nature won't,
Pluto will."
356
00:18:19,666 --> 00:18:21,532
But the name would soon
get a makeover...
357
00:18:25,472 --> 00:18:27,605
And it would come
from a young animator
358
00:18:27,674 --> 00:18:31,209
by the name of Walt Disney.
359
00:18:32,779 --> 00:18:35,246
Shortly after planet Pluto
was discovered,
360
00:18:35,315 --> 00:18:37,148
the fledgling
Disney Brothers Studio
361
00:18:37,217 --> 00:18:38,649
came up with a new character...
362
00:18:38,718 --> 00:18:40,518
(barking)
363
00:18:40,587 --> 00:18:44,222
a playful bloodhound named
Pluto the Pup.
364
00:18:47,327 --> 00:18:50,027
Walt probably wasn't thinking
about constipation
365
00:18:50,096 --> 00:18:53,297
when he named Mickey's
new pal back in 1931.
366
00:18:55,502 --> 00:18:59,036
My journey would lead me south
to a magical place
367
00:18:59,105 --> 00:19:02,306
to meet with a celebrity
on a tight schedule.
368
00:19:05,345 --> 00:19:07,345
Pluto! Hey!
369
00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:12,150
It's great to see you!
370
00:19:12,218 --> 00:19:14,051
Thanks for making time
for this.
371
00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:17,021
Can we pose for a picture?
372
00:19:17,090 --> 00:19:21,092
Was Walt thinking planet
when he gave his pup a name?
373
00:19:21,161 --> 00:19:24,428
Maybe Roy Patrick Disney,
Walt's great-nephew,
374
00:19:24,497 --> 00:19:26,831
can help answer this question.
375
00:19:26,900 --> 00:19:29,534
I wonder whether Walt
jumped on the opportunity
376
00:19:29,602 --> 00:19:33,671
to name this new character
after this new cosmic object.
377
00:19:33,740 --> 00:19:35,840
Is there any evidence
for that in the archives?
378
00:19:35,909 --> 00:19:38,142
There's no direct evidence.
379
00:19:38,211 --> 00:19:40,511
There's a lot of
anecdotal evidence.
380
00:19:40,580 --> 00:19:42,914
I think it's fate;
I don't think it's an accident.
381
00:19:42,982 --> 00:19:45,349
You feel deep inside that Walt
was thinking of the planet.
382
00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:46,751
Yes.
383
00:19:46,819 --> 00:19:50,888
He was fascinated with space
and space exploration
384
00:19:50,957 --> 00:19:53,991
and Walt did four TV shows
about space
385
00:19:54,060 --> 00:19:57,995
and all of them made space
exploration and science
386
00:19:58,064 --> 00:20:00,698
accessible to kids,
including myself.
387
00:20:00,767 --> 00:20:04,335
When he did his Man in Space
series in 1956, '57,
388
00:20:04,404 --> 00:20:07,939
America wasn't committed
to a space program.
389
00:20:08,007 --> 00:20:10,374
I know for a fact that many
people who wound up
390
00:20:10,443 --> 00:20:12,710
working at NASA
were inspired to do so
391
00:20:12,779 --> 00:20:15,346
by watching those
television shows.
392
00:20:15,415 --> 00:20:18,182
He made learning fun.
393
00:20:18,251 --> 00:20:20,117
TYSON:
I am certain
Pluto the Dog
394
00:20:20,186 --> 00:20:24,055
added some kind of warm
and fuzzy feeling
395
00:20:24,123 --> 00:20:25,623
for this cosmic object.
396
00:20:25,692 --> 00:20:27,225
Cosmic objects don't
normally trigger
397
00:20:27,293 --> 00:20:28,659
warm and fuzzy feelings.
398
00:20:30,763 --> 00:20:32,763
Pluto, have you ever looked
through a telescope before?
399
00:20:32,832 --> 00:20:33,998
No?
400
00:20:34,067 --> 00:20:35,199
I brought one.
401
00:20:35,268 --> 00:20:36,400
Isn't it cool?
402
00:20:36,469 --> 00:20:38,202
Now, it's daytime,
so you can't see much,
403
00:20:38,271 --> 00:20:40,304
but let me show you
how it works.
404
00:20:40,373 --> 00:20:41,706
What do you think of that?
405
00:20:43,910 --> 00:20:45,343
Did you see something?
406
00:20:45,411 --> 00:20:46,577
You did? Try again.
407
00:20:55,421 --> 00:20:57,221
TYSON:
Whether or not Walt was thinking
about the cosmos
408
00:20:57,290 --> 00:20:58,756
when he named his dog doesn't
really matter.
409
00:20:58,825 --> 00:21:01,425
Good boy! Good dog!
410
00:21:01,494 --> 00:21:04,095
The seeds were sown for
the tiniest of planets
411
00:21:04,163 --> 00:21:07,398
to get the kind of attention
no other planet had,
412
00:21:07,467 --> 00:21:10,134
all because of this
lovable pup.
413
00:21:14,140 --> 00:21:17,008
But I shouldn't give credit
to the dog alone.
414
00:21:21,781 --> 00:21:26,217
Next stop on my journey:
Streator, Illinois...
415
00:21:32,492 --> 00:21:36,761
the hometown of Clyde Tombaugh.
416
00:21:36,829 --> 00:21:40,031
They love him so much,
Main Street is named after him.
417
00:21:42,502 --> 00:21:44,769
There's a mural
in the center of town
418
00:21:44,837 --> 00:21:47,638
that compares his discovery
of Pluto
419
00:21:47,707 --> 00:21:50,975
with the accomplishments
of Copernicus and Galileo.
420
00:21:51,044 --> 00:21:55,012
His life is chronicled
at the local historical society,
421
00:21:55,081 --> 00:21:58,382
where one of his homemade
telescopes is on display.
422
00:21:58,451 --> 00:22:02,720
There's even a plaque dedicated
to him in front of city hall.
423
00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:08,159
Clyde is a local hero.
424
00:22:08,227 --> 00:22:11,429
Just about everyone around here
can tell you his life story.
425
00:22:11,497 --> 00:22:13,931
Next victim--
I mean customer-- please.
426
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,634
(laughing)
427
00:22:16,703 --> 00:22:18,169
How you doing?
428
00:22:18,237 --> 00:22:20,104
Doing well.
429
00:22:20,173 --> 00:22:22,373
TYSON:
Right now I'm on
a pilgrimage, actually,
430
00:22:22,442 --> 00:22:23,574
to try to understand
431
00:22:23,643 --> 00:22:25,176
Clyde Tombaugh.
432
00:22:25,244 --> 00:22:26,644
Clyde Tombaugh?
433
00:22:26,713 --> 00:22:28,045
He's from Streator
and he discovered Pluto.
434
00:22:28,114 --> 00:22:30,214
TYSON:
That's what I heard.
435
00:22:30,283 --> 00:22:32,316
We're very proud of him,
very proud of him, what he did.
436
00:22:32,385 --> 00:22:34,585
TYSON:
And you learned about him
in high school?
437
00:22:34,654 --> 00:22:35,786
Elementary school.
438
00:22:35,855 --> 00:22:37,388
Third grade maybe.
439
00:22:37,457 --> 00:22:39,523
Because that's when most people
first learn about the planets.
440
00:22:39,592 --> 00:22:41,726
And then...
so, his name comes up
441
00:22:41,794 --> 00:22:42,993
and you learn
he's a local guy.
442
00:22:43,062 --> 00:22:44,628
Streator boy makes good,
so to speak.
443
00:22:44,697 --> 00:22:46,063
Back in third grade I thought,
444
00:22:46,132 --> 00:22:48,232
"Wow, that's astounding,
from Streator, found Pluto."
445
00:22:48,301 --> 00:22:49,600
TYSON:
You feel some pride.
446
00:22:49,669 --> 00:22:50,634
Oh, you bet.
447
00:22:50,703 --> 00:22:52,269
Always did.
448
00:22:52,338 --> 00:22:54,605
Always had something
to point to as far as...
449
00:22:54,674 --> 00:22:56,774
look at there, that guy,
he discovered Pluto.
450
00:22:56,843 --> 00:22:58,976
And he's from our area.
451
00:22:59,045 --> 00:23:00,945
Walt Disney named
a dog after him.
452
00:23:01,013 --> 00:23:03,647
There you go.
453
00:23:03,716 --> 00:23:07,218
So, how do you feel
about Pluto, Dr. Tyson?
454
00:23:09,188 --> 00:23:12,189
TYSON:
In the eyes of the townfolk
of Streator, Illinois,
455
00:23:12,258 --> 00:23:15,559
Tombaugh's discovery is not only
part of their history,
456
00:23:15,628 --> 00:23:19,864
it's a piece of American history
as well as world history.
457
00:23:22,034 --> 00:23:23,701
It was the ancient Greeks
who classified
458
00:23:23,770 --> 00:23:27,204
what we call the moon, the sun,
Mercury, Venus, Mars,
459
00:23:27,273 --> 00:23:29,440
Jupiter and Saturn
as planetes,
460
00:23:29,509 --> 00:23:32,209
which means "the wanderers"
in English.
461
00:23:32,278 --> 00:23:33,911
They imagined Earth as a hub
462
00:23:33,980 --> 00:23:36,614
around which these planets
revolved.
463
00:23:36,682 --> 00:23:40,684
In 1543, the Polish astronomer
Nicolaus Copernicus
464
00:23:40,753 --> 00:23:42,820
published his revolutionary idea
465
00:23:42,889 --> 00:23:45,423
that the sun did not
circle Earth
466
00:23:45,491 --> 00:23:48,793
but instead Earth and its lone
moon circles the sun,
467
00:23:48,861 --> 00:23:50,961
along with the rest
of the planets.
468
00:23:53,599 --> 00:23:57,501
By the 17th century, the Italian
astronomer Galileo Galilei
469
00:23:57,570 --> 00:24:00,738
discovered Jupiter's
four largest moons.
470
00:24:00,807 --> 00:24:03,908
Meanwhile,
Dutchman Christiaan Huygens
471
00:24:03,976 --> 00:24:06,677
identified Saturn's rings
and discovered Titan,
472
00:24:06,746 --> 00:24:08,245
its largest moon.
473
00:24:08,314 --> 00:24:11,849
Italian astronomer Giovanni
Cassini one-upped him
474
00:24:11,918 --> 00:24:14,218
when he discovered four more.
475
00:24:14,287 --> 00:24:16,720
In the 18th century,
476
00:24:16,789 --> 00:24:19,323
Englishman William Herschel
discovered Uranus,
477
00:24:19,392 --> 00:24:22,593
although he originally called
it the Georgian Star,
478
00:24:22,662 --> 00:24:25,329
after his king, George III.
479
00:24:25,398 --> 00:24:29,366
Can you imagine a planet
named George?
480
00:24:29,435 --> 00:24:30,901
The British and French
are still fighting
481
00:24:30,970 --> 00:24:33,137
over who deserves the credit
for predicting the location
482
00:24:33,206 --> 00:24:34,738
of Neptune.
483
00:24:34,807 --> 00:24:37,074
Some give the honor
to John Couch Adams,
484
00:24:37,143 --> 00:24:40,244
while others say
Urbain Le Verrier deserves it.
485
00:24:40,313 --> 00:24:41,779
But there's no doubt
486
00:24:41,848 --> 00:24:46,750
that German astronomer Johann
Gottfried Galle found it.
487
00:24:46,819 --> 00:24:49,820
The discovery of Pluto finally
added an American,
488
00:24:49,889 --> 00:24:53,090
Clyde Tombaugh, to this short
but esteemed list
489
00:24:53,159 --> 00:24:56,093
of planet hunters.
490
00:24:56,162 --> 00:24:57,761
So the folks
in Streator, Illinois,
491
00:24:57,830 --> 00:25:00,598
told me that in New Mexico there
are still some Tombaughs there.
492
00:25:02,335 --> 00:25:04,535
That's where Clyde moved
after discovering Pluto.
493
00:25:04,604 --> 00:25:06,437
Clyde's no longer with us,
494
00:25:06,506 --> 00:25:10,441
but his 97-year-old widow
and both his son and daughter
495
00:25:10,510 --> 00:25:12,109
still live there.
496
00:25:12,178 --> 00:25:14,044
So I decided I had
to check it out.
497
00:25:14,113 --> 00:25:17,114
Whoa, that's a lot of Tombaughs.
498
00:25:17,183 --> 00:25:18,115
ALL:
Hi.
499
00:25:18,184 --> 00:25:19,984
TYSON:
How many of you are there?
500
00:25:20,052 --> 00:25:22,520
(laughing)
501
00:25:22,588 --> 00:25:23,754
Hello, everyone.
502
00:25:23,823 --> 00:25:24,955
ALL:
Hi.
503
00:25:25,024 --> 00:25:27,291
Annette Tombaugh,
I'm Clyde's daughter.
504
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:28,759
What an honor,
my gosh.
505
00:25:28,828 --> 00:25:30,294
And this
is my brother....
506
00:25:30,363 --> 00:25:31,362
Neil, Al Tombaugh.
507
00:25:31,430 --> 00:25:32,396
I'm Clyde's son.
508
00:25:32,465 --> 00:25:33,531
TYSON:
Al, pleasure.
509
00:25:33,599 --> 00:25:35,132
And this is my mother,
Patricia Tombaugh.
510
00:25:35,201 --> 00:25:36,267
This is Clyde's wife.
511
00:25:36,335 --> 00:25:38,168
It is an honor,
hello.
512
00:25:38,237 --> 00:25:40,271
Yes, I've been
looking forward to this.
513
00:25:40,339 --> 00:25:42,573
That could be...
I don't know what that means.
514
00:25:42,642 --> 00:25:44,942
(all laughing)
515
00:25:45,011 --> 00:25:47,978
So, tell me about Clyde
as a person.
516
00:25:48,047 --> 00:25:50,214
He was the oldest
of six children,
517
00:25:50,283 --> 00:25:52,850
so he was born
to help on the farm.
518
00:25:52,919 --> 00:25:55,019
But he did not want
to be a farmer.
519
00:25:55,087 --> 00:25:56,453
ANNETTE:
He had not had
520
00:25:56,522 --> 00:25:57,755
the opportunity to go
to college.
521
00:25:57,823 --> 00:26:00,224
So what you're saying
522
00:26:00,293 --> 00:26:02,026
is that he
discovered Pluto
523
00:26:02,094 --> 00:26:04,695
without ever having
yet gone to college.
524
00:26:04,764 --> 00:26:06,830
No, he was straight off
e farm.
525
00:26:06,899 --> 00:26:08,632
PATRICIA:
Lowell Observatory
526
00:26:08,701 --> 00:26:14,471
wanted somebody they didn't have
to pay very much to do this job.
527
00:26:14,540 --> 00:26:16,607
What do you think they pay you
for finding a planet?
528
00:26:16,676 --> 00:26:19,677
(all laughing)
529
00:26:19,745 --> 00:26:22,012
ANNETTE:
After discovering Pluto,
530
00:26:22,081 --> 00:26:24,915
he got a college scholarship,
531
00:26:24,984 --> 00:26:28,052
which he would not have
otherwise had,
532
00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:31,155
and, of course, he was supposed
to be the big hero,
533
00:26:31,223 --> 00:26:34,625
but he didn't feel
like the big hero.
534
00:26:34,694 --> 00:26:36,794
Dad was a little embarrassed
about the fame.
535
00:26:36,862 --> 00:26:38,662
He didn't like
the limelight.
He was humble.
536
00:26:38,731 --> 00:26:40,097
Absolutely.
537
00:26:40,166 --> 00:26:43,000
So what was he like
just as a dad?
538
00:26:43,069 --> 00:26:44,435
Was he like a weird dad?
539
00:26:44,503 --> 00:26:46,370
Or did you think all dads
were like that?
540
00:26:46,439 --> 00:26:48,639
No, I knew he was
very different.
541
00:26:48,708 --> 00:26:50,407
One of the things, we did have
542
00:26:50,476 --> 00:26:53,611
his grinding barrel
to make telescopes
in the kitchen.
543
00:26:53,679 --> 00:26:55,646
This is the barrel
that grinds glass
544
00:26:55,715 --> 00:26:57,715
into the shape of a mirror.
545
00:26:57,783 --> 00:26:58,949
Right-- yes, in the kitchen.
546
00:26:59,018 --> 00:27:00,784
How mother ever put up with that
I don't know.
547
00:27:00,853 --> 00:27:03,587
We had grinding material
in our food,
548
00:27:03,656 --> 00:27:06,090
and Mother's trying to cook
549
00:27:06,158 --> 00:27:07,124
around this situation.
550
00:27:07,193 --> 00:27:08,826
Well, finally she made Daddy
551
00:27:08,894 --> 00:27:10,961
move out of the kitchen
and he got a shop.
552
00:27:11,030 --> 00:27:12,062
(laughing)
553
00:27:12,131 --> 00:27:13,564
Well, that... that's good.
554
00:27:13,633 --> 00:27:15,599
TYSON:
You mean to tell me you have
555
00:27:15,668 --> 00:27:17,101
some of Clyde's original
telescopes here?
556
00:27:19,672 --> 00:27:21,071
Whoa!
557
00:27:21,140 --> 00:27:22,940
These were
his original telescopes.
558
00:27:23,009 --> 00:27:24,942
Original telescopes
built by my Dad.
559
00:27:25,011 --> 00:27:26,210
Very hand-made.
560
00:27:26,278 --> 00:27:28,145
Built out of old
farm machinery,
561
00:27:28,214 --> 00:27:30,180
car parts and whatever
he could find.
562
00:27:30,249 --> 00:27:31,949
We'll just push it out here.
I'll help you push.
563
00:27:32,018 --> 00:27:33,417
You bet.
564
00:27:35,021 --> 00:27:37,888
So, Al, I don't recognize
any hardware on this at all.
565
00:27:37,957 --> 00:27:39,356
(chuckling)
566
00:27:39,425 --> 00:27:43,360
The tube itself is probably
part of an old grain elevator.
567
00:27:43,429 --> 00:27:44,762
How about the base?
568
00:27:44,830 --> 00:27:47,531
Well, the base is
an old cream separator.
569
00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,201
The axle is off
an early model Buick.
570
00:27:51,270 --> 00:27:53,237
So there's a Buick out
there now without an axel.
571
00:27:53,305 --> 00:27:56,073
This counterweight
was probably a flywheel
572
00:27:56,142 --> 00:27:57,975
from an early piece
of farm equipment,
573
00:27:58,044 --> 00:27:59,777
maybe even steam powered--
we're not sure.
574
00:27:59,845 --> 00:28:00,944
I see a Coke can.
575
00:28:01,013 --> 00:28:02,846
(chuckling):
I love this.
576
00:28:02,915 --> 00:28:05,916
So we got the open end of
the telescope at the top.
577
00:28:05,985 --> 00:28:10,721
And light comes down,
reflects off the curved mirror
578
00:28:10,790 --> 00:28:13,057
and light reflects back
579
00:28:13,125 --> 00:28:15,259
and comes to an eyepiece
under that Coke can.
580
00:28:15,327 --> 00:28:18,429
And if we wiggle this Coke can
a little bit like this,
581
00:28:18,497 --> 00:28:20,230
there's the eyepiece.
582
00:28:20,299 --> 00:28:23,167
We're ready to go.
There it is.
583
00:28:23,235 --> 00:28:25,502
All right, this isn't the only
telescope I see back here, Al.
584
00:28:25,571 --> 00:28:26,670
No, there's a couple others.
585
00:28:26,739 --> 00:28:28,439
Let me pull this
one out for you.
Okay.
586
00:28:31,677 --> 00:28:35,345
This has got to be the most
homemade-looking telescope
587
00:28:35,414 --> 00:28:36,547
I have ever seen.
588
00:28:36,615 --> 00:28:37,781
Is this a lawn mower?
589
00:28:37,850 --> 00:28:39,516
That is a lawn mower base.
590
00:28:39,585 --> 00:28:42,786
This is what the family has
called the grazer gazer.
591
00:28:42,855 --> 00:28:44,188
He looked at this and said,
592
00:28:44,256 --> 00:28:45,823
"It's got wheels,
got a hale.
593
00:28:45,891 --> 00:28:49,460
We need to put a telescope on
that so I can push it around."
594
00:28:49,528 --> 00:28:51,628
How to make
a portable telescope.
Absolutely.
595
00:28:51,697 --> 00:28:54,965
He built it strictly
on a utilitarian base
596
00:28:55,034 --> 00:28:57,901
out of what he had,
which was thin plywood
597
00:28:57,970 --> 00:28:59,403
and miscellaneous
pieces of wood.
598
00:28:59,472 --> 00:29:01,538
This is insane.
599
00:29:01,607 --> 00:29:02,673
This just rotates.
600
00:29:02,742 --> 00:29:04,108
Exactly.
601
00:29:04,176 --> 00:29:07,478
What impresses me is
that he didn't care
602
00:29:07,546 --> 00:29:09,046
what this thing looked like
603
00:29:09,115 --> 00:29:12,282
as long as the image of
the universe came out sharp.
604
00:29:12,351 --> 00:29:14,151
Right, aesthetics didn't
mean a whole lot.
605
00:29:14,220 --> 00:29:15,352
(both laughing)
606
00:29:20,426 --> 00:29:23,060
TYSON:
On my way out of town,
I stopped at a local church,
607
00:29:23,129 --> 00:29:25,529
where there's a tribute
to Clyde Tombaugh...
608
00:29:27,099 --> 00:29:31,001
a stained-glass window
that celebrates his life.
609
00:29:43,616 --> 00:29:47,718
How many scientists have
stained-glass windows of them?
610
00:29:49,121 --> 00:29:52,222
It's more than just
a celebration of his discovery.
611
00:29:52,291 --> 00:29:58,629
Celebration of his life
overcoming obstacles
612
00:29:58,697 --> 00:30:00,564
that would keep
most people down.
613
00:30:02,735 --> 00:30:05,235
To me that's the message here.
614
00:30:10,142 --> 00:30:11,909
After discovering Pluto,
615
00:30:11,977 --> 00:30:15,312
Clyde taught astronomy and
searched for another planet
616
00:30:15,381 --> 00:30:19,349
in the far reaches
of the solar system.
617
00:30:19,418 --> 00:30:22,786
But as hard as he
and other astronomers looked--
618
00:30:22,855 --> 00:30:25,689
and they looked hard--
619
00:30:25,758 --> 00:30:29,626
nobody found anything.
620
00:30:29,695 --> 00:30:31,595
Most abandoned the search,
621
00:30:31,664 --> 00:30:34,431
assuming there was nothing
left to find.
622
00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,201
But a few simply couldn't accept
the prevailing view
623
00:30:37,269 --> 00:30:40,204
that the solar system
ended with Pluto.
624
00:30:42,007 --> 00:30:44,241
I headed out to California
to share a burger
625
00:30:44,310 --> 00:30:46,043
with two colleagues
who were convinced
626
00:30:46,111 --> 00:30:48,212
there was something else
out there.
627
00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,214
Food's a-comin'.
628
00:30:50,282 --> 00:30:54,218
TYSON:
Mike Brown and David Jewitt.
629
00:30:54,286 --> 00:30:56,620
Back in the 1980s,
David started a search
630
00:30:56,689 --> 00:30:59,489
that would put Pluto
in a new perspective.
631
00:30:59,558 --> 00:31:01,325
TYSON:
So you start looking in
the outer solar system.
632
00:31:01,393 --> 00:31:03,293
That's kind of crazy
because everyone knew
633
00:31:03,362 --> 00:31:04,928
the solar system ended at Pluto.
634
00:31:04,997 --> 00:31:07,798
Uh, it's a little crazy,
but, you know,
635
00:31:07,867 --> 00:31:10,133
the flip side is, it didn't
seem reasonable.
636
00:31:10,202 --> 00:31:12,402
It seemed peculiar that
the outer solar system
637
00:31:12,471 --> 00:31:14,471
would be this really, really
empty place,
638
00:31:14,540 --> 00:31:16,640
compared to the inner solar
system, which we already knew
639
00:31:16,709 --> 00:31:18,942
was full of planets and comets
and asteroids
640
00:31:19,011 --> 00:31:20,244
and all sorts of stuff.
641
00:31:20,312 --> 00:31:21,879
Well, it's got to end
somewhere, why not Pluto?
642
00:31:21,947 --> 00:31:23,814
Yeah, I mean maybe,
but maybe not.
643
00:31:25,184 --> 00:31:27,684
TYSON:
Despite what felt
like impossible odds,
644
00:31:27,753 --> 00:31:31,722
David teamed up with Jane Luu,
then a graduate student,
645
00:31:31,790 --> 00:31:34,091
and they started a search
that would take a lot longer
646
00:31:34,159 --> 00:31:36,226
than either one of them
expected.
647
00:31:36,295 --> 00:31:37,728
LUU:
Why did it take so long?
648
00:31:37,796 --> 00:31:40,864
Um, it was a matter
of technology catching up
649
00:31:40,933 --> 00:31:41,965
with the problem.
650
00:31:43,569 --> 00:31:44,835
TYSON:
il's to see
distant stars
651
00:31:44,904 --> 00:31:46,904
because they radiate
their own light,
652
00:31:46,972 --> 00:31:49,840
other celestial bodies are
much harder to see.
653
00:31:49,909 --> 00:31:52,576
That's because light has to
travel all the way from our sun
654
00:31:52,645 --> 00:31:55,579
to the object,
reflect off its surface,
655
00:31:55,648 --> 00:31:58,682
and then make the long journey
back to Earth.
656
00:31:58,751 --> 00:32:01,618
By that time
it's barely visible.
657
00:32:01,687 --> 00:32:05,222
David and Jane hoped that
advances in digital detectors,
658
00:32:05,291 --> 00:32:07,591
now standard in today's cameras,
659
00:32:07,660 --> 00:32:10,427
would help them see
a whole lot more.
660
00:32:10,496 --> 00:32:13,830
That is, if there was anything
out there to discover.
661
00:32:15,301 --> 00:32:19,002
In 1992, after searching
for five years,
662
00:32:19,071 --> 00:32:21,305
they finally found something.
663
00:32:21,373 --> 00:32:23,106
JEWITT:
Here is the set
664
00:32:23,175 --> 00:32:26,043
of discovery images
for the first object.
665
00:32:26,111 --> 00:32:28,011
Obviously it's the thing
with the circle around it.
666
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,847
It didn't have a circle around
it when we discovered it,
667
00:32:30,916 --> 00:32:32,449
but it does now.
668
00:32:32,518 --> 00:32:33,951
So you can see this
object drifting
669
00:32:34,019 --> 00:32:35,852
from this picture
to this one to this one.
670
00:32:35,921 --> 00:32:37,220
It's drifting slowly
to the left.
671
00:32:37,289 --> 00:32:39,890
Whereas most
of the other objects
672
00:32:39,959 --> 00:32:42,292
are fixed, stationary bodies
in the background.
673
00:32:42,361 --> 00:32:45,762
TYSON:
When they found several more
of these slowly moving objects,
674
00:32:45,831 --> 00:32:51,301
David and Jane could finally
declare that Pluto is not alone.
675
00:32:51,370 --> 00:32:57,507
It's part of a region of the
solar system never before seen.
676
00:32:57,576 --> 00:33:00,444
David named it the Kuiper Belt
after the astronomer
677
00:33:00,512 --> 00:33:04,281
who proposed its existence
in the 1950s.
678
00:33:04,350 --> 00:33:05,749
Billions of miles wide,
679
00:33:05,818 --> 00:33:08,485
the Kuiper Belt is chock-full
of icy objects
680
00:33:08,554 --> 00:33:11,655
in wide orbits
around the distant sun.
681
00:33:11,724 --> 00:33:14,925
They're the leftovers from
the solar system's formation.
682
00:33:16,362 --> 00:33:19,296
We theorize that more than
four billion years ago,
683
00:33:19,365 --> 00:33:22,733
our solar system consisted
of bits and pieces of debris
684
00:33:22,801 --> 00:33:26,837
colliding and sticking togetr
into larger and larger chunks.
685
00:33:26,905 --> 00:33:29,006
Eventually these chunks
got big enough
686
00:33:29,074 --> 00:33:32,409
for gravity to pull them
into a nice round shape,
687
00:33:32,478 --> 00:33:34,011
forming planets.
688
00:33:34,079 --> 00:33:36,113
And as the planets got
larger and larger,
689
00:33:36,181 --> 00:33:38,849
their gravity vacuumed up
nearly all the objects
690
00:33:38,917 --> 00:33:40,951
in their path.
691
00:33:41,020 --> 00:33:42,252
But in the end
692
00:33:42,321 --> 00:33:44,888
there were still lots
of bits and pieces leftover.
693
00:33:44,957 --> 00:33:46,356
And they got flung out
694
00:33:46,425 --> 00:33:48,658
to the far reaches
of the solar system,
695
00:33:48,727 --> 00:33:51,028
where they plunged
into a deep freeze.
696
00:33:51,096 --> 00:33:53,530
The discovery
of this far-out region
697
00:33:53,599 --> 00:33:56,967
of the solar system made
many of us stop and think:
698
00:33:57,036 --> 00:33:59,636
Is Pluto really
a full-blooded planet
699
00:33:59,705 --> 00:34:02,906
or just another
Kuiper Belt leftover?
700
00:34:02,975 --> 00:34:05,909
It didn't make any sense anymore
to think of it as a planet,
701
00:34:05,978 --> 00:34:07,611
because it fits so well
702
00:34:07,679 --> 00:34:10,881
with this new population
of Kuiper Belt Objects.
703
00:34:10,949 --> 00:34:12,182
MARSDEN:
We all considered
704
00:34:12,251 --> 00:34:13,950
Pluto was strange at that time,
705
00:34:14,019 --> 00:34:16,820
but we didn't know how
to resolve this.
706
00:34:16,889 --> 00:34:19,589
TYSON:
And frankly, many of my
colleagues weren't ready
707
00:34:19,658 --> 00:34:23,126
to mess with America's
favorite planet.
708
00:34:23,195 --> 00:34:25,595
We all knew Pluto was
an icy object
709
00:34:25,664 --> 00:34:27,831
just like everything else
in the Kuiper Belt,
710
00:34:27,900 --> 00:34:31,568
but it was still the largest one
in the neighborhood.
711
00:34:31,637 --> 00:34:34,571
That is, until my other dinner
companion, Mike Brown,
712
00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:36,139
came into the picture.
713
00:34:36,208 --> 00:34:39,810
I had just finished my Ph.D. and
I was looking for something new
714
00:34:39,878 --> 00:34:42,679
to move into and this seemed
like the most obvious thing
715
00:34:42,748 --> 00:34:44,114
that anyone could start
working on.
716
00:34:44,183 --> 00:34:47,217
This was an entirely new area
of the solar system to go study.
717
00:34:47,286 --> 00:34:49,119
So it was very exciting.
718
00:34:49,188 --> 00:34:52,122
TYSON:
Mike set his sights on doing
something really big,
719
00:34:52,191 --> 00:34:55,592
finding a Kuiper Belt Object
larger than Pluto.
720
00:34:55,661 --> 00:34:56,726
BROWN:
I was determined
721
00:34:56,795 --> 00:34:58,728
that there still must be
something out there.
722
00:34:58,797 --> 00:35:00,864
I had caught the bug
of finding it.
723
00:35:00,933 --> 00:35:03,166
TYSON:
At the Palomar Observatory
in California,
724
00:35:03,235 --> 00:35:06,636
Mike had access to the largest
digital camera on Earth.
725
00:35:06,705 --> 00:35:09,473
The images were uploaded
to Mike's computer,
726
00:35:09,541 --> 00:35:11,441
where he analyzed them
every morning.
727
00:35:11,510 --> 00:35:16,613
With technology on his side, the
discoveries just kept on coming.
728
00:35:16,682 --> 00:35:18,849
BROWN:
We found Quaoar,
which is an object
729
00:35:18,917 --> 00:35:21,351
out in the Kuiper Belt that's
about half the size of Pluto.
730
00:35:21,420 --> 00:35:22,786
The next year we found something
731
00:35:22,855 --> 00:35:24,654
about three-quarters
the size of Pluto
732
00:35:24,723 --> 00:35:27,624
and the following year
we found this thing,
733
00:35:27,693 --> 00:35:32,562
and it was so bright
and also moving so slowly--
734
00:35:32,631 --> 00:35:35,298
moving so slowly
because it was so far away.
735
00:35:35,367 --> 00:35:37,701
I looked at it and I thought,
this can't be right.
736
00:35:37,769 --> 00:35:39,803
If it's that bright
and moving that slowly,
737
00:35:39,872 --> 00:35:41,671
it's the furthest thing
we've ever found
738
00:35:41,740 --> 00:35:44,007
and it's the biggest thing
we've ever found.
739
00:35:44,076 --> 00:35:46,376
It must be quite big,
certainly bigger than Pluto,
740
00:35:46,445 --> 00:35:48,211
and that's crazy.
741
00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:50,680
TYSON:
But it wasn't crazy.
742
00:35:50,749 --> 00:35:54,684
BROWN:
On the day that we publicly
announced the discovery,
743
00:35:54,753 --> 00:35:58,755
I had to make a decision
what we were going to call it.
744
00:35:58,824 --> 00:36:01,625
Is it a planet?
Is it not a planet?
745
00:36:01,693 --> 00:36:03,527
Is it the tenth planet?
746
00:36:03,595 --> 00:36:05,762
Finally I had to say,
"Okay, it's the tenth planet."
747
00:36:05,831 --> 00:36:08,198
And I will tell you when
everybody kept on calling me,
748
00:36:08,267 --> 00:36:10,667
congratulating me for
discovering the tenth planet,
749
00:36:10,736 --> 00:36:12,169
I felt fraudulent
the entire day.
750
00:36:12,237 --> 00:36:13,670
Why?
751
00:36:13,739 --> 00:36:15,705
William Herschel pointed
his telescope
752
00:36:15,774 --> 00:36:19,476
in the sky
and found Uranus-- Uranus.
753
00:36:19,545 --> 00:36:22,445
Uranus is a major part
of the solar system.
754
00:36:22,514 --> 00:36:23,914
And he found it.
755
00:36:23,982 --> 00:36:26,183
That is a pretty big deal.
756
00:36:26,251 --> 00:36:29,486
I discovered a little ice ball
out on the fringe
757
00:36:29,555 --> 00:36:31,254
and it just didn't seem
758
00:36:31,323 --> 00:36:33,924
like the same magnitude
of a discovery.
759
00:36:33,992 --> 00:36:35,392
And I had been struggling
with this for years.
760
00:36:35,460 --> 00:36:36,459
Like, what do you do
761
00:36:36,528 --> 00:36:38,228
when you finally find one
bigger than Pluto?
762
00:36:38,297 --> 00:36:39,396
I did not believe
763
00:36:39,464 --> 00:36:44,100
that astronomers had the guts
764
00:36:44,169 --> 00:36:45,435
to ever demote Pluto,
765
00:36:45,504 --> 00:36:47,337
because it's just
too publicly painful.
766
00:36:48,907 --> 00:36:51,341
TYSON:
And if tiny Pluto was a planet,
767
00:36:51,410 --> 00:36:54,477
shouldn't Mike's discovery
be one too?
768
00:36:54,546 --> 00:36:57,847
So he forged ahead, ultimately
selecting a clever name
769
00:36:57,916 --> 00:37:00,584
for his discovery:
770
00:37:00,652 --> 00:37:05,722
Eris, the Greek goddess
of discord and strife.
771
00:37:05,791 --> 00:37:08,825
Eris instilled jealousy
and envy among men,
772
00:37:08,894 --> 00:37:10,894
driving them to battle.
773
00:37:10,963 --> 00:37:14,164
Mike's choice perfectly captured
the destabilizing effect
774
00:37:14,233 --> 00:37:16,600
Eris was destined to have
on Pluto,
775
00:37:16,668 --> 00:37:18,001
although he couldn't
have guessed
776
00:37:18,070 --> 00:37:20,870
what was about to happen next.
777
00:37:20,939 --> 00:37:22,439
For the past century,
778
00:37:22,507 --> 00:37:25,475
the IAU, the International
Astronomical Union,
779
00:37:25,544 --> 00:37:28,678
has been in charge of naming
celestial objects.
780
00:37:28,747 --> 00:37:31,281
But it couldn't approve the name
of Mike's discovery
781
00:37:31,350 --> 00:37:33,617
without knowing if it was
a Kuiper Belt Object
782
00:37:33,685 --> 00:37:35,952
or the tenth planet.
783
00:37:36,021 --> 00:37:37,587
This posed a problem
784
00:37:37,656 --> 00:37:40,790
because the word "planet"
had not been formally defined
785
00:37:40,859 --> 00:37:42,926
since ancient Greece.
786
00:37:42,995 --> 00:37:45,462
Clearly our knowledge of
the solar system has expanded
787
00:37:45,530 --> 00:37:46,930
since then.
788
00:37:46,999 --> 00:37:48,365
So committees were assembled
789
00:37:48,433 --> 00:37:50,533
to come up
with a new definition,
790
00:37:50,602 --> 00:37:53,570
the last of which was headed
by my friend from Harvard,
791
00:37:53,639 --> 00:37:55,005
Owen Gingerich.
792
00:37:55,073 --> 00:37:59,109
So what we proposed was
that planets should be round
793
00:37:59,177 --> 00:38:02,145
and going around the sun.
794
00:38:02,214 --> 00:38:03,947
So, massive enough for
the gravity to shape them
795
00:38:04,016 --> 00:38:05,115
into a nice round form.
796
00:38:05,183 --> 00:38:06,650
That's right.
797
00:38:06,718 --> 00:38:10,754
TYSON:
Under this definition,
Pluto would remain a planet.
798
00:38:10,822 --> 00:38:14,024
Mike Brown's discovery
would be one too.
799
00:38:14,092 --> 00:38:16,893
And as new discoveries are made
in the outer solar system,
800
00:38:16,962 --> 00:38:19,195
the planet count could go up.
801
00:38:19,264 --> 00:38:20,297
GINGERICH:
We realized
802
00:38:20,365 --> 00:38:23,833
that doing this would
bring scores of planets.
803
00:38:23,902 --> 00:38:25,769
Into the accounting of planets
in the solar system.
804
00:38:25,837 --> 00:38:26,936
That's right.
805
00:38:30,208 --> 00:38:32,275
TYSON:
But when the definition was
proposed in Prague
806
00:38:32,344 --> 00:38:34,711
at the 2006 IAU conference,
807
00:38:34,780 --> 00:38:39,482
many scientists were
dead set against it.
808
00:38:39,551 --> 00:38:43,453
A rebellion was brewing
and things were getting ugly.
809
00:38:43,522 --> 00:38:44,788
TYSON:
Just to clarify,
810
00:38:44,856 --> 00:38:49,326
your original suggestion
got overturned within days.
811
00:38:49,394 --> 00:38:54,264
GINGERICH:
Our recommendations were
rather pushed to the side
812
00:38:54,333 --> 00:38:59,002
and a new kind of definition
came about
813
00:38:59,071 --> 00:39:03,807
in the final voting
at the union meeting.
814
00:39:03,875 --> 00:39:07,844
TYSON:
A new definition that included
the following line:
815
00:39:07,913 --> 00:39:11,514
"A planet must clear the
neighborhood around its orbit."
816
00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:16,252
Pluto travels
in a crowded neighborhood
817
00:39:16,321 --> 00:39:19,255
littered with thousands
of Kuiper Belt Objects.
818
00:39:19,324 --> 00:39:23,893
It's simply not massive enough
to clear them out of the way.
819
00:39:23,962 --> 00:39:26,463
BROWN:
In the definition that
the IAU came up with,
820
00:39:26,531 --> 00:39:29,733
eight major things which
dominate the solar system
821
00:39:29,801 --> 00:39:30,734
are planets.
822
00:39:30,802 --> 00:39:32,235
They're all big.
823
00:39:32,304 --> 00:39:35,305
They go in circular orbits
in one disk around the sun,
824
00:39:35,374 --> 00:39:37,807
and everything else is on
these other crazy orbits
825
00:39:37,876 --> 00:39:39,809
much smaller;
those are not planets.
826
00:39:39,878 --> 00:39:43,513
That concept is
a rock-solid concept.
827
00:39:45,484 --> 00:39:47,917
TYSON:
And when this new definition
went to a vote
828
00:39:47,986 --> 00:39:51,121
of the members present,
it was a slam-dunk.
829
00:39:51,189 --> 00:39:53,156
(trumpet playing taps)
830
00:39:53,225 --> 00:39:57,794
After 76 years, Pluto was
no longer a planet.
831
00:40:00,432 --> 00:40:01,765
COLBERT:
I'm sorry,
832
00:40:01,833 --> 00:40:05,568
I thought planets might be one
of the constants in life.
833
00:40:05,637 --> 00:40:10,306
But scientists just love change
more than anything else.
834
00:40:10,375 --> 00:40:12,509
Well, I'm sorry, that's not
change I can believe in.
835
00:40:12,577 --> 00:40:16,146
The whole underpinnings of what
we understand as science.
836
00:40:16,214 --> 00:40:18,882
Is gravity real or do we just
have sticky stuff on our shoes?
837
00:40:18,950 --> 00:40:20,383
I mean, the whole thing.
838
00:40:22,888 --> 00:40:26,723
(trumpet continues playing taps)
839
00:40:26,792 --> 00:40:28,091
I couldn't believe it.
840
00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,126
I couldn't believe that that was
the vote that happened,
841
00:40:30,195 --> 00:40:31,361
but when that vote happened,
842
00:40:31,430 --> 00:40:33,229
I knew exactly
what was going to happen next.
843
00:40:33,298 --> 00:40:35,865
Supporters of Pluto
are speaking out,
844
00:40:35,934 --> 00:40:38,168
trying to help it regain
planet status.
845
00:40:38,236 --> 00:40:42,372
MAN:
¶ Rock on, Pluto, you'll always
be a planet to me... ¶
846
00:40:42,441 --> 00:40:47,210
TYSON:
Pluto lovers of America did not
take the IAU decision lightly.
847
00:40:47,279 --> 00:40:50,246
At New Mexico State, where Clyde
Tombaugh had taught,
848
00:40:50,315 --> 00:40:52,282
students took to the streets.
849
00:40:52,350 --> 00:40:55,819
Go, Pluto! Pluto forever!
850
00:40:55,887 --> 00:40:57,620
TYSON:
The New Mexico legislature
declared
851
00:40:57,689 --> 00:41:00,590
Pluto was still a planet
within state borders.
852
00:41:00,659 --> 00:41:02,859
MAN:
¶ No matter what it says
on the chart ¶
853
00:41:02,928 --> 00:41:06,229
¶ You'll always be a planet
in my heart... ¶
854
00:41:06,298 --> 00:41:08,164
TYSON:
And Illinois soon followed,
855
00:41:08,233 --> 00:41:09,899
spurred on by efforts led
856
00:41:09,968 --> 00:41:11,734
by the concerned citizens
of Streator.
857
00:41:11,803 --> 00:41:13,870
MAN:
¶ Rock on, Pluto! ¶
858
00:41:13,939 --> 00:41:18,308
So I've got in my hand
this... legislation
859
00:41:18,376 --> 00:41:19,776
passed by the 96th
general assembly
860
00:41:19,845 --> 00:41:21,611
here in the State of Illinois.
861
00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:22,779
Yes.
862
00:41:22,848 --> 00:41:24,013
No one's got a problem
863
00:41:24,082 --> 00:41:26,950
with declaring
March 13th Pluto Day,
864
00:41:27,018 --> 00:41:29,018
the anniversary of Clyde
Tombaugh announcing
865
00:41:29,087 --> 00:41:29,986
the discovery.
866
00:41:30,055 --> 00:41:31,154
Who could argue that?
867
00:41:31,223 --> 00:41:32,989
It's this part of the
resolution that says
868
00:41:33,058 --> 00:41:34,324
when Pluto passes overhead,
869
00:41:34,392 --> 00:41:37,060
(chuckling):
overhead of Illinois's
night skies,
870
00:41:37,128 --> 00:41:39,896
that it be re-established
with full planetary status.
871
00:41:39,965 --> 00:41:41,865
That's audacious.
872
00:41:41,933 --> 00:41:44,701
That's saying,
"Forget the scientists,
873
00:41:44,769 --> 00:41:45,502
this is Illinois."
874
00:41:45,570 --> 00:41:46,569
Yeah, this is Streator.
875
00:41:46,638 --> 00:41:48,104
And don't mess with Streator.
876
00:41:48,173 --> 00:41:51,074
And don't mess with us,
yeah, there you go.
877
00:41:51,142 --> 00:41:55,211
TYSON:
Back at the barbershop, the guys
made it clear where they stand.
878
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:56,379
BARBER:
I still believe
879
00:41:56,448 --> 00:41:58,047
it's a planet.
880
00:41:58,116 --> 00:41:59,282
They can't make me think
any different.
881
00:41:59,351 --> 00:42:01,651
(laughing)
882
00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:03,720
TYSON:
But next door
at the Country Cupboard,
883
00:42:03,788 --> 00:42:05,955
locals questioned the decision.
884
00:42:06,024 --> 00:42:07,690
I was very disappointed.
885
00:42:07,759 --> 00:42:09,626
Disappointed in the result
886
00:42:09,694 --> 00:42:10,627
or how they
got the result?
887
00:42:10,695 --> 00:42:11,928
Both.
888
00:42:11,997 --> 00:42:14,531
You can't change scientific
fact or definition
889
00:42:14,599 --> 00:42:15,665
with a hand count.
890
00:42:15,734 --> 00:42:17,233
You're a scientist.
891
00:42:17,302 --> 00:42:22,071
Since when do you take a vote
on... on scientific fact?
892
00:42:22,140 --> 00:42:23,473
TYSON:
But it wasn't just
hometown folks
893
00:42:23,542 --> 00:42:25,909
who disagreed with the decision.
894
00:42:25,977 --> 00:42:29,078
Just a few days after the vote,
this petition,
895
00:42:29,147 --> 00:42:32,715
signed by hundreds of planetary
scientists, hit the Internet.
896
00:42:32,784 --> 00:42:37,854
It says: "The undersigned do not
accept the IAU definition,
897
00:42:37,923 --> 00:42:39,923
and they refuse to use it."
898
00:42:39,991 --> 00:42:42,859
Period.
899
00:42:42,928 --> 00:42:45,361
The last stop on my journey
would be a visit
900
00:42:45,430 --> 00:42:49,198
with a planetary scientist who
proudly signed that petition,
901
00:42:49,267 --> 00:42:53,369
one of the world's leading
experts on Pluto, Alan Stern.
902
00:42:53,438 --> 00:42:55,872
He's been mad ever since
we opened our new exhibit
903
00:42:55,941 --> 00:42:57,073
at the planetarium.
904
00:42:57,142 --> 00:42:59,943
And he sure isn't pleased
with the IAU.
905
00:43:13,291 --> 00:43:14,357
You're late.
906
00:43:21,433 --> 00:43:23,166
Ready for this?
907
00:43:23,234 --> 00:43:24,200
Ready as ever.
908
00:43:26,037 --> 00:43:28,137
TYSON:
I can't wait to hear
what Alan's got to say
909
00:43:28,206 --> 00:43:29,939
about Pluto's demotion.
910
00:43:30,008 --> 00:43:32,141
STERN:
I think that the IAU
has confused people,
911
00:43:32,210 --> 00:43:35,311
because their definition
produces such illogical results.
912
00:43:37,048 --> 00:43:40,249
What I really like is what I
call the Star Trek test.
913
00:43:40,318 --> 00:43:44,554
When Kirk and Spock show up
orbiting an object,
914
00:43:44,623 --> 00:43:47,957
just by looking at the picture
of it, they know it's a planet.
915
00:43:48,026 --> 00:43:50,593
In an IAU world, Spock would
have to come back and say,
916
00:43:50,662 --> 00:43:52,562
"Captain, let me survey
the entire solar system,
917
00:43:52,631 --> 00:43:54,197
"determine whatever objects
are there.
918
00:43:54,265 --> 00:43:55,531
"I'll integrate the orbits
overnight.
919
00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:57,233
I'll get back to you."
920
00:43:57,302 --> 00:43:58,301
It's not that hard.
921
00:43:58,370 --> 00:43:59,869
So you don't even care
922
00:43:59,938 --> 00:44:02,338
about whether a zone is cleared
923
00:44:02,407 --> 00:44:03,740
or some of these
other parameters.
924
00:44:03,808 --> 00:44:05,375
No, that's all about location,
925
00:44:05,443 --> 00:44:07,076
and location is for realtors,
not scientists.
926
00:44:07,145 --> 00:44:08,478
(laughing)
927
00:44:08,546 --> 00:44:10,046
I don't think it counts at all
928
00:44:10,115 --> 00:44:13,082
in terms of what it means
to be a planet.
929
00:44:13,151 --> 00:44:15,652
TYSON:
So then, what is Pluto?
930
00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:18,821
According to Alan, it's not
just a Kuiper Belt Object.
931
00:44:18,890 --> 00:44:21,157
It's not a lonely oddball
either,
932
00:44:21,226 --> 00:44:23,793
and it's definitely
not demote-able.
933
00:44:23,862 --> 00:44:27,163
It's simply a new kind
of planet, a dwarf planet,
934
00:44:27,232 --> 00:44:29,832
and it turns out
there's lots of them.
935
00:44:29,901 --> 00:44:32,402
It looked like the solar system
consisted
936
00:44:32,470 --> 00:44:35,738
of four terrestrial planets,
four giant planets
937
00:44:35,807 --> 00:44:37,273
and misfit Pluto,
938
00:44:37,342 --> 00:44:39,242
but today, instead we see
a solar system
939
00:44:39,310 --> 00:44:45,148
with four terrestrial planets,
four freakishly giant planets
940
00:44:45,216 --> 00:44:48,451
and a whole cohort
of Pluto-like objects
941
00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:50,687
which turn out to be
the dominant class of planet
942
00:44:50,755 --> 00:44:52,155
in our solar system.
943
00:44:52,223 --> 00:44:54,657
These are typically rocky
and icy objects.
944
00:44:54,726 --> 00:44:58,528
Many have atmospheres;
many, possibly most, have moons.
945
00:44:58,596 --> 00:45:02,165
All the things we're used to in
the planets we're familiar with
946
00:45:02,233 --> 00:45:03,633
but in miniature.
947
00:45:03,702 --> 00:45:06,135
I think a decent analogy is,
948
00:45:06,204 --> 00:45:08,237
when you see a Chihuahua,
it's still a dog,
949
00:45:08,306 --> 00:45:10,373
because it has
the characteristics
950
00:45:10,442 --> 00:45:12,442
of the canine species,
951
00:45:12,510 --> 00:45:14,677
just in miniature.
952
00:45:14,746 --> 00:45:17,080
TYSON:
Why, then, are
these pint-size planets
953
00:45:17,148 --> 00:45:19,315
so much smaller than the rest?
954
00:45:19,384 --> 00:45:21,350
The process of planetary
formation
955
00:45:21,419 --> 00:45:24,087
is a bottoms-up process.
956
00:45:24,155 --> 00:45:27,590
Planets grow from small things
to larger and larger things.
957
00:45:27,659 --> 00:45:29,592
Dwarf planets were arrested
958
00:45:29,661 --> 00:45:32,862
in the mid-stage
of planetary growth.
959
00:45:32,931 --> 00:45:36,766
They are actually
planetary embryos.
960
00:45:36,835 --> 00:45:39,635
Pluto and other dwarf planets
would have grown much larger
961
00:45:39,704 --> 00:45:42,205
had there been more material
around them.
962
00:45:42,273 --> 00:45:44,640
Why was there no more material
for them?
963
00:45:44,709 --> 00:45:47,844
That's a great question, and we
don't know the answer to it.
964
00:45:47,912 --> 00:45:49,779
TYSON:
Many planetary scientists think
965
00:45:49,848 --> 00:45:51,514
that dwarf planets
were actually born
966
00:45:51,583 --> 00:45:53,382
in another region
of the solar system,
967
00:45:53,451 --> 00:45:57,420
among the gas giants, where
the food supply was plentiful.
968
00:45:57,489 --> 00:45:59,489
But as the gas giants grew
larger and larger
969
00:45:59,557 --> 00:46:01,858
and migrated
to their current positions,
970
00:46:01,926 --> 00:46:04,627
the force of their gravity flung
the tiny dwarfs outward
971
00:46:04,696 --> 00:46:07,997
to the Kuiper Belt,
where they reside today.
972
00:46:08,066 --> 00:46:10,700
While there are thousands of
objects in the Kuiper Belt,
973
00:46:10,769 --> 00:46:13,336
they're spread millions
of miles apart,
974
00:46:13,404 --> 00:46:14,737
so far away from each other
975
00:46:14,806 --> 00:46:16,873
that the dwarfs no longer
come in contact
976
00:46:16,941 --> 00:46:18,941
with the material
they need to grow.
977
00:46:19,010 --> 00:46:21,611
To study those objects
978
00:46:21,679 --> 00:46:26,382
rather than objects that grew
to much larger scales
979
00:46:26,451 --> 00:46:27,850
will give us a great window
980
00:46:27,919 --> 00:46:30,353
into the process
of planetary formation.
981
00:46:30,421 --> 00:46:34,490
MISSION CONTROL:
Three, two, one...
982
00:46:34,559 --> 00:46:37,059
We have ignition
and lift-off.
983
00:46:37,128 --> 00:46:39,328
TYSON:
Alan and his team hope
to open that window
984
00:46:39,397 --> 00:46:42,899
when the New Horizons
spacecraft, launched in 2006,
985
00:46:42,967 --> 00:46:46,135
becomes the first ever
to arrive at Pluto,
986
00:46:46,204 --> 00:46:50,039
racing at a speed
of 37,000 miles an hour.
987
00:46:50,108 --> 00:46:52,642
Travel time-- 9 1/2 years.
988
00:46:52,710 --> 00:46:56,078
Scheduled arrival-- 2015.
989
00:46:56,147 --> 00:46:57,847
So this is the place.
990
00:46:57,916 --> 00:47:00,616
This is Mission Control
for New Horizons.
Cool.
991
00:47:00,685 --> 00:47:03,386
STERN:
Yeah, the flight control team
is monitoring
992
00:47:03,454 --> 00:47:05,121
the data that's coming down,
993
00:47:05,190 --> 00:47:06,756
looking at the health
of the spacecraft
994
00:47:06,825 --> 00:47:08,791
and sending instructions back up
to basically choreograph
995
00:47:08,860 --> 00:47:10,226
everything that happens
on the spacecraft.
996
00:47:10,295 --> 00:47:13,830
So how long do
those instructions
take to get there?
997
00:47:13,898 --> 00:47:16,465
Like suppose it says,
"Quick, turn left!"
998
00:47:16,534 --> 00:47:17,800
Like, how long
does that take?
999
00:47:17,869 --> 00:47:20,903
Well, right now it would take
about two hours and 12 minutes
1000
00:47:20,972 --> 00:47:22,338
for the instruction
to get up there
1001
00:47:22,407 --> 00:47:23,472
and then after it's executed,
1002
00:47:23,541 --> 00:47:25,842
two hours and 12 minutes more
for us to find out
1003
00:47:25,910 --> 00:47:27,677
that's what happened.
To complete
the round trip.
1004
00:47:27,745 --> 00:47:29,145
By the time it gets
to Pluto...
1005
00:47:29,214 --> 00:47:31,681
It's going
to be 9 1/2 hours.
Round trip.
1006
00:47:31,749 --> 00:47:34,116
Yeah.
So you better know
well in advance
1007
00:47:34,185 --> 00:47:35,451
what you're telling
this thing to do.
1008
00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:37,253
We try to make sure
we do that.
1009
00:47:37,322 --> 00:47:40,823
TYSON:
New Horizons has
seven scientific instruments,
1010
00:47:40,892 --> 00:47:43,492
which will study Pluto's
atmospheric composition,
1011
00:47:43,561 --> 00:47:47,063
its surface features,
its interior structure,
1012
00:47:47,131 --> 00:47:51,667
as well as its three moons:
Charon, Nix and Hydra.
1013
00:47:51,736 --> 00:47:54,670
So it seems to me
that New Horizons,
with its experiments,
1014
00:47:54,739 --> 00:47:59,342
will transform this icy ball
out there into a world.
1015
00:47:59,410 --> 00:48:01,477
It's true
first-time exploration.
1016
00:48:01,546 --> 00:48:03,145
We've never been
to a dwarf planet,
1017
00:48:03,214 --> 00:48:05,147
and I think it will
be as revealing
1018
00:48:05,216 --> 00:48:06,649
as when we first
went to Mars
1019
00:48:06,718 --> 00:48:08,951
and no one expected
craters and river valleys.
1020
00:48:09,020 --> 00:48:11,921
All right, so you had
enough room for seven
scientific instruments,
1021
00:48:11,990 --> 00:48:13,923
but I heard, like,
there's more stuff than that.
1022
00:48:13,992 --> 00:48:16,659
Well, we've got
a few mementos.
Uh-huh.
1023
00:48:16,728 --> 00:48:19,028
Perhaps the most sentimental
and noteworthy
1024
00:48:19,097 --> 00:48:21,264
are some of Clyde
Tombaugh's ashes.
1025
00:48:21,332 --> 00:48:22,798
His ashes.
1026
00:48:22,867 --> 00:48:25,801
His ashes-- it's on
its way to the stars.
1027
00:48:29,908 --> 00:48:34,010
The man is on his way back
to the very planet he discovered
1028
00:48:34,078 --> 00:48:35,544
and he's due to arrive there
1029
00:48:35,613 --> 00:48:37,146
in 2015...
That's great.
1030
00:48:37,215 --> 00:48:38,514
and that just
blows my mind.
1031
00:48:38,583 --> 00:48:41,284
I'd challenge anybody
to put that on their résumé.
1032
00:48:46,224 --> 00:48:49,292
TYSON:
Finally its time
to head back home.
1033
00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:52,128
But my journey isn't quite over.
1034
00:48:52,196 --> 00:48:56,032
I have one more thing to do,
a promise to keep.
1035
00:48:56,100 --> 00:48:58,234
When I met Annette Tombaugh,
1036
00:48:58,303 --> 00:49:00,469
she told me she had
never seen our exhibit
1037
00:49:00,538 --> 00:49:03,205
and asked if she could see it
with me.
1038
00:49:03,274 --> 00:49:05,374
Of course I agreed.
1039
00:49:05,443 --> 00:49:07,143
I was a little nervous
1040
00:49:07,211 --> 00:49:09,078
about inviting Annette
to the Rose Center,
1041
00:49:09,147 --> 00:49:12,281
because this is kind of
where the public awareness
1042
00:49:12,350 --> 00:49:14,183
of the problems
with Pluto began.
1043
00:49:14,252 --> 00:49:16,018
I'm excited.
1044
00:49:16,087 --> 00:49:18,421
I'm really excited
about seeing the exhibit.
1045
00:49:18,489 --> 00:49:20,489
Of course I am still going
to look for Pluto.
1046
00:49:20,558 --> 00:49:22,858
I think what we did here
is sensible.
1047
00:49:22,927 --> 00:49:25,061
So let's hope this works.
1048
00:49:25,129 --> 00:49:27,697
(knocking on glass door)
(laughing)
1049
00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:31,100
Hello.
Hi!
1050
00:49:31,169 --> 00:49:32,435
Welcome to New York.
1051
00:49:32,503 --> 00:49:34,270
It's good to see you.
1052
00:49:34,339 --> 00:49:35,404
Oh, my goodness.
1053
00:49:35,473 --> 00:49:38,541
Welcome to the belly
of the beast.
1054
00:49:38,609 --> 00:49:41,777
TYSON:
I showed Annette where
we exhibit the planets.
1055
00:49:41,846 --> 00:49:47,750
Then I took her downstairs
to show her where we put Pluto.
1056
00:49:47,819 --> 00:49:49,552
And so here we have it.
1057
00:49:53,224 --> 00:49:55,057
It's there.
(laughing)
1058
00:49:55,126 --> 00:49:56,392
Okay.
1059
00:49:56,461 --> 00:49:59,161
I don't see anything wrong
with this presentation at all.
1060
00:49:59,230 --> 00:50:01,364
(kissing)
1061
00:50:01,432 --> 00:50:02,832
(both laughing)
1062
00:50:02,900 --> 00:50:05,434
So, after ten years, I can
rest peacefully at night.
1063
00:50:05,503 --> 00:50:07,103
You can rest.
1064
00:50:07,171 --> 00:50:09,038
I wish it were
a little bigger...
1065
00:50:09,107 --> 00:50:11,440
(both laugh)
1066
00:50:11,509 --> 00:50:12,908
And a little higher?
(laughs)
1067
00:50:14,746 --> 00:50:16,979
TYSON:
So can I offer you my view?
1068
00:50:17,048 --> 00:50:21,517
Not that you ask, but I have
a view that's been stereotyped
1069
00:50:21,586 --> 00:50:23,486
but actually misrepresents
my position here.
1070
00:50:23,554 --> 00:50:25,688
When you look at the richness,
1071
00:50:25,757 --> 00:50:29,625
this tapestry of information we
now have about the solar system,
1072
00:50:29,694 --> 00:50:32,194
what I would vote for is
1073
00:50:32,263 --> 00:50:37,433
we recognize the true diversity
of stuff that orbits the sun
1074
00:50:37,502 --> 00:50:39,035
and invent a new lexicon
1075
00:50:39,103 --> 00:50:40,603
commensurate with what
our new understanding
1076
00:50:40,671 --> 00:50:42,972
of the solar system is,
because it's no longer
1077
00:50:43,041 --> 00:50:45,975
just lights moving
in the night sky.
1078
00:50:46,044 --> 00:50:49,278
Especially since we've
discovered more than 400 planets
1079
00:50:49,347 --> 00:50:51,080
outside our solar system.
1080
00:50:51,149 --> 00:50:53,516
Maybe the definition of "planet"
should consider
1081
00:50:53,584 --> 00:50:55,551
the rest of the cosmos as well.
1082
00:50:58,022 --> 00:51:00,890
After all I had seen and learned
on my journey,
1083
00:51:00,958 --> 00:51:02,458
we decided it only seemed right
1084
00:51:02,527 --> 00:51:06,195
to add to our treatment of Pluto
here at the planetarium.
1085
00:51:06,264 --> 00:51:08,731
So we attached this plaque.
1086
00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:11,834
And it says: Where's Pluto?
1087
00:51:11,903 --> 00:51:15,538
Some astronomers regard Pluto
as a Kuiper Belt Object,
1088
00:51:15,606 --> 00:51:19,909
some call it a planet, and
others think of it as both.
1089
00:51:19,977 --> 00:51:23,679
This confusion arises because
a consensus has yet to emerge
1090
00:51:23,748 --> 00:51:28,017
on the scientific definition
of "planet."
1091
00:51:28,086 --> 00:51:29,952
So are we ever
going to agree?
1092
00:51:30,021 --> 00:51:31,587
No, I don't
think we are.
1093
00:51:31,656 --> 00:51:33,689
I don't think agreement
is necessary.
1094
00:51:33,758 --> 00:51:35,858
Culture will take
its course.
1095
00:51:35,927 --> 00:51:38,060
These two guys are
the cantankerous ones.
1096
00:51:38,129 --> 00:51:40,429
(all talking at once)
1097
00:51:40,498 --> 00:51:42,498
NOVACEK:
Science is an exciting area.
1098
00:51:42,567 --> 00:51:43,999
It's an area of change.
1099
00:51:44,068 --> 00:51:47,803
Science is always changing, and
you have to go with the flow,
1100
00:51:47,872 --> 00:51:50,306
and sometimes that means
changing names
1101
00:51:50,374 --> 00:51:53,609
and reclassifying things that
are held sacred, like Pluto.
1102
00:51:55,179 --> 00:51:57,446
Tyson has to understand
something.
1103
00:51:57,515 --> 00:52:00,349
We don't care what it really is.
1104
00:52:00,418 --> 00:52:02,118
We just want to call it Pluto.
1105
00:52:09,861 --> 00:52:12,228
An astounding variety of life--
1106
00:52:12,296 --> 00:52:16,398
9,000 species of birds,
350,000 kinds of beetles,
1107
00:52:16,467 --> 00:52:19,001
28,000 types of fish.
1108
00:52:19,070 --> 00:52:22,905
Two million living species
and counting.
1109
00:52:22,974 --> 00:52:25,774
Creatures that don't look
anything at all like each other
1110
00:52:25,843 --> 00:52:26,909
are actually deeply connected.
1111
00:52:26,978 --> 00:52:30,579
How does evolution really work?
1112
00:52:30,648 --> 00:52:33,582
"What Darwin Never Knew,"
next time on NOVA.
1113
00:52:39,190 --> 00:52:41,257
On NOVA's "Pluto Files"
Web site,
1114
00:52:41,325 --> 00:52:43,626
what's the best planet
in the solar system?
1115
00:52:43,694 --> 00:52:46,829
Listen in as a range of
opinionated astronomers argue
1116
00:52:46,898 --> 00:52:47,963
for their favorites.
1117
00:52:48,032 --> 00:52:49,732
Then vote for your own.
1118
00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:51,934
Find it at pbs.org.
1119
00:52:53,604 --> 00:52:56,305
Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH
access.wgbh.org
1120
00:53:09,954 --> 00:53:12,154
This NOVA program is available
on DVD.
1121
00:53:12,223 --> 00:53:13,889
The companion book,
1122
00:53:13,958 --> 00:53:16,859
The Pluto Files,
the Rise and Fall
of America's Favorite Planet,
1123
00:53:16,928 --> 00:53:18,427
is also available.
1124
00:53:18,496 --> 00:53:18,427
To order, visit shopPBS.org,
or call us at 1-800-PLAY-PBS.