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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
About 400 million miles
from Earth,

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an asteroid hurtles
through space.

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Meanwhile,
scientists in West Africa

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train their telescopes
on a distant star,

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anxiously hoping
to catch the fleeting moment

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when the asteroid
crosses in front of it,

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blocking its light.

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MARC BUIE:
If you don't get the data

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at the right second,

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you don't get the data ever.

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NARRATOR:
They are part of a NASA mission

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that could revolutionize
our understanding

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of the very beginnings
of our solar system

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and take the African nation
of Senegal

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one step closer
to an ambitious goal:

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to establish its own
space agency.

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Space belongs to everyone
and it is open for everyone.

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NARRATOR:
"Star Chasers of Senegal,"

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right now, on "NOVA."

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♪ ♪

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(birds twittering)

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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
Senegal, on the west coast
of Africa.

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One scientist wants to change

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the fortunes of his country
by looking to the stars.

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♪ ♪

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His name is Maram Kaire.

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KAIRE:
Ever since I was a child, I have
had a passion for astronomy.

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And now I'm taking part
in a NASA space mission,

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to help solve mysteries

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about the origins of our
solar system and our planet.

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This is a dream come true.

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But I have a much more
challenging mission

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here on Earth,

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to build a space agency
in Senegal.

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I must prove to my people that
science can change their lives.

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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
For Maram, that begins with
helping his community

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to understand astronomy's
deep roots in their culture--

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roots that Maram is about
to discover

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go back even further than
he realized.

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♪ ♪

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Just off the coast of
Senegal's capital, Dakar,

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lies an island symbolic of a
dark chapter in Africa's past.

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Maram Kaire comes here
to feel that history

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and to imagine
a brighter future.

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KAIRE:
This is the House of Slave
in Gorée island,

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and from this place,
millions of African people

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were taken by boat across
the ocean as slave to America.

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And this is the doorway
of no return.

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And we can imagine them

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just turning back

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and seeing this door

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as maybe the last link

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between them and their
continent.

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It was the last thing
they have to see

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when they leave their land.

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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
Now, across that same ocean,

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a spacecraft called Lucy is
getting ready to launch.

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♪ ♪

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Maram Kaire has been asked to
help that space mission succeed.

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♪ ♪

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Lucy's mission is to explore
what astronomers call

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Trojan asteroids,
leftovers from the time

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our sun and planets
first formed.

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These ancient rocky remnants
cluster in two distinct groups

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trapped in Jupiter's orbit
around the sun.

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The spacecraft will fly
by eight of them,

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looking for clues
to better understand

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the birth of our solar system,

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about four-and-a-half billion
years ago.

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The asteroids are like fossils,

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so scientists name
the mission Lucy,

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after a fossilized early human
ancestor found in Ethiopia.

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Just as Lucy teaches us

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about the origins of humans
on Earth,

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Lucy the spacecraft

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is going to teach us

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about the origins of the bodies
that make up our solar system

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that ultimately led to
the Earth.

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NARRATOR:
But even though Lucy's
flight path has been calculated

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to precisely reach
its target asteroids,

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the probe is entering
a region of space

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that has never been explored.

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♪ ♪

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It will fly past
each of the target asteroids

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at about 15,000 miles per hour,
giving scientists

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very little time to conduct
their observations.

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To help guide Lucy's approach,

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they'll record events
called stellar occultations.

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♪ ♪

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A stellar occultation

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occurs when
a celestial body

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passes in front
of a star

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and blocks
that star's light.

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At sites around the world,
observers will record

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Lucy's target asteroids
as they eclipse stars

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beyond our solar system.

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And from the data they collect,

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scientists can estimate an
asteroid's precise dimensions.

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♪ ♪

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The occultation team is led by
planetary scientist Marc Buie.

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BUIE:
At the beginning of 2021,

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I noticed, "Oh, look at that,
there's one of these events,

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"a really good one
with a nice bright star,

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and it goes right over Senegal."

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And I've already worked with
the people in Senegal

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to do two previous occultations.

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My first thought was,
"I need to call Maram."

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♪ ♪

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(car horn honks)

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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
Marc Buie has asked Maram Kaire
to lead the mission

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to record the occultation

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of one of Lucy's
target asteroids, called Orus.

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(speaking French)

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NARRATOR:
His task is to coordinate
a team of astronomers

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from Africa, Europe,
and the U.S.

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This will be his third
NASA mission.

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♪ ♪

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In these boxes are the tools
to capture an occultation--

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telescopes, cameras,
and laptops shipped from NASA.

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But even the best equipment
cannot guarantee success

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if the sky clouds over.

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KAIRE:
We are crossing fingers
to have good weather.

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Also maybe praying just to have

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all the team are safe
and in perfect condition

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at the end of this mission.

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(car horn honking)

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♪ ♪

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NARRATOR:
Maram is an internationally
recognized advocate

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for astronomy in Africa.

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This occultation mission
may take him one step closer

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to his dream of taking Senegal
to space.

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To view the event,

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the team must travel
three hours outside of Dakar.

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BUIE:
I don't get to pick which
objects come up, where they go,

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where we need to send crews.

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That's all dictated
by celestial mechanics

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and how these things
are moving around the sky.

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NARRATOR:
Marc needs to know the exact
position and speed of Orus

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as it orbits around
400 million miles from Earth

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and the precise location of
the distant star

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he predicts it will pass
in front of.

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He estimates the event
will last just 3.2 seconds.

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Maram and his team have only
one chance to record it.

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With occultations,

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00:09:00,566 --> 00:09:03,700
if you don't get the data
at the right second,

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you don't get the data ever.

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00:09:05,866 --> 00:09:08,400
(man speaking on radio)

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NARRATOR:
Timing is critical.

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By chance,

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Lucy is due to launch
almost eight hours

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after the occultation.

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♪ ♪

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KAIRE:
And what we are doing now
with NASA

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is very important.

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You know, by dealing with these
occultations missions,

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we are training a young
generation here in Senegal.

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(people talking in background)

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MARIE KORSAGA:
Seeing this collaboration

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is a proof that science,

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especially astronomy,

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is a collaborative, inclusive.

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And this is very important

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for the development of astronomy
in Africa.

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SYLVAIN BOULEY:
And Maram is a cornerstone
of this event.

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It shows that for 15 years,

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Maram creates really a nice

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astronomical association
in, in Senegal.

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He know how to motivate people,

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and there are more and more

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people loving astronomy
in Senegal.

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(talking in background)

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NARRATOR:
Maram's passion for astronomy
began with an event

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that shocked the world.

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KAIRE:
The first contact with space

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started with the tragedy of the
space shuttle Challenger.

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It was the first time

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that I receive information
about space.

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♪ ♪

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(explosion roars)

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♪ ♪

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And it was very sad to, to know
that we lost seven astronauts

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with this tragedy.

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♪ ♪

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And I started to read books
and getting out

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to observe the stars,
constellations.

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♪ ♪

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00:11:17,300 --> 00:11:21,866
I was 12 and I decided to start
to build my own telescope.

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00:11:25,166 --> 00:11:30,433
And this is how things began
and never stop.

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00:11:30,433 --> 00:11:34,866
♪ ♪

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00:11:34,866 --> 00:11:38,866
It's our first training night,
so each team will have

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the opportunity to set up
his telescope.

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NARRATOR:
On the night of the
occultation, ten telescopes

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00:11:47,966 --> 00:11:49,866
will be precisely aimed
at the star

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00:11:49,866 --> 00:11:55,733
that Orus will pass in front of.

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00:11:55,733 --> 00:11:59,400
For just a few seconds,
when Earth, asteroid,

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00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,766
and star perfectly align,

202
00:12:01,766 --> 00:12:04,433
Orus will block the star's
light,

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00:12:04,433 --> 00:12:05,666
casting a shadow on the Earth

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00:12:05,666 --> 00:12:09,333
that is the asteroid's
exact shape.

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00:12:09,333 --> 00:12:12,433
By estimating the path
and width of the shadow,

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00:12:12,433 --> 00:12:16,433
scientists can determine
where to place the telescopes.

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00:12:16,433 --> 00:12:17,766
To guide the teams,

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00:12:17,766 --> 00:12:21,633
Marc Buie computes
a set of lines designed to cover

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00:12:21,633 --> 00:12:25,300
the predicted region
where the shadow will pass.

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00:12:25,300 --> 00:12:29,433
Each observation team
is given one of these lines,

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00:12:29,433 --> 00:12:32,600
and they must find a location
somewhere along it

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00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,933
where they can safely set up.

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00:12:35,933 --> 00:12:37,533
If they can record
the occultation

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00:12:37,533 --> 00:12:41,466
from their vantage points,
Marc will have the data he needs

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00:12:41,466 --> 00:12:45,266
to determine the asteroid's
shape and size--

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00:12:45,266 --> 00:12:51,533
vital information for
Lucy's fly-by of Orus in 2028.

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00:12:51,533 --> 00:12:53,200
BUIE:
It's one thing

218
00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,233
to say, "Put your telescope on
this line,"

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00:12:57,233 --> 00:12:59,566
and it's quite another
to translate

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00:12:59,566 --> 00:13:02,200
to actually standing somewhere.

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00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,866
The last thing you want to do
is be dealing

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00:13:04,866 --> 00:13:06,266
with an angry farmer

223
00:13:06,266 --> 00:13:07,900
right at the time of the
occultation.

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00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,433
NARRATOR:
Every observation site

225
00:13:11,433 --> 00:13:15,833
must be surveyed so there are
no surprises after dark.

226
00:13:17,466 --> 00:13:23,900
(speaking French)

227
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,700
Salaam alaikum.

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00:13:27,700 --> 00:13:31,666
(speaking Wolof)

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00:13:31,666 --> 00:13:36,033
BAIDY DEMBA DIOP (translated):
I told them we would be back
Friday night with telescopes

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00:13:36,033 --> 00:13:40,066
to observe an asteroid
passing in front of a star.

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00:13:40,066 --> 00:13:42,266
They said, "Okay, no problem."

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00:13:42,266 --> 00:13:44,466
They understood.

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00:13:44,466 --> 00:13:50,500
♪ ♪

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00:13:56,233 --> 00:13:58,433
(Salma Sylla speaking French)

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00:13:58,433 --> 00:14:00,366
(wheels spinning)

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00:14:00,366 --> 00:14:06,533
♪ ♪

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00:14:06,533 --> 00:14:10,233
(Sylla speaking French)

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00:14:10,233 --> 00:14:12,033
(translated):
You see what can happen.

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00:14:12,033 --> 00:14:14,733
That is why it is important
to visit the sites

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00:14:14,733 --> 00:14:16,900
before we bring
all of the equipment out

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00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:19,333
on the night of the occultation.

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00:14:19,333 --> 00:14:25,133
♪ ♪

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00:14:35,700 --> 00:14:40,800
KAIRE:
This occultation is crucial
for NASA's Lucy mission.

244
00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,466
But it is also part of
a much larger,

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00:14:43,466 --> 00:14:46,266
more challenging mission:

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00:14:46,266 --> 00:14:50,733
to build a space agency
here in Senegal.

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00:14:50,733 --> 00:14:54,500
I believe space is for everyone.

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00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:56,933
NARRATOR:
For 15 years,

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00:14:56,933 --> 00:14:59,933
Maram has lobbied politicians
to embrace these words.

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00:14:59,933 --> 00:15:05,400
To convince them that Senegal's
development challenges

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00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,433
can be addressed with
space science.

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00:15:08,433 --> 00:15:11,233
Many African nations
have launched their own

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00:15:11,233 --> 00:15:15,666
small, inexpensive satellites
called Cubesats.

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00:15:15,666 --> 00:15:18,033
These eyes in the sky

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00:15:18,033 --> 00:15:20,833
have proven to be vital
for communications,

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00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:25,566
weather forecasting, and the
prediction of natural disasters.

257
00:15:25,566 --> 00:15:28,766
Maram believes they could be
life-changing

258
00:15:28,766 --> 00:15:31,066
for Senegal's large
rural population,

259
00:15:31,066 --> 00:15:35,566
now at the mercy of
unpredictable climatic events.

260
00:15:35,566 --> 00:15:41,700
♪ ♪

261
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:43,933
To build and launch
these satellites

262
00:15:43,933 --> 00:15:48,800
will take a new generation
of scientists.

263
00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:53,466
And Maram Kaire has
another goal.

264
00:15:53,466 --> 00:16:00,666
♪ ♪

265
00:16:00,666 --> 00:16:04,266
KAIRE:
My country is 95% Muslim.

266
00:16:04,266 --> 00:16:07,066
And many traditional Muslims
are hesitant

267
00:16:07,066 --> 00:16:09,466
to embrace modern science.

268
00:16:15,033 --> 00:16:18,400
Near the end of Ramadan,
our holy month devoted to

269
00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,500
prayer, contemplation,
and fasting,

270
00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:23,366
I have an opportunity
to demonstrate

271
00:16:23,366 --> 00:16:26,633
how astronomy can help Islam.

272
00:16:26,633 --> 00:16:29,833
♪ ♪

273
00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:36,533
There are many people
interested

274
00:16:36,533 --> 00:16:39,233
in learning astronomy
at these events.

275
00:16:39,233 --> 00:16:42,933
I can show them
where the crescent will appear

276
00:16:42,933 --> 00:16:45,533
by using astronomical
calculations.

277
00:16:45,533 --> 00:16:47,933
♪ ♪

278
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,600
I'm really nervous.
(laughs)

279
00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,000
It's, it's always the same,

280
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,966
because they are all waiting
for this, for this moment.

281
00:16:57,966 --> 00:17:01,766
NARRATOR:
Time is extremely important
for Muslims.

282
00:17:01,766 --> 00:17:05,466
Islamic law states
the motion of the sun

283
00:17:05,466 --> 00:17:08,766
should dictate the timing
of prayers.

284
00:17:08,766 --> 00:17:12,833
The Islamic calendar is based
on the phases of the moon.

285
00:17:12,833 --> 00:17:16,866
The new crescent moon marks
the beginning of every month

286
00:17:16,866 --> 00:17:19,866
and important events
like Ramadan.

287
00:17:19,866 --> 00:17:24,566
♪ ♪

288
00:17:24,566 --> 00:17:27,633
Maram's passion
for modern astronomy

289
00:17:27,633 --> 00:17:32,000
inspires many Senegalese people.

290
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,800
♪ ♪

291
00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,000
But Muslim authorities here
only accept

292
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:43,500
crescent moon sightings
observed with the naked eye.

293
00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:46,633
The Islamic tradition
is to observe the moon

294
00:17:46,633 --> 00:17:48,100
using the naked eyes.

295
00:17:48,100 --> 00:17:53,066
It comes from a recommendation
of the Prophet.

296
00:17:53,066 --> 00:17:55,733
This can cause major confusion.

297
00:17:55,733 --> 00:17:57,566
If the crescent is not

298
00:17:57,566 --> 00:18:01,400
seen here tonight because
the skies are cloudy,

299
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,133
the end of Ramadan will be
delayed for a day.

300
00:18:04,133 --> 00:18:09,933
But what if it is sighted
somewhere else in Senegal

301
00:18:09,933 --> 00:18:11,700
where there are no clouds?

302
00:18:11,700 --> 00:18:14,500
When should Ramadan end?

303
00:18:14,500 --> 00:18:17,166
This is a centuries-old dilemma

304
00:18:17,166 --> 00:18:21,700
that could be easily overcome
with modern science.

305
00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:26,733
NARRATOR:
Tonight, in a compromise,
the committee of imams

306
00:18:26,733 --> 00:18:29,766
responsible for calling
an end to Ramadan

307
00:18:29,766 --> 00:18:32,433
have given Maram permission
to use binoculars.

308
00:18:32,433 --> 00:18:35,533
♪ ♪

309
00:18:44,833 --> 00:18:50,200
♪ ♪

310
00:18:54,066 --> 00:18:55,100
(exclaims)

311
00:18:57,333 --> 00:19:03,600
(people talking in background)

312
00:19:06,466 --> 00:19:11,500
♪ ♪

313
00:19:14,933 --> 00:19:17,466
KAIRE:
It's just wonderful, because

314
00:19:17,466 --> 00:19:20,666
we was not expecting to, to get
it,

315
00:19:20,666 --> 00:19:25,666
because the crescent was very,
very thin, and fortunately,

316
00:19:25,666 --> 00:19:27,500
we have the opportunity
to see it,

317
00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:30,200
and maybe we'll have also
other information

318
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,233
from the country.

319
00:19:32,233 --> 00:19:36,766
So we have informed
the national committee

320
00:19:36,766 --> 00:19:39,766
that the crescent
was sight here in Dakar.

321
00:19:39,766 --> 00:19:42,533
And they have the final word
to decide that the celebration

322
00:19:42,533 --> 00:19:44,233
will be tomorrow.

323
00:19:44,233 --> 00:19:48,233
NARRATOR: Imam Diene of the
National Commission

324
00:19:48,233 --> 00:19:50,966
for Consultation
on the Lunar Crescent

325
00:19:50,966 --> 00:19:55,033
declares that Ramadan
has come to an end.

326
00:19:55,033 --> 00:19:59,066
♪ ♪

327
00:20:05,900 --> 00:20:09,100
KAIRE:
Everyone is celebrating
the end of fasting.

328
00:20:09,100 --> 00:20:12,600
I have been invited
to be part of

329
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,900
a three-hour discussion
about science and Islam

330
00:20:14,900 --> 00:20:17,833
 
at our national broadcaster,
RTS.

331
00:20:17,833 --> 00:20:21,666
Well, I don't think that

332
00:20:21,666 --> 00:20:23,266
astronomers are celebrities,
or...

333
00:20:23,266 --> 00:20:26,666
I'm not just feeling
like a, like a star.

334
00:20:26,666 --> 00:20:29,466
Or maybe people
really appreciate

335
00:20:29,466 --> 00:20:31,800
the kind of information
we are sharing with them

336
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,433
about astronomy, because
practicing their religion

337
00:20:35,433 --> 00:20:37,633
depends on this
kind of information.

338
00:20:37,633 --> 00:20:43,500
♪ ♪

339
00:20:43,500 --> 00:20:46,100
NARRATOR:
Tonight, Maram has the
opportunity to talk astronomy

340
00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:51,066
with Imam Diene, who has just
called an end to the fast.

341
00:20:51,066 --> 00:20:52,833
(speaking Wolof)

342
00:20:52,833 --> 00:20:55,933
 
NARRATOR:
In front of an audience
of millions of Muslims,

343
00:20:55,933 --> 00:20:58,300
the imam agrees.

344
00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:00,500
Modern science may well be

345
00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:04,200
the most accurate way
to sight the crescent.

346
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,600
Maram sees this as a major win.

347
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,600
KAIRE:
To see this important person
saying

348
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,766
that it is possible now
to use astronomical datas

349
00:21:12,766 --> 00:21:17,500
is an important step in what
we are doing to find a solution.

350
00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:22,433
♪ ♪

351
00:21:30,100 --> 00:21:33,466
(man chanting takbir
over loudspeaker)

352
00:21:39,866 --> 00:21:44,400
KAIRE:
Eid al-Fitr marks the end
of the fast.

353
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,433
We give thanks with
a special morning prayer.

354
00:21:48,433 --> 00:21:52,300
Prayer is at the heart of Islam.

355
00:21:52,300 --> 00:21:57,966
♪ ♪

356
00:21:57,966 --> 00:22:01,933
NARRATOR:
The type of Islam practiced
in Senegal is Sufism.

357
00:22:01,933 --> 00:22:04,533
Maram belongs to the
Mouride Sufi Brotherhood,

358
00:22:04,533 --> 00:22:07,566
which is centered
in his ancestral home,

359
00:22:07,566 --> 00:22:09,133
the holy city of Touba.

360
00:22:09,133 --> 00:22:14,166
(man singing on soundtrack)

361
00:22:17,966 --> 00:22:22,166
KAIRE:
I am drawn here today
by a very unusual invitation.

362
00:22:22,166 --> 00:22:26,933
A family of Muslim scholars
would like to demonstrate

363
00:22:26,933 --> 00:22:31,133
their astronomical practices
to me.

364
00:22:31,133 --> 00:22:34,366
NARRATOR:
Maram is about to discover
something that will

365
00:22:34,366 --> 00:22:37,500
profoundly change the way
he perceives astronomy

366
00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:39,300
in his country:

367
00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:42,466
an enclave of scientists
who strive to perfect

368
00:22:42,466 --> 00:22:44,866
the measurement of time in the
service of Islam.

369
00:22:44,866 --> 00:22:48,533
♪ ♪

370
00:22:48,533 --> 00:22:50,533
(Cheikhouna Bousso
speaking Wolof)

371
00:22:50,533 --> 00:22:52,600
(translated): When you are

372
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,033
interested in astronomy,

373
00:22:55,033 --> 00:22:56,533
you will become passionate

374
00:22:56,533 --> 00:22:57,533
about the universe.

375
00:22:57,533 --> 00:22:59,400
You will become a fan

376
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,266
of observing what happens
in space.

377
00:23:02,266 --> 00:23:08,133
(people talking in background)

378
00:23:08,133 --> 00:23:11,666
(car horn honking in background)

379
00:23:11,666 --> 00:23:16,000
KAIRE:
I am here to learn about the
work of Cheikh Mbacke Bousso,

380
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,900
a highly respected astronomer

381
00:23:18,900 --> 00:23:21,600
who lived around the turn of
the 20th century.

382
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:26,733
♪ ♪

383
00:23:29,566 --> 00:23:31,266
The Bousso family wish
to show me a sundial

384
00:23:31,266 --> 00:23:32,400
which they have built

385
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,166
in the courtyard of
their mosque.

386
00:23:36,166 --> 00:23:38,800
It's based on one of
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso's designs.

387
00:23:40,333 --> 00:23:42,966
They still use it every day

388
00:23:42,966 --> 00:23:46,666
to find the exact prayer times
here in Touba.

389
00:23:46,666 --> 00:23:50,333
NARRATOR:
Because the official time on
a watch is not accurate enough

390
00:23:50,333 --> 00:23:52,333
for their needs.

391
00:23:52,333 --> 00:23:55,666
(talking in background)

392
00:23:55,666 --> 00:23:58,733
NARRATOR:
Official time is tied
to the world's 24 time zones,

393
00:23:58,733 --> 00:24:00,800
and is uniform across a region,

394
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,300
sometimes even
an entire country.

395
00:24:04,300 --> 00:24:06,566
But there's another type
of time,

396
00:24:06,566 --> 00:24:08,466
true solar time,

397
00:24:08,466 --> 00:24:11,966
which is tied to the
sun's position in the sky

398
00:24:11,966 --> 00:24:14,100
at a specific location.

399
00:24:14,100 --> 00:24:16,566
Even traveling a short distance
east or west,

400
00:24:16,566 --> 00:24:18,100
there's a time difference.

401
00:24:18,100 --> 00:24:23,000
Only true solar time gives
Muslims the accuracy they need

402
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,466
to pray on time
wherever they are.

403
00:24:28,433 --> 00:24:30,566
The best way to find
true solar time

404
00:24:30,566 --> 00:24:33,266
is to measure the sun's shadow

405
00:24:33,266 --> 00:24:35,633
as it changes throughout
the day.

406
00:24:35,633 --> 00:24:38,100
Many of us have now lost
the connection

407
00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:41,700
between time
and what happens in the sky,

408
00:24:41,700 --> 00:24:43,000
but not the Bousso family.

409
00:24:46,366 --> 00:24:48,366
KAIRE:
They are not just trying to use

410
00:24:48,366 --> 00:24:50,800
the time like we use it

411
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,700
in modern astronomy,

412
00:24:52,700 --> 00:24:54,233
but they need for a precise,

413
00:24:54,233 --> 00:24:56,200
accurate local time

414
00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,233
based on the position of the,
of the sun.

415
00:24:59,233 --> 00:25:03,933
All the life of the Muslim
are depending on

416
00:25:03,933 --> 00:25:07,233
this kind of information
for doing things

417
00:25:07,233 --> 00:25:08,500
at the right moment.

418
00:25:11,466 --> 00:25:15,233
To build an accurate sundial,
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso needed

419
00:25:15,233 --> 00:25:16,666
to understand basic astronomy,

420
00:25:16,666 --> 00:25:19,566
and he needed to mark
the trajectory,

421
00:25:19,566 --> 00:25:24,466
position, and length of the
sun's shadow hour after hour.

422
00:25:24,466 --> 00:25:29,500
♪ ♪

423
00:25:39,266 --> 00:25:41,600
(speaking Wolof)

424
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,600
(translated):
What he used to do
every morning for 33 years,

425
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,666
facing east with paper and ink,

426
00:25:49,666 --> 00:25:52,733
was to write down the times
of sunrise and sunset

427
00:25:52,733 --> 00:25:54,933
in a notebook.

428
00:25:54,933 --> 00:26:00,233
(man singing on soundtrack)

429
00:26:00,233 --> 00:26:04,000
NARRATOR:
And using the data collected
from his observations,

430
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,966
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso

431
00:26:05,966 --> 00:26:10,066
calculated the qibla,
the direction to Mecca.

432
00:26:10,066 --> 00:26:14,466
The Great Mosque of Touba was
built to his specifications.

433
00:26:20,266 --> 00:26:23,566
It's almost noon solar time.

434
00:26:23,566 --> 00:26:27,900
At the precise moment the sun's
shadow is at its shortest,

435
00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:30,466
it will be 12:00 p.m.

436
00:26:30,466 --> 00:26:32,733
Midday is the most accurate
reference point

437
00:26:32,733 --> 00:26:34,833
throughout the year.

438
00:26:34,833 --> 00:26:37,533
The muezzin sets his
watch by the shadow,

439
00:26:37,533 --> 00:26:43,033
continuing a long tradition
of finding time.

440
00:26:46,966 --> 00:26:50,366
(man chanting)

441
00:26:51,566 --> 00:26:55,433
(man exclaims takbir)

442
00:26:59,566 --> 00:27:00,766
♪ ♪

443
00:27:00,766 --> 00:27:03,133
KAIRE:
How did Cheikh Mbacke Bousso

444
00:27:03,133 --> 00:27:04,600
come to learn the basic
astronomy

445
00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:08,033
he needed for his tasks?

446
00:27:08,033 --> 00:27:10,733
Cheikhouna Bousso tells me he
consulted

447
00:27:10,733 --> 00:27:13,566
centuries-old Islamic
astronomy books

448
00:27:13,566 --> 00:27:16,900
written in Arabic.

449
00:27:16,900 --> 00:27:19,300
♪ ♪

450
00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:21,133
Comes as a surprise to me

451
00:27:21,133 --> 00:27:23,700
that this family of Muslim
scholars

452
00:27:23,700 --> 00:27:28,566
still practice astronomy
developed in medieval times.

453
00:27:28,566 --> 00:27:33,466
 
They tell me they would like to
learn about modern astronomy.

454
00:27:36,033 --> 00:27:38,133
We have taken different paths,

455
00:27:38,133 --> 00:27:40,600
but when we look to the skies,

456
00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,200
we ask the same question:

457
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:47,966
where is our place
in this universe?

458
00:27:47,966 --> 00:27:51,633
They watch the daily movements
of the sun, moon, and stars

459
00:27:51,633 --> 00:27:54,133
to perfect their lives on Earth.

460
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,166
I watch for the blink
of a star light-years away

461
00:27:59,166 --> 00:28:02,633
to help NASA's Lucy mission
reach asteroids

462
00:28:02,633 --> 00:28:05,666
that may unlock the secrets of
our solar system

463
00:28:05,666 --> 00:28:09,000
and ultimately our own planet.

464
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,000
♪ ♪

465
00:28:15,733 --> 00:28:19,800
NARRATOR:
Maram thought he was
bringing astronomy to Senegal.

466
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:21,833
The Bousso family have shown him

467
00:28:21,833 --> 00:28:24,266
it's already here.

468
00:28:24,266 --> 00:28:28,133
Maram has many questions.

469
00:28:28,133 --> 00:28:31,933
From where did Cheikh Mbacke
Bousso get his books?

470
00:28:31,933 --> 00:28:33,500
How did other Islamic
astronomers

471
00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:36,866
advance their
knowledge of celestial events?

472
00:28:36,866 --> 00:28:42,200
♪ ♪

473
00:28:45,500 --> 00:28:48,000
Istanbul was the center of the
powerful Ottoman Empire

474
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,333
and the hub for all Islamic
sciences from the 15th century

475
00:28:52,333 --> 00:28:56,133
right up until the 1800s.

476
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,233
Great scholars gravitated

477
00:29:04,233 --> 00:29:06,400
to this place to live and work.

478
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:07,900
With them they brought

479
00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:11,100
astronomy books written in
Arabic, like the ones

480
00:29:11,100 --> 00:29:13,400
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso may have
studied.

481
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:17,666
(people talking in background)

482
00:29:17,666 --> 00:29:21,766
NARRATOR:
Maram has come to Istanbul to
meet Taha Yasin Arslan,

483
00:29:21,766 --> 00:29:25,766
an expert on the history of
astronomy in the Islamic world.

484
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,600
ARSLAN:
Starting from ninth century,
scholars in the Islamic world

485
00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:31,933
accumulated knowledge

486
00:29:31,933 --> 00:29:34,800
from Greeks, Persians, and
Indians,

487
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,000
and, using Arabic,

488
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,433
created new scientific
knowledge.

489
00:29:39,433 --> 00:29:43,433
And that knowledge could be
used without changing

490
00:29:43,433 --> 00:29:48,566
for a thousand years all around
the Islamic world.

491
00:29:50,866 --> 00:29:53,233
I studies astronomy in the
Islamic world

492
00:29:53,233 --> 00:29:56,266
using astronomical instruments
and timekeeping.

493
00:29:59,133 --> 00:30:02,133
The main reason I make these
instruments is to understand

494
00:30:02,133 --> 00:30:04,866
the mindset of the people who
were actually

495
00:30:04,866 --> 00:30:06,500
using or making them

496
00:30:06,500 --> 00:30:10,400
in the medieval times.

497
00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,600
I learn and I understood that
science

498
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,200
in the Islamic world was not
something to be left behind,

499
00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,066
because astronomy represent all
the developments

500
00:30:22,066 --> 00:30:24,600
in mathematical sciences,
in geometry,

501
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:25,666
in geography,

502
00:30:25,666 --> 00:30:29,200
in trigonometrical calculations.

503
00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:33,733
It is a preparation for the
modern science to build up on.

504
00:30:37,233 --> 00:30:40,633
♪ ♪

505
00:30:41,866 --> 00:30:44,833
NARRATOR:
Taha has invited Maram
to view rare books

506
00:30:44,833 --> 00:30:48,366
on Islamic astronomy
written centuries ago.

507
00:30:50,100 --> 00:30:52,533
These may be the type of books
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso

508
00:30:52,533 --> 00:30:55,166
had in his library.

509
00:30:57,133 --> 00:30:58,600
Hi, Mr. Taha.

510
00:30:58,600 --> 00:30:59,866
ARSLAN:
Hello!

511
00:30:59,866 --> 00:31:01,433
Nice to meet you.
Very nice to meet you, too.

512
00:31:01,433 --> 00:31:03,100
Welcome to Istanbul.
This is a great
pleasure to see you.

513
00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:04,833
Good to see you, too.
Well, thank you.

514
00:31:04,833 --> 00:31:07,900
You have
a very, very nice city.

515
00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:12,533
♪ ♪

516
00:31:12,533 --> 00:31:18,000
ARSLAN:
Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul
contains 90,000 manuscripts,

517
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,933
and this is the largest Islamic
collection

518
00:31:20,933 --> 00:31:22,466
in the world.

519
00:31:22,466 --> 00:31:26,600
One can find any book in
any branches of science.

520
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,233
For most of the scholars in the
Islamic world,

521
00:31:29,233 --> 00:31:35,433
there is at least one copy of
their book in this library.

522
00:31:35,433 --> 00:31:37,266
Oh...
These are the replicas

523
00:31:37,266 --> 00:31:40,566
of the manuscripts...
(speaking indistinctly)

524
00:31:40,566 --> 00:31:43,300
ARSLAN:
So we have a special treat
here.

525
00:31:43,300 --> 00:31:45,300
And library allowed us to
have

526
00:31:45,300 --> 00:31:47,433
this magnificent manuscript.

527
00:31:47,433 --> 00:31:49,166
Yeah.
And it is by

528
00:31:49,166 --> 00:31:52,800
Jaghmini, who's a
13th, 14th-century astronomer.

529
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,733
Mm-hmm.
The importance of this book

530
00:31:54,733 --> 00:31:59,266
is, it is disseminated all
around the Islamic world.

531
00:31:59,266 --> 00:32:02,133
When you have any kind of
information about cosmology...

532
00:32:02,133 --> 00:32:04,966
Mm-hmm.
...it will always relate to
this book.

533
00:32:04,966 --> 00:32:09,766
And, oh, yes, that's one
of the things.
Oh...

534
00:32:09,766 --> 00:32:12,800
This is showing the eclipses,
absolutely.
Eclipse, yeah.

535
00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,800
This is the sun,
this is the Earth.
I see.

536
00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,533
And this is the moon.
Yeah.

537
00:32:18,533 --> 00:32:20,133
This is what we call now basic
astronomy, so...

538
00:32:20,133 --> 00:32:23,233
Yes.
Yeah, I think that it's,
but for this time,

539
00:32:23,233 --> 00:32:25,866
it's very, very impressive
to have

540
00:32:25,866 --> 00:32:27,866
this kind of accuracy.

541
00:32:27,866 --> 00:32:32,400
♪ ♪

542
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:35,466
I like this a lot, because,

543
00:32:35,466 --> 00:32:37,433
in some of the pages,
you see

544
00:32:37,433 --> 00:32:39,000
so many comments there.
Yeah, yeah.

545
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,800
And these are
specifically made

546
00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:43,200
by people
who are studying this.

547
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,466
Yeah.
And not always for,
for astronomers.

548
00:32:46,466 --> 00:32:48,933
That's the key,
because science

549
00:32:48,933 --> 00:32:51,400
is never remaining
in, in some sort

550
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,200
of elite group of people.

551
00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,933
NARRATOR:
But there are also books that
only astronomers would consult.

552
00:32:57,933 --> 00:33:00,366
This one has instructions

553
00:33:00,366 --> 00:33:03,233
to make one of Islamic science's
most important

554
00:33:03,233 --> 00:33:06,233
and complex astronomical
instruments--

555
00:33:06,233 --> 00:33:08,933
the astrolabe.

556
00:33:10,433 --> 00:33:12,400
As a person who makes
astrolabes,

557
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,466
I actually use this
book

558
00:33:14,466 --> 00:33:18,033
and the calculations in this
book in my own

559
00:33:18,033 --> 00:33:21,533
productions, as well.

560
00:33:21,533 --> 00:33:25,000
NARRATOR:
An astrolabe has many uses,

561
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,033
from identifying stars
to finding daily time.

562
00:33:28,033 --> 00:33:30,300
It may have been developed by
the Greeks,

563
00:33:30,300 --> 00:33:34,700
but it reached its zenith in the
hands of Islamic scientists.

564
00:33:34,700 --> 00:33:36,366
They wanted to make better,

565
00:33:36,366 --> 00:33:41,133
more accurate instruments
to calculate time.

566
00:33:41,133 --> 00:33:42,533
ARSLAN:
This is an Islamic astrolabe.

567
00:33:42,533 --> 00:33:46,466
This instrument is actually
a mechanical computer.

568
00:33:46,466 --> 00:33:49,300
What you see here is the
projection of the sky

569
00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:52,833
for a specific latitude--
this is for Istanbul.

570
00:33:56,766 --> 00:34:00,300
NARRATOR:
Etched on the base plate
is the horizon line;

571
00:34:00,300 --> 00:34:02,333
precise altitude circles,

572
00:34:02,333 --> 00:34:04,866
marking the sun's height above
the horizon;

573
00:34:04,866 --> 00:34:08,733
and the meridian,
showing midday and midnight.

574
00:34:10,266 --> 00:34:12,633
On top of the base plate
is a moveable plate

575
00:34:12,633 --> 00:34:15,266
showing stars and
constellations

576
00:34:15,266 --> 00:34:19,200
and a ring that represents the
apparent movement of the sun

577
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,000
throughout the year.

578
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,366
It's labeled with dates.

579
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,500
It starts with one single
observation.

580
00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:33,400
And we will actually try to
maintain the position of this,

581
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:37,133
this piece,
exactly aligning with the sun.

582
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,900
I think it's now aligned.

583
00:34:43,733 --> 00:34:45,833
This is a perfect alignment.

584
00:34:45,833 --> 00:34:49,333
And we just read
the, the altitude...

585
00:34:49,333 --> 00:34:51,000
Yeah.
...from here to here.

586
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:52,200
Yeah.
It's 54 degrees.

587
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,566
NARRATOR: That means the sun is
54 degrees above the horizon.

588
00:34:59,566 --> 00:35:02,466
 
The user now turns the
astrolabe over

589
00:35:02,466 --> 00:35:07,500
to find the 54 degrees circle on
the bottom plate.

590
00:35:07,500 --> 00:35:10,900
Next step, find and mark the
date.

591
00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:14,933
It's etched on the ring that
represents the sun's path.

592
00:35:14,933 --> 00:35:18,033
Then rotate the plate until the
date aligns

593
00:35:18,033 --> 00:35:20,300
with the altitude mark.

594
00:35:20,300 --> 00:35:22,033
If you take a piece of string

595
00:35:22,033 --> 00:35:23,900
from the center of the
astrolabe

596
00:35:23,900 --> 00:35:25,966
through the aligned points,

597
00:35:25,966 --> 00:35:29,000
you can read the time from the
rim.

598
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,133
The line is like the
hand of a clock.

599
00:35:32,133 --> 00:35:34,933
It's four minutes past two
in the afternoon.

600
00:35:37,833 --> 00:35:39,500
ARSLAN:
Once we reach that,

601
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:41,700
we can calculate
any time.

602
00:35:41,700 --> 00:35:45,300
So that is not a simple-to-use
instrument.

603
00:35:45,300 --> 00:35:49,433
Hm.
But accurate enough for all
time-keeping applications.

604
00:35:49,433 --> 00:35:54,066
♪ ♪

605
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,566
ARSLAN:
For the Islamic world, time is
much more important

606
00:36:01,566 --> 00:36:03,533
than any other region,

607
00:36:03,533 --> 00:36:06,666
society, or culture,
because their lives

608
00:36:06,666 --> 00:36:09,233
depending on the time-keeping

609
00:36:09,233 --> 00:36:11,366
for daily practices of Islam,

610
00:36:11,366 --> 00:36:13,966
or yearly practices of Islam,

611
00:36:13,966 --> 00:36:18,433
or even lifetime practices of
Islam.

612
00:36:18,433 --> 00:36:20,300
♪ ♪

613
00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:21,533
NARRATOR:
In Istanbul,

614
00:36:21,533 --> 00:36:24,466
Maram has learned how medieval
scientists

615
00:36:24,466 --> 00:36:27,300
used astronomy in the
service of Islam.

616
00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:29,966
This knowledge is still
alive in Senegal today.

617
00:36:29,966 --> 00:36:31,900
(murmuring)

618
00:36:31,900 --> 00:36:35,566
NARRATOR:
But was there astronomy in
Senegal before Islam?

619
00:36:35,566 --> 00:36:37,933
Maram would like to know.

620
00:36:39,433 --> 00:36:41,800
He may soon discover that his
country's connection

621
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,800
with the stars reaches much
further back in time

622
00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,600
than he ever realized.

623
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:51,633
♪ ♪

624
00:36:53,033 --> 00:36:56,800
Clues can be found along a vast
stretch of the River Gambia,

625
00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:59,666
where more than a thousand
stone circles

626
00:36:59,666 --> 00:37:02,200
have been constructed.

627
00:37:05,100 --> 00:37:07,000
They were built over thousands
of years,

628
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,900
right up until the 16th century.

629
00:37:11,366 --> 00:37:13,133
Many human remains

630
00:37:13,133 --> 00:37:16,566
and artifacts have been
excavated at the sites.

631
00:37:16,566 --> 00:37:18,666
Scientific research has mainly

632
00:37:18,666 --> 00:37:22,866
focused on the burial practices
and rituals of the builders.

633
00:37:22,866 --> 00:37:27,333
That is about to change.

634
00:37:27,333 --> 00:37:28,733
Maram wants to look at them

635
00:37:28,733 --> 00:37:30,866
through the eyes of an
astronomer.

636
00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:35,466
KAIRE:
The first time I heard
about these places,

637
00:37:35,466 --> 00:37:38,200
I was just asking myself

638
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,533
if we can have the same
configuration,

639
00:37:40,533 --> 00:37:43,033
the same set-up, between

640
00:37:43,033 --> 00:37:45,033
the sample of Stonehenge

641
00:37:45,033 --> 00:37:49,733
and these stone circles here in
Senegambia.

642
00:37:52,500 --> 00:37:56,133
NARRATOR:
They are one of the largest
concentrations of megaliths

643
00:37:56,133 --> 00:37:58,666
so far recorded in the world.

644
00:37:58,666 --> 00:38:02,633
But the stone circles are not
well known outside of Senegal,

645
00:38:02,633 --> 00:38:05,366
and some of them are
difficult to find.

646
00:38:05,366 --> 00:38:07,266
(pulley squeaking)

647
00:38:07,266 --> 00:38:10,400
There are not many signs
showing directions

648
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:14,233
to the sites, and the roads and
tracks are like a maze.

649
00:38:14,233 --> 00:38:16,266
But the local villagers know
exactly

650
00:38:16,266 --> 00:38:18,200
where the stone circles
are located.

651
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:22,900
(speaking Wolof)

652
00:38:22,900 --> 00:38:26,533
Merci beaucoup,
merci.

653
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:37,233
NARRATOR:
Maram is joined by
archaeologist Aimé Kantoussan

654
00:38:37,233 --> 00:38:39,833
and planetary scientist Marc
Buie,

655
00:38:39,833 --> 00:38:43,100
who is also curious about
humanity's ancient connections

656
00:38:43,100 --> 00:38:44,866
to astronomy.

657
00:38:44,866 --> 00:38:47,866
They will look for evidence of
astronomical alignments

658
00:38:47,866 --> 00:38:50,233
at the sites.

659
00:38:50,233 --> 00:38:52,100
KAIRE:
You have some megaliths

660
00:38:52,100 --> 00:38:54,266
there, on the right.

661
00:38:54,266 --> 00:38:57,000
♪ ♪

662
00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:02,633
BUIE:
The quest that Maram laid in
front of me was to somehow

663
00:39:02,633 --> 00:39:06,333
show a different and new aspect

664
00:39:06,333 --> 00:39:07,666
to these stone circles

665
00:39:07,666 --> 00:39:09,700
than had ever before been
realized.

666
00:39:09,700 --> 00:39:12,433
And specifically to say,

667
00:39:12,433 --> 00:39:15,000
"Is there a direct

668
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:19,500
connection to astronomical
phenomena?"

669
00:39:19,500 --> 00:39:24,533
♪ ♪

670
00:39:35,133 --> 00:39:37,833
NARRATOR:
They will begin their
survey at Sine Ngayène,

671
00:39:37,833 --> 00:39:41,066
the largest stone circle site.

672
00:39:41,066 --> 00:39:44,433
It is inscribed on the World
Heritage List

673
00:39:44,433 --> 00:39:48,400
as a place of universal value.

674
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,766
Neither the local people nor
visiting archaeologists

675
00:39:50,766 --> 00:39:53,100
know who built these circles.

676
00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:56,333
(bleat)

677
00:39:56,333 --> 00:39:57,733
There is no connection

678
00:39:57,733 --> 00:39:59,233
between the people who build

679
00:39:59,233 --> 00:40:00,733
this kind of sites

680
00:40:00,733 --> 00:40:01,833
and the people who are

681
00:40:01,833 --> 00:40:03,666
living here right now.

682
00:40:03,666 --> 00:40:05,333
It's just, like, they,

683
00:40:05,333 --> 00:40:07,533
they build this kind of site,
use them,

684
00:40:07,533 --> 00:40:11,800
and they just disappeared.

685
00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:14,133
KAIRE:
Aimé tells us that the circles

686
00:40:14,133 --> 00:40:17,500
have marker stones facing east.

687
00:40:25,833 --> 00:40:30,600
There is a solitary stone
that catches my attention.

688
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,333
I think it's important because

689
00:40:33,333 --> 00:40:36,500
there are other stones nearby
that may align with it.

690
00:40:38,300 --> 00:40:39,933
BUIE:
You're saying this has a

691
00:40:39,933 --> 00:40:43,666
special orientation.
Yeah.

692
00:40:43,666 --> 00:40:47,933
And I'm measuring this angle
here to the second stone.
Yeah.

693
00:40:47,933 --> 00:40:50,466
Which, according to my
calculations,

694
00:40:50,466 --> 00:40:52,300
is where the sun sets

695
00:40:52,300 --> 00:40:54,933
at the beginning of the summer

696
00:40:54,933 --> 00:40:57,133
at the solstice.
Yeah.

697
00:41:02,166 --> 00:41:06,766
So when I look this direction,
I confirm the angle,

698
00:41:06,766 --> 00:41:09,533
124 degrees to that rock,

699
00:41:09,533 --> 00:41:14,900
is where the sun would rise at
the beginning of winter.

700
00:41:14,900 --> 00:41:19,966
So when I look this direction,
this angle is

701
00:41:19,966 --> 00:41:23,000
very, very close
to the equinox

702
00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,666
for the beginning of spring
and fall.

703
00:41:27,666 --> 00:41:29,300
NARRATOR: The people who placed
these stones

704
00:41:29,300 --> 00:41:33,933
would have observed how the
locations of sunrise and sunset

705
00:41:33,933 --> 00:41:35,866
varied over the year.

706
00:41:35,866 --> 00:41:39,100
When the sun reached
its northernmost point,

707
00:41:39,100 --> 00:41:41,666
it was the longest day,
the summer solstice.

708
00:41:41,666 --> 00:41:43,800
At its southernmost point,

709
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,433
the shortest day,
the winter solstice.

710
00:41:46,433 --> 00:41:48,833
And when the sun rose directly
east,

711
00:41:48,833 --> 00:41:51,900
the days and nights were
equal in length,

712
00:41:51,900 --> 00:41:54,366
the equinoxes.

713
00:41:54,366 --> 00:41:57,533
By aligning stones to these
points,

714
00:41:57,533 --> 00:42:01,966
the builders would have
been able to track the seasons.

715
00:42:01,966 --> 00:42:05,533
♪ ♪

716
00:42:05,533 --> 00:42:09,100
(thunder rumbling)

717
00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,133
♪ ♪

718
00:42:17,133 --> 00:42:20,966
And Marc and Maram discover
that these stones

719
00:42:20,966 --> 00:42:24,833
may demonstrate additional
astronomical knowledge.

720
00:42:27,866 --> 00:42:29,133
BUIE:
That small stone there

721
00:42:29,133 --> 00:42:31,700
is exactly north
of this stone.
KAIRE: Yeah.

722
00:42:31,700 --> 00:42:33,066
That's crazy.

723
00:42:33,066 --> 00:42:35,366
This one?
Yes.

724
00:42:35,366 --> 00:42:37,166
Let me check from here.

725
00:42:37,166 --> 00:42:40,166
Yeah, I'm facing to the south.
Yeah.

726
00:42:40,166 --> 00:42:44,233
So this is a great
big compass on the ground.

727
00:42:44,233 --> 00:42:45,666
Wow.
Cool.

728
00:42:45,666 --> 00:42:48,966
I'm smiling just because
it's, it's incredible, wow.

729
00:42:52,533 --> 00:42:55,133
NARRATOR:
There were several ways
the stone circle builders

730
00:42:55,133 --> 00:42:56,666
could have found north.

731
00:42:56,666 --> 00:42:58,433
One way was looking
at the patterns

732
00:42:58,433 --> 00:43:00,533
and motions
of the stars.

733
00:43:00,533 --> 00:43:02,533
(crickets chirping)

734
00:43:02,533 --> 00:43:05,000
BUIE:
Right now you would use
Polaris,

735
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:09,633
but in the past, Polaris won't
be in exactly the right spot,

736
00:43:09,633 --> 00:43:11,900
but the stars will still trace
out a circle,

737
00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:14,733
if you're paying attention.
KAIRE:
Of course.

738
00:43:18,300 --> 00:43:21,366
BUIE:
Makes me wonder, which came
first?

739
00:43:21,366 --> 00:43:24,700
These stones or the circles?

740
00:43:26,333 --> 00:43:27,900
So I'm left with the question
of,

741
00:43:27,900 --> 00:43:30,066
why did they care so much about
this?

742
00:43:30,066 --> 00:43:31,700
What did they use it for?

743
00:43:31,700 --> 00:43:35,300
What was their intent
in setting this up?

744
00:43:35,300 --> 00:43:38,266
Is it just to do the metrology

745
00:43:38,266 --> 00:43:40,733
for all the other stone circles?

746
00:43:40,733 --> 00:43:43,633
Or was it just exploring the
universe?

747
00:43:47,533 --> 00:43:49,500
NARRATOR:
And they find the same
alignments

748
00:43:49,500 --> 00:43:53,433
at another stone circle site
called Wanar.

749
00:43:55,966 --> 00:43:57,866
KAIRE:
Yeah, one-eight-zero.

750
00:43:57,866 --> 00:44:00,333
Seems that...
Facing east.

751
00:44:00,333 --> 00:44:01,966
...we have a very nice line
here.

752
00:44:06,966 --> 00:44:09,433
So is this what you
were hoping to find?
KAIRE: Well, exactly

753
00:44:09,433 --> 00:44:10,933
what we were
searching for,

754
00:44:10,933 --> 00:44:13,200
and what is amazing

755
00:44:13,200 --> 00:44:16,266
is to have the same information
from

756
00:44:16,266 --> 00:44:19,033
the Sine Ngayène site and
the Wanar site.
The Wanar site.

757
00:44:19,033 --> 00:44:22,566
And it's, it's incredible.

758
00:44:22,566 --> 00:44:26,566
♪ ♪

759
00:44:27,500 --> 00:44:29,133
BUIE:
I think the historical record

760
00:44:29,133 --> 00:44:32,000
for human civilization

761
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,800
shows a connection to astronomy
from the very beginning.

762
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:37,900
Understanding the stars,

763
00:44:37,900 --> 00:44:41,233
sunrise, sunset,
phases of the moon.

764
00:44:41,233 --> 00:44:44,500
All of that work culminates

765
00:44:44,500 --> 00:44:46,800
in being able to fly a mission
like Lucy

766
00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,366
that has to fly
through space

767
00:44:48,366 --> 00:44:51,666
launched on a rocket, and end up

768
00:44:51,666 --> 00:44:55,600
in the right place to study the
solar system.

769
00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:57,466
NARRATOR:
At Cape Canaveral,

770
00:44:57,466 --> 00:45:01,600
the Lucy mission is entering its
countdown to launch.

771
00:45:03,366 --> 00:45:06,866
While in Senegal,
Maram and his team undertake

772
00:45:06,866 --> 00:45:10,733
final preparations
before the occultation.

773
00:45:10,733 --> 00:45:13,933
♪ ♪

774
00:45:13,933 --> 00:45:16,333
(people talking in background)

775
00:45:16,333 --> 00:45:19,933
KAIRE:
We are now loading crates
with telescope on the vehicles,

776
00:45:19,933 --> 00:45:21,700
and just after that, we are
moving

777
00:45:21,700 --> 00:45:24,300
to, to the observation sites
to watch the occultation.

778
00:45:24,300 --> 00:45:30,166
(talking in background)

779
00:45:30,166 --> 00:45:32,533
♪ ♪

780
00:45:32,533 --> 00:45:35,700
(speaking French)

781
00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:38,533
Bye.

782
00:45:40,533 --> 00:45:42,000
NARRATOR:
For the last three nights,

783
00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,733
the teams have practiced setting
up and aiming

784
00:45:44,733 --> 00:45:48,633
their telescopes at the star
Orus will pass in front of.

785
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:52,666
At 1:55 tomorrow morning,

786
00:45:52,666 --> 00:45:56,266
they will know if their
preparations have been enough.

787
00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,066
To be honest, I feel a bit
stress, uh, stress,

788
00:46:05,066 --> 00:46:07,666
but I am confident.

789
00:46:10,933 --> 00:46:12,300
 
BOULEY:
I think that we are ready with
the computer,

790
00:46:12,300 --> 00:46:14,900
with the telescope, but we hope

791
00:46:14,900 --> 00:46:17,633
that the sky will be the same

792
00:46:17,633 --> 00:46:20,633
during the next two hours.

793
00:46:23,966 --> 00:46:27,133
I'm nervous, I can't hide it.

794
00:46:27,133 --> 00:46:29,233
I'm, I'm a little bit nervous.

795
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:33,500
 
NARRATOR:
The telescope is aimed
at the distant star.

796
00:46:33,500 --> 00:46:35,800
The team needs to capture

797
00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:38,300
the crucial moments when the
asteroid

798
00:46:38,300 --> 00:46:41,366
blocks the star's light.

799
00:46:41,366 --> 00:46:45,033
♪ ♪

800
00:46:45,033 --> 00:46:46,200
The countdown begins.

801
00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:48,733
BOULEY:
Please, no more floodlights.

802
00:46:48,733 --> 00:46:49,966
(speaking French)

803
00:46:49,966 --> 00:46:53,900
(counting down in French)

804
00:46:53,900 --> 00:46:58,866
(countdown continues)

805
00:46:58,866 --> 00:47:00,933
(countdown ends)

806
00:47:08,133 --> 00:47:10,033
BOULEY:
Yes, man.

807
00:47:10,033 --> 00:47:11,100
KAIRE:
We got it,
we've got an occultation.

808
00:47:11,100 --> 00:47:14,133
(Kaire speaking French)
(murmurs)

809
00:47:14,133 --> 00:47:15,533
KAIRE:
Whew!

810
00:47:15,533 --> 00:47:21,700
♪ ♪

811
00:47:21,700 --> 00:47:23,400
KAIRE:
Can I dance right now?

812
00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:24,666
BOULEY:
Yeah, man!

813
00:47:24,666 --> 00:47:26,400
(Kaire laughing)

814
00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:29,100
(all talking indistinctly)

815
00:47:29,100 --> 00:47:31,500
(slapping backs)

816
00:47:31,500 --> 00:47:34,566
I was very excited when
I saw this occultation.

817
00:47:34,566 --> 00:47:37,133
It's great, you see maybe my
eyes shining.

818
00:47:37,133 --> 00:47:38,533
It's just a great moment.

819
00:47:38,533 --> 00:47:42,633
We have the sky very good and
very clear

820
00:47:42,633 --> 00:47:44,933
to have our occultation,

821
00:47:44,933 --> 00:47:47,533
and just five minute after, the
sky is

822
00:47:47,533 --> 00:47:52,000
getting cloudy, so I'm so happy
and it's fantastic.

823
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:55,700
♪ ♪

824
00:47:55,700 --> 00:48:00,900
(man singing on soundtrack)

825
00:48:07,700 --> 00:48:11,966
(talking in background,
applauding)

826
00:48:21,500 --> 00:48:24,766
NARRATOR:
All of the data collected
by the teams is sent

827
00:48:24,766 --> 00:48:26,833
to Marc Buie, who is waiting
at Cape Canaveral

828
00:48:26,833 --> 00:48:29,000
for Lucy to launch.

829
00:48:30,566 --> 00:48:31,900
BUIE:
In the hours leading up

830
00:48:31,900 --> 00:48:34,366
to the Lucy launch, I was
getting early reports

831
00:48:34,366 --> 00:48:37,200
from Senegal that it was
successful,

832
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:39,966
and a picture was emerging of
Orus.

833
00:48:39,966 --> 00:48:44,366
NARRATOR:
Marc determines the
asteroid is 31 miles high

834
00:48:44,366 --> 00:48:48,433
and 42 miles across.

835
00:48:48,433 --> 00:48:50,033
It's elliptical in shape

836
00:48:50,033 --> 00:48:52,533
and with some puzzling surface
features.

837
00:48:52,533 --> 00:48:55,133
An outstanding result which
will help

838
00:48:55,133 --> 00:48:59,366
NASA plan Lucy's
future encounter with Orus.

839
00:49:03,233 --> 00:49:07,366
(people talking in background)

840
00:49:07,366 --> 00:49:08,500
WOMAN (in video):
Lucy in the sky

841
00:49:08,500 --> 00:49:10,133
with asteroids.

842
00:49:10,133 --> 00:49:11,933
In L-minus 34 minutes,

843
00:49:11,933 --> 00:49:13,966
this Atlas V rocket

844
00:49:13,966 --> 00:49:17,933
will send Lucy on the first-ever
space mission to study

845
00:49:17,933 --> 00:49:22,133
the Trojan asteroids which share
Jupiter's orbit around the sun.

846
00:49:22,133 --> 00:49:23,866
MAN:
Named after the Lucy fossil,

847
00:49:23,866 --> 00:49:25,033
the spacecraft will visit

848
00:49:25,033 --> 00:49:27,800
eight asteroids
over 12 years,

849
00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:30,066
as we seek to uncover
the mysteries

850
00:49:30,066 --> 00:49:32,366
of our solar system's
formation.

851
00:49:33,733 --> 00:49:36,266
MAN:
Zero.

852
00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,533
Lift-off, Atlas V takes flight.

853
00:49:40,533 --> 00:49:46,666
♪ ♪

854
00:49:48,833 --> 00:49:52,833
(man speaking on radio)

855
00:49:52,833 --> 00:49:55,866
♪ ♪

856
00:49:59,166 --> 00:50:03,133
(man speaking on radio)

857
00:50:07,100 --> 00:50:09,533
BUIE:
The NASA Lucy mission

858
00:50:09,533 --> 00:50:13,466
is almost certainly going to be
a game changer.

859
00:50:13,466 --> 00:50:15,833
What games is it going to
change?

860
00:50:15,833 --> 00:50:19,533
Probably the origin
of the solar system.

861
00:50:19,533 --> 00:50:21,466
If that weren't a
big enough topic.

862
00:50:21,466 --> 00:50:26,300
♪ ♪

863
00:50:26,300 --> 00:50:28,300
NARRATOR:
The Lucy mission

864
00:50:28,300 --> 00:50:32,266
has taken Maram's dream to build
a space agency

865
00:50:32,266 --> 00:50:36,866
one step closer to reality.

866
00:50:36,866 --> 00:50:38,200
The successful NASA
collaboration

867
00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:41,333
has been praised
by Senegal's president,

868
00:50:41,333 --> 00:50:44,933
and Maram has found a deep and
rich history

869
00:50:44,933 --> 00:50:49,100
of astronomy in his country.

870
00:50:49,100 --> 00:50:52,766
Ancient connections to space he
never dreamed existed

871
00:50:52,766 --> 00:50:56,200
that show how humans have always
looked to the skies

872
00:50:56,200 --> 00:50:59,466
for answers
about our lives on Earth.

873
00:51:01,166 --> 00:51:05,633
KAIRE:
I need to know my place
inside this universe,

874
00:51:05,633 --> 00:51:10,033
and watching the stars
and using astronomy

875
00:51:10,033 --> 00:51:13,833
is just giving me a sort of
answer.

876
00:51:13,833 --> 00:51:15,800
I started very young,

877
00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:19,766
and I'm, keep on learning and
searching,

878
00:51:19,766 --> 00:51:22,966
and I think that it's the most
wonderful way

879
00:51:22,966 --> 00:51:24,200
to, to live my life.

880
00:51:27,633 --> 00:51:31,433
♪ ♪

881
00:51:38,766 --> 00:51:41,200
NARRATOR:
The International Astronomical
Union

882
00:51:41,200 --> 00:51:44,033
have recently honored Maram.

883
00:51:44,033 --> 00:51:45,933
Orbiting the sun

884
00:51:45,933 --> 00:51:48,633
in the asteroid belt between
Mars and Jupiter

885
00:51:48,633 --> 00:51:54,800
is asteroid 35462
Maramkaire.

886
00:51:57,200 --> 00:52:02,300
♪ ♪

887
00:52:20,766 --> 00:52:28,300
♪ ♪

888
00:52:35,533 --> 00:52:40,400
ANNOUNCER:
To order this program on DVD,
visit ShopPBS.

889
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,133
Or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.

890
00:52:43,133 --> 00:52:46,000
Episodes of "NOVA"
are available with Passport.

891
00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:49,733
"NOVA" is also available
on Amazon Prime Video.

892
00:52:49,733 --> 00:52:54,933
♪ ♪

893
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:10,966
♪ ♪