50x02 - Star Chasers of Senegal

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: About 400
million miles from Earth,

an asteroid hurtles
through space.

Meanwhile, scientists
in West Africa

train their telescopes
on a distant star,

anxiously hoping to
catch the fleeting moment

when the asteroid
crosses in front of it,

blocking its light.

MARC BUIE: If you
don't get the data

at the right second,

you don't get the data ever.

NARRATOR: They are
part of a NASA mission

that could revolutionize
our understanding

of the very beginnings
of our solar system

and take the African
nation of Senegal

one step closer to
an ambitious goal:

to establish its
own space agency.

Space belongs to everyone
and it is open for everyone.

NARRATOR: "Star
Chasers of Senegal,"

right now, on "NOVA."

♪ ♪

[birds twittering]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Senegal,
on the west coast of Africa.

One scientist wants to change

the fortunes of his country
by looking to the stars.

♪ ♪

His name is Maram Kaire.

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

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

to help solve mysteries

about the origins of our
solar system and our planet.

This is a dream come true.

But I have a much
more challenging mission

here on Earth,

to build a space
agency in Senegal.

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

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: For Maram, that
begins with helping his community

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

roots that Maram
is about to discover

go back even further
than he realized.

♪ ♪

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

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

Maram Kaire comes
here to feel that history

and to imagine
a brighter future.

KAIRE: This is the House
of sl*ve in Gorée island,

and from this place,
millions of African people

were taken by boat across
the ocean as sl*ve to America.

And this is the
doorway of no return.

And we can imagine them

just turning back

and seeing this door

as maybe the last link

between them
and their continent.

It was the last thing
they have to see

when they leave their land.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Now,
across that same ocean,

a spacecraft called Lucy
is getting ready to launch.

♪ ♪

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

♪ ♪

Lucy's mission is to explore
what astronomers call

Trojan asteroids,
leftovers from the time

our sun and
planets first formed.

These ancient rocky remnants
cluster in two distinct groups

trapped in Jupiter's
orbit around the sun.

The spacecraft will
fly by eight of them,

looking for clues
to better understand

the birth of our solar system,

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

The asteroids are like fossils,

so scientists name
the mission Lucy,

after a fossilized early human
ancestor found in Ethiopia.

Just as Lucy teaches us

about the origins
of humans on Earth,

Lucy the spacecraft

is going to teach us

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

that ultimately
led to the Earth.

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

to precisely reach
its target asteroids,

the probe is entering
a region of space

that has never been explored.

♪ ♪

It will fly past each
of the target asteroids

at about 15,000 miles
per hour, giving scientists

very little time to
conduct their observations.

To help guide Lucy's approach,

they'll record events
called stellar occultations.

♪ ♪

A stellar occultation

occurs when a celestial body

passes in front of a star

and blocks that star's light.

At sites around the
world, observers will record

Lucy's target asteroids
as they eclipse stars

beyond our solar system.

And from the data they collect,

scientists can estimate an
asteroid's precise dimensions.

♪ ♪

The occultation team is led by
planetary scientist Marc Buie.

BUIE: At the beginning of 2021,

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

"a really good one
with a nice bright star,

and it goes right over Senegal."

And I've already worked
with the people in Senegal

to do two previous occultations.

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

♪ ♪

[car horn honks]

♪ ♪

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

to record the occultation

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

[speaking French]

NARRATOR: His task is to
coordinate a team of astronomers

from Africa,
Europe, and the U.S.

This will be his
third NASA mission.

♪ ♪

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

telescopes, cameras, and
laptops shipped from NASA.

But even the best equipment
cannot guarantee success

if the sky clouds over.

KAIRE: We are crossing
fingers to have good weather.

Also maybe praying just to have

all the team are safe
and in perfect condition

at the end of this mission.

[car horn honking]

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Maram is an
internationally recognized advocate

for astronomy in Africa.

This occultation mission
may take him one step closer

to his dream of taking
Senegal to space.

To view the event,

the team must travel three
hours outside of Dakar.

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

where we need to send crews.

That's all dictated by
celestial mechanics

and how these things
are moving around the sky.

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

as it orbits around 400
million miles from Earth

and the precise
location of the distant star

he predicts it will
pass in front of.

He estimates the event
will last just 3.2 seconds.

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

With occultations,

if you don't get the
data at the right second,

you don't get the data ever.

[man speaking on radio]

NARRATOR: Timing is critical.

By chance,

Lucy is due to launch
almost eight hours

after the occultation.

♪ ♪

KAIRE: And what we
are doing now with NASA

is very important.

You know, by dealing with
these occultations missions,

we are training a young
generation here in Senegal.

[people talking in background]

MARIE KORSAGA:
Seeing this collaboration

is a proof that science,

especially astronomy,

is a collaborative, inclusive.

And this is very important

for the development
of astronomy in Africa.

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

It shows that for 15 years,

Maram creates really a nice

astronomical
association in, in Senegal.

He know how to motivate people,

and there are more and more

people loving
astronomy in Senegal.

[talking in background]

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

that shocked the world.

KAIRE: The first
contact with space

started with the tragedy of
the space shuttle Challenger.

It was the first time

that I receive
information about space.

♪ ♪

[expl*si*n roars]

♪ ♪

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

with this tragedy.

♪ ♪

And I started to read
books and getting out

to observe the
stars, constellations.

♪ ♪

I was 12 and I decided to
start to build my own telescope.

And this is how things
began and never stop.

♪ ♪

It's our first training night,
so each team will have

the opportunity to
set up his telescope.

NARRATOR: On the night of
the occultation, ten telescopes

will be precisely
aimed at the star

that Orus will pass in front of.

For just a few seconds,
when Earth, asteroid,

and star perfectly align,

Orus will block
the star's light,

casting a shadow on the Earth

that is the asteroid's
exact shape.

By estimating the path
and width of the shadow,

scientists can determine
where to place the telescopes.

To guide the teams,

Marc Buie computes a set
of lines designed to cover

the predicted region
where the shadow will pass.

Each observation team
is given one of these lines,

and they must find a
location somewhere along it

where they can safely set up.

If they can record
the occultation

from their vantage points,
Marc will have the data he needs

to determine the
asteroid's shape and size--

vital information for Lucy's
fly-by of Orus in 2028.

BUIE: It's one thing

to say, "Put your
telescope on this line,"

and it's quite
another to translate

to actually standing somewhere.

The last thing you
want to do is be dealing

with an angry farmer

right at the time
of the occultation.

NARRATOR: Every observation site

must be surveyed so there
are no surprises after dark.

[speaking French]

Salaam alaikum.

[speaking Wolof]

BAIDY DEMBA DIOP [translated]: I told them
we would be back Friday night with telescopes

to observe an asteroid
passing in front of a star.

They said, "Okay, no problem."

They understood.

♪ ♪

[Salma Sylla speaking French]

[wheels spinning]

♪ ♪

[Sylla speaking French]

[translated]: You
see what can happen.

That is why it is
important to visit the sites

before we bring all
of the equipment out

on the night of the occultation.

♪ ♪

KAIRE: This occultation is
crucial for NASA's Lucy mission.

But it is also part
of a much larger,

more challenging mission:

to build a space
agency here in Senegal.

I believe space is for everyone.

NARRATOR: For 15 years,

Maram has lobbied politicians
to embrace these words.

To convince them that
Senegal's development challenges

can be addressed
with space science.

Many African nations
have launched their own

small, inexpensive
satellites called Cubesats.

These eyes in the sky

have proven to be vital
for communications,

weather forecasting, and the
prediction of natural disasters.

Maram believes they
could be life-changing

for Senegal's large
rural population,

now at the mercy of
unpredictable climatic events.

♪ ♪

To build and launch
these satellites

will take a new
generation of scientists.

And Maram Kaire
has another goal.

♪ ♪

KAIRE: My country is 95% Muslim.

And many traditional
Muslims are hesitant

to embrace modern science.

Near the end of Ramadan,
our holy month devoted to

prayer, contemplation,
and fasting,

I have an opportunity
to demonstrate

how astronomy can help Islam.

♪ ♪

There are many people interested

in learning astronomy
at these events.

I can show them where
the crescent will appear

by using astronomical
calculations.

♪ ♪

I'm really nervous. [laughs]

It's, it's always the same,

because they are all waiting
for this, for this moment.

NARRATOR: Time is
extremely important for Muslims.

Islamic law states
the motion of the sun

should dictate the
timing of prayers.

The Islamic calendar is based
on the phases of the moon.

The new crescent moon marks
the beginning of every month

and important
events like Ramadan.

♪ ♪

Maram's passion
for modern astronomy

inspires many Senegalese people.

♪ ♪

But Muslim authorities
here only accept

crescent moon sightings
observed with the naked eye.

The Islamic tradition
is to observe the moon

using the naked eyes.

It comes from a
recommendation of the Prophet.

This can cause major confusion.

If the crescent is not

seen here tonight because
the skies are cloudy,

the end of Ramadan
will be delayed for a day.

But what if it is sighted
somewhere else in Senegal

where there are no clouds?

When should Ramadan end?

This is a centuries-old dilemma

that could be easily
overcome with modern science.

NARRATOR: Tonight, in a
compromise, the committee of imams

responsible for calling
an end to Ramadan

have given Maram
permission to use binoculars.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[exclaims]

[people talking in background]

♪ ♪

KAIRE: It's just
wonderful, because

we was not
expecting to, to get it,

because the crescent was
very, very thin, and fortunately,

we have the
opportunity to see it,

and maybe we'll have
also other information

from the country.

So we have informed
the national committee

that the crescent was
sight here in Dakar.

And they have the final word
to decide that the celebration

will be tomorrow.

NARRATOR: Imam Diene
of the National Commission

for Consultation on
the Lunar Crescent

declares that Ramadan
has come to an end.

♪ ♪

KAIRE: Everyone is
celebrating the end of fasting.

I have been
invited to be part of

a three-hour discussion
about science and Islam

at our national
broadcaster, RTS.

Well, I don't think that

astronomers are
celebrities, or...

I'm not just feeling
like a, like a star.

Or maybe people
really appreciate

the kind of information
we are sharing with them

about astronomy, because
practicing their religion

depends on this
kind of information.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Tonight, Maram
has the opportunity to talk astronomy

with Imam Diene, who has
just called an end to the fast.

[speaking Wolof]

NARRATOR: In front of an
audience of millions of Muslims,

the imam agrees.

Modern science may well be

the most accurate way
to sight the crescent.

Maram sees this as a major win.

KAIRE: To see this
important person saying

that it is possible now
to use astronomical datas

is an important step in what
we are doing to find a solution.

♪ ♪

[man chanting takbir
over loudspeaker]

KAIRE: Eid al-Fitr
marks the end of the fast.

We give thanks with a
special morning prayer.

Prayer is at the heart of Islam.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: The type of Islam
practiced in Senegal is Sufism.

Maram belongs to the
Mouride Sufi Brotherhood,

which is centered in
his ancestral home,

the holy city of Touba.

[man singing on soundtrack]

KAIRE: I am drawn here today
by a very unusual invitation.

A family of Muslim scholars
would like to demonstrate

their astronomical
practices to me.

NARRATOR: Maram is about
to discover something that will

profoundly change the
way he perceives astronomy

in his country:

an enclave of scientists
who strive to perfect

the measurement of
time in the service of Islam.

♪ ♪

[Cheikhouna Bousso
speaking Wolof]

[translated]: When you are

interested in astronomy,

you will become passionate

about the universe.

You will become a fan

of observing what
happens in space.

[people talking in background]

[car horn honking in background]

KAIRE: I am here to learn about
the work of Cheikh Mbacke Bousso,

a highly respected astronomer

who lived around the
turn of the 20th century.

♪ ♪

The Bousso family wish
to show me a sundial

which they have built

in the courtyard
of their mosque.

It's based on one of Cheikh
Mbacke Bousso's designs.

They still use it every day

to find the exact prayer
times here in Touba.

NARRATOR: Because the official
time on a watch is not accurate enough

for their needs.

[talking in background]

NARRATOR: Official time is
tied to the world's 24 time zones,

and is uniform across a region,

sometimes even
an entire country.

But there's
another type of time,

true solar time,

which is tied to the
sun's position in the sky

at a specific location.

Even traveling a short
distance east or west,

there's a time difference.

Only true solar time gives
Muslims the accuracy they need

to pray on time
wherever they are.

The best way to
find true solar time

is to measure the sun's shadow

as it changes
throughout the day.

Many of us have now
lost the connection

between time and
what happens in the sky,

but not the Bousso family.

KAIRE: They are
not just trying to use

the time like we use it

in modern astronomy,

but they need for a precise,

accurate local time

based on the position
of the, of the sun.

All the life of the
Muslim are depending on

this kind of information
for doing things

at the right moment.

To build an accurate sundial,
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso needed

to understand basic astronomy,

and he needed to
mark the trajectory,

position, and length of the
sun's shadow hour after hour.

♪ ♪

[speaking Wolof]

[translated]: What he used to
do every morning for 33 years,

facing east with paper and ink,

was to write down the
times of sunrise and sunset

in a notebook.

[man singing on soundtrack]

NARRATOR: And using the data
collected from his observations,

Cheikh Mbacke Bousso

calculated the qibla,
the direction to Mecca.

The Great Mosque of Touba
was built to his specifications.

It's almost noon solar time.

At the precise moment the
sun's shadow is at its shortest,

it will be 12:00 p.m.

Midday is the most
accurate reference point

throughout the year.

The muezzin sets his
watch by the shadow,

continuing a long
tradition of finding time.

[man chanting]

[man exclaims takbir]

♪ ♪

KAIRE: How did
Cheikh Mbacke Bousso

come to learn the
basic astronomy

he needed for his tasks?

Cheikhouna Bousso
tells me he consulted

centuries-old Islamic
astronomy books

written in Arabic.

♪ ♪

Comes as a surprise to me

that this family of
Muslim scholars

still practice astronomy
developed in medieval times.

They tell me they would like to
learn about modern astronomy.

We have taken different paths,

but when we look to the skies,

we ask the same question:

where is our place
in this universe?

They watch the daily movements
of the sun, moon, and stars

to perfect their lives on Earth.

I watch for the blink of
a star light-years away

to help NASA's Lucy
mission reach asteroids

that may unlock the
secrets of our solar system

and ultimately our own planet.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Maram thought he
was bringing astronomy to Senegal.

The Bousso family have shown him

it's already here.

Maram has many questions.

From where did Cheikh
Mbacke Bousso get his books?

How did other
Islamic astronomers

advance their knowledge
of celestial events?

♪ ♪

Istanbul was the center of
the powerful Ottoman Empire

and the hub for all Islamic
sciences from the 15th century

right up until the 1800s.

Great scholars gravitated

to this place to live and work.

With them they brought

astronomy books written
in Arabic, like the ones

Cheikh Mbacke Bousso
may have studied.

[people talking in background]

NARRATOR: Maram has come to
Istanbul to meet Taha Yasin Arslan,

an expert on the history of
astronomy in the Islamic world.

ARSLAN: Starting from ninth
century, scholars in the Islamic world

accumulated knowledge

from Greeks,
Persians, and Indians,

and, using Arabic,

created new
scientific knowledge.

And that knowledge could
be used without changing

for a thousand years all
around the Islamic world.

I studies astronomy
in the Islamic world

using astronomical
instruments and timekeeping.

The main reason I make these
instruments is to understand

the mindset of the
people who were actually

using or making them

in the medieval times.

I learn and I
understood that science

in the Islamic world was not
something to be left behind,

because astronomy
represent all the developments

in mathematical
sciences, in geometry,

in geography,

in trigonometrical calculations.

It is a preparation for the
modern science to build up on.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Taha has
invited Maram to view rare books

on Islamic astronomy
written centuries ago.

These may be the type of
books Cheikh Mbacke Bousso

had in his library.

Hi, Mr. Taha.

ARSLAN: Hello!

Nice to meet you. Very
nice to meet you, too.

Welcome to Istanbul. This is
a great pleasure to see you.

Good to see you,
too. Well, thank you.

You have a very, very nice city.

♪ ♪

ARSLAN: Süleymaniye Library in
Istanbul contains 90,000 manuscripts,

and this is the largest
Islamic collection

in the world.

One can find any book in
any branches of science.

For most of the scholars
in the Islamic world,

there is at least one copy
of their book in this library.

Oh... These are the replicas

of the manuscripts...
[speaking indistinctly]

ARSLAN: So we have
a special treat here.

And library allowed us to have

this magnificent manuscript.

Yeah. And it is by

Jaghmini, who's a 13th,


Mm-hmm. The
importance of this book

is, it is disseminated all
around the Islamic world.

When you have any kind of
information about cosmology...

Mm-hmm. ...it will
always relate to this book.

And, oh, yes, that's
one of the things. Oh...

This is showing the eclipses,
absolutely. Eclipse, yeah.

This is the sun, this
is the Earth. I see.

And this is the moon. Yeah.

This is what we call now
basic astronomy, so...

Yes. Yeah, I think that
it's, but for this time,

it's very, very
impressive to have

this kind of accuracy.

♪ ♪

I like this a lot, because,

in some of the pages, you see

so many comments
there. Yeah, yeah.

And these are specifically made

by people who are studying this.

Yeah. And not always
for, for astronomers.

That's the key, because science

is never remaining
in, in some sort

of elite group of people.

NARRATOR: But there are also books
that only astronomers would consult.

This one has instructions

to make one of Islamic
science's most important

and complex
astronomical instruments--

the astrolabe.

As a person who
makes astrolabes,

I actually use this book

and the calculations
in this book in my own

productions, as well.

NARRATOR: An
astrolabe has many uses,

from identifying stars
to finding daily time.

It may have been
developed by the Greeks,

but it reached its zenith in
the hands of Islamic scientists.

They wanted to make better,

more accurate instruments
to calculate time.

ARSLAN: This is
an Islamic astrolabe.

This instrument is actually
a mechanical computer.

What you see here is
the projection of the sky

for a specific latitude--
this is for Istanbul.

NARRATOR: Etched on the
base plate is the horizon line;

precise altitude circles,

marking the sun's
height above the horizon;

and the meridian, showing
midday and midnight.

On top of the base
plate is a moveable plate

showing stars and constellations

and a ring that represents the
apparent movement of the sun

throughout the year.

It's labeled with dates.

It starts with one
single observation.

And we will actually try to
maintain the position of this,

this piece, exactly
aligning with the sun.

I think it's now aligned.

This is a perfect alignment.

And we just read
the, the altitude...

Yeah. ...from here to here.

Yeah. It's 54 degrees.

NARRATOR: That means the
sun is 54 degrees above the horizon.

The user now turns
the astrolabe over

to find the 54 degrees
circle on the bottom plate.

Next step, find
and mark the date.

It's etched on the ring that
represents the sun's path.

Then rotate the plate
until the date aligns

with the altitude mark.

If you take a piece of string

from the center of the astrolabe

through the aligned points,

you can read the
time from the rim.

The line is like
the hand of a clock.

It's four minutes past
two in the afternoon.

ARSLAN: Once we reach that,

we can calculate any time.

So that is not a
simple-to-use instrument.

Hm. But accurate enough for
all time-keeping applications.

♪ ♪

ARSLAN: For the Islamic world,
time is much more important

than any other region,

society, or culture,
because their lives

depending on the time-keeping

for daily practices of Islam,

or yearly practices of Islam,

or even lifetime
practices of Islam.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: In Istanbul,

Maram has learned
how medieval scientists

used astronomy in
the service of Islam.

This knowledge is still
alive in Senegal today.

[murmuring]

NARRATOR: But was there
astronomy in Senegal before Islam?

Maram would like to know.

He may soon discover
that his country's connection

with the stars reaches
much further back in time

than he ever realized.

♪ ♪

Clues can be found along a
vast stretch of the River Gambia,

where more than a
thousand stone circles

have been constructed.

They were built over
thousands of years,

right up until the 16th century.

Many human remains

and artifacts have been
excavated at the sites.

Scientific research has mainly

focused on the burial practices
and rituals of the builders.

That is about to change.

Maram wants to look at them

through the eyes
of an astronomer.

KAIRE: The first time I
heard about these places,

I was just asking myself

if we can have the
same configuration,

the same set-up, between

the sample of Stonehenge

and these stone circles
here in Senegambia.

NARRATOR: They are one of the
largest concentrations of megaliths

so far recorded in the world.

But the stone circles are not
well known outside of Senegal,

and some of them
are difficult to find.

[pulley squeaking]

There are not many
signs showing directions

to the sites, and the roads
and tracks are like a maze.

But the local
villagers know exactly

where the stone
circles are located.

[speaking Wolof]

Merci beaucoup, merci.

NARRATOR: Maram is joined
by archaeologist Aimé Kantoussan

and planetary
scientist Marc Buie,

who is also curious about
humanity's ancient connections

to astronomy.

They will look for evidence
of astronomical alignments

at the sites.

KAIRE: You have some megaliths

there, on the right.

♪ ♪

BUIE: The quest that Maram
laid in front of me was to somehow

show a different and new aspect

to these stone circles

than had ever
before been realized.

And specifically to say,

"Is there a direct

connection to
astronomical phenomena?"

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: They will begin
their survey at Sine Ngayène,

the largest stone circle site.

It is inscribed on the
World Heritage List

as a place of universal value.

Neither the local people
nor visiting archaeologists

know who built these circles.

[bleat]

There is no connection

between the people who build

this kind of sites

and the people who are

living here right now.

It's just, like, they,

they build this kind
of site, use them,

and they just disappeared.

KAIRE: Aimé tells
us that the circles

have marker stones facing east.

There is a solitary stone
that catches my attention.

I think it's important because

there are other stones
nearby that may align with it.

BUIE: You're saying this has a

special orientation. Yeah.

And I'm measuring this angle
here to the second stone. Yeah.

Which, according
to my calculations,

is where the sun sets

at the beginning of the summer

at the solstice. Yeah.

So when I look this
direction, I confirm the angle,



is where the sun would rise
at the beginning of winter.

So when I look this
direction, this angle is

very, very close to the equinox

for the beginning
of spring and fall.

NARRATOR: The people
who placed these stones

would have observed how the
locations of sunrise and sunset

varied over the year.

When the sun reached
its northernmost point,

it was the longest day,
the summer solstice.

At its southernmost point,

the shortest day,
the winter solstice.

And when the sun
rose directly east,

the days and nights
were equal in length,

the equinoxes.

By aligning stones
to these points,

the builders would have
been able to track the seasons.

♪ ♪

[thunder rumbling]

♪ ♪

And Marc and Maram
discover that these stones

may demonstrate additional
astronomical knowledge.

BUIE: That small stone there

is exactly north of this
stone. KAIRE: Yeah.

That's crazy.

This one? Yes.

Let me check from here.

Yeah, I'm facing
to the south. Yeah.

So this is a great big
compass on the ground.

Wow. Cool.

I'm smiling just because
it's, it's incredible, wow.

NARRATOR: There were several
ways the stone circle builders

could have found north.

One way was
looking at the patterns

and motions of the stars.

[crickets chirping]

BUIE: Right now
you would use Polaris,

but in the past, Polaris won't
be in exactly the right spot,

but the stars will
still trace out a circle,

if you're paying attention.
KAIRE: Of course.

BUIE: Makes me
wonder, which came first?

These stones or the circles?

So I'm left with
the question of,

why did they care
so much about this?

What did they use it for?

What was their intent
in setting this up?

Is it just to do the metrology

for all the other stone circles?

Or was it just
exploring the universe?

NARRATOR: And they
find the same alignments

at another stone
circle site called Wanar.

KAIRE: Yeah, one-eight-zero.

Seems that... Facing east.

...we have a very
nice line here.

So is this what you were hoping
to find? KAIRE: Well, exactly

what we were searching for,

and what is amazing

is to have the same
information from

the Sine Ngayène site and
the Wanar site. The Wanar site.

And it's, it's incredible.

♪ ♪

BUIE: I think the
historical record

for human civilization

shows a connection to
astronomy from the very beginning.

Understanding the stars,

sunrise, sunset,
phases of the moon.

All of that work culminates

in being able to fly
a mission like Lucy

that has to fly through space

launched on a rocket, and end up

in the right place to
study the solar system.

NARRATOR: At Cape Canaveral,

the Lucy mission is entering
its countdown to launch.

While in Senegal, Maram
and his team undertake

final preparations
before the occultation.

♪ ♪

[people talking in background]

KAIRE: We are now loading
crates with telescope on the vehicles,

and just after
that, we are moving

to, to the observation sites
to watch the occultation.

[talking in background]

♪ ♪

[speaking French]

Bye.

NARRATOR: For
the last three nights,

the teams have practiced
setting up and aiming

their telescopes at the star
Orus will pass in front of.

At 1:55 tomorrow morning,

they will know if their
preparations have been enough.

To be honest, I feel
a bit stress, uh, stress,

but I am confident.

BOULEY: I think that we
are ready with the computer,

with the telescope, but we hope

that the sky will be the same

during the next two hours.

I'm nervous, I can't hide it.

I'm, I'm a little bit nervous.

NARRATOR: The telescope
is aimed at the distant star.

The team needs to capture

the crucial moments
when the asteroid

blocks the star's light.

♪ ♪

The countdown begins.

BOULEY: Please,
no more floodlights.

[speaking French]

[counting down in French]

[countdown continues]

[countdown ends]

BOULEY: Yes, man.

KAIRE: We got it,
we've got an occultation.

[Kaire speaking
French] [murmurs]

KAIRE: Whew!

♪ ♪

KAIRE: Can I dance right now?

BOULEY: Yeah, man!

[Kaire laughing]

[all talking indistinctly]

[slapping backs]

I was very excited when
I saw this occultation.

It's great, you see
maybe my eyes shining.

It's just a great moment.

We have the sky very
good and very clear

to have our occultation,

and just five minute
after, the sky is

getting cloudy, so I'm
so happy and it's fantastic.

♪ ♪

[man singing on soundtrack]

[talking in background,
applauding]

NARRATOR: All of the data
collected by the teams is sent

to Marc Buie, who is
waiting at Cape Canaveral

for Lucy to launch.

BUIE: In the hours leading up

to the Lucy launch, I
was getting early reports

from Senegal that
it was successful,

and a picture was
emerging of Orus.

NARRATOR: Marc determines
the asteroid is 31 miles high

and 42 miles across.

It's elliptical in shape

and with some puzzling
surface features.

An outstanding
result which will help

NASA plan Lucy's future
encounter with Orus.

[people talking in background]

WOMAN [in video]:
Lucy in the sky

with asteroids.

In L-minus 34 minutes,

this Atlas V rocket

will send Lucy on the
first-ever space mission to study

the Trojan asteroids which share
Jupiter's orbit around the sun.

MAN: Named
after the Lucy fossil,

the spacecraft will visit

eight asteroids over 12 years,

as we seek to
uncover the mysteries

of our solar system's formation.

MAN: Zero.

Lift-off, Atlas V takes flight.

♪ ♪

[man speaking on radio]

♪ ♪

[man speaking on radio]

BUIE: The NASA Lucy mission

is almost certainly going
to be a game changer.

What games is it
going to change?

Probably the origin
of the solar system.

If that weren't a
big enough topic.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: The Lucy mission

has taken Maram's dream
to build a space agency

one step closer to reality.

The successful
NASA collaboration

has been praised by
Senegal's president,

and Maram has found
a deep and rich history

of astronomy in his country.

Ancient connections to space
he never dreamed existed

that show how humans have
always looked to the skies

for answers about
our lives on Earth.

KAIRE: I need to know my
place inside this universe,

and watching the stars
and using astronomy

is just giving me
a sort of answer.

I started very young,

and I'm, keep on
learning and searching,

and I think that it's
the most wonderful way

to, to live my life.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: The
International Astronomical Union

have recently honored Maram.

Orbiting the sun

in the asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter

is asteroid 35462 Maramkaire.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪