♪ Once upon a future time ♪
♪ In a place called Stardust Bay ♪
♪ Countin' down to adventure now ♪
♪ Rockets on a mission, we're on our way ♪
♪ Space Racers ♪
♪ Surfing the solar winds ♪
♪ Space Racers ♪
♪ Together the fun begins ♪
♪ Way out where the planets, moons, and stars ♪
♪ All shimmer shine ♪
♪ Havin' a great time exploring ♪
♪ Space Racers ♪
Hey, wait for me!
♪
C'mon, keep up with me.
That's it.
So cute!
We were the same age when we started.
Dodo: Cadets!
Mr. Vulture wants to see you
in his office in minutes.
Why? What for?
Did we do something wrong?
Hawk, what did you do?
Nothing!
What did you do?
Guys, stop it.
Well, someone did something wrong
or we wouldn't be here.
Mr. Vulture will see you now.
Please come forward.
From where does the Sun rise?
The east or the West?
All: Huh?
Is this a trick question?
It's the east, right?
I thought the Sun always rises in the east.
Okay. Let's tell him.
All: The east, Sir.
Can the Sun ever rise in the west?
[whispering]
All: No, Sir!
You see? I told you.
Are you sure, cadets? Absolutely certain?
Umm, we think so, Headmaster. Why?
It seems that Mr. Vulture and I
have a difference of opinion.
About the sunrise?
Everyone knows the Sun rises from the east.
Yes! Aha!
So, we've made a bet about whether or not
the Sun always rises from the east.
Like you, my young racers,
Mr. Vulture insists it does.
But I think otherwise.
You made a bet, sir?
That the Sun can rise in the West?
Oh, I just love to watch the sunrise!
Except it's so early, so I have to set my alarm and...
then I hit the snooze button
and I go back to sleep
and I miss the sunri...
Never mind.
Yes, a bet.
And the loser of this bet --
which will be Headmaster Crane --
must dress up as our school mascot
for the next Orb-O game,
where he will dance
in front of the entire Academy.
So your assignment, cadets,
is to learn the truth
about where the Sun rises
and report back to us.
What are you waiting for?
Move along!
You're going to lose, Crane!
Ha-ha! Big time!
Of some things you can be sure.
As a wise rocket once said,
It is unwise to be too sure about wisdom."
Whoa! This one's tough.
When does the Sun ever rise in the west?
Anyone have a hypothesis?
Y'know, an idea we can test
to prove that the Headmaster is right?
Maybe if we go exactly halfway across the Earth
we'll see the Sun come up from the other side?
Great idea! Let's try it!
Ava: Destination, seconds, Table Mountain.
Exactly halfway across the Earth from Stardust Academy.
Uh, it's still dark out here.
Of course.
We're on the other side of the planet.
Let's just wait for sunrise.
[snoring]
I wonder why they call this Table Mountain?
It's amazing.
He can sleep anywhere.
Look, the light. Here comes the Sun.
It's rising!
Hawky, wake up!
I'll check my compass
to see which direction
the Sun is rising from.
Which way is the needle pointing?
Up. That's north.
And the Sun is rising over there,
from the east.
Definitely east.
Then Vulture is right.
Aw, lug nuts.
We need to think.
Hmm.
Got something, Hawk? Anything?
Halfway around the world didn't work.
Maybe if we go to the farthest point north instead?
The North Pole!
[shivering]
Ava c-c-could've warned us
that the North Pole is just a bunch of ice.
Look! Here comes the Sun!
Robyn, still rising in the east?
Unfortunately, yes.
Bummer.
I don't think we can prove
that Headmaster Crane is right.
He's going to lose the bet
with Vulture for sure.
We can't just give up!
Let's fly above the Earth's atmosphere.
Maybe if we look down from space
we can find a spot
where the Sun rises from the west.
Aw, no luck.
The Sun is still rising from the east.
So no matter where we go,
the Sun rises in the east?
Maybe Vulture had it right after all.
We should head back.
Wait a minute.
We've only looked for answers on Earth.
Maybe the Sun rises in the west...
on the Moon!
[all laughing]
Is the Sun rising in the east?
Yes.
Only really slowly.
On the Moon,
the sunrise to sunset
takes about a month.
That doesn't help the Headmaster
with his bet.
C'mon, let's go home.
The Orb-O game is in three days.
We're running out of time.
But why would Headmaster Crane
make that bet in the first place
if the Sun only rose in the east?
He's too smart for that.
He wouldn't! We're missing something.
So the planets revolve around the Sun
in the same direction.
Right. All eight planets
revolve counter-clockwise around the Sun.
Counter-clockwise?
Like the hands of a clock going backwards.
All the planets.
So that can't be it.
Hey, we forgot something.
While they're circling the Sun,
they're also spinning on their own axis.
Their axis!
That imaginary line
that goes through the center of each planet
from its North pole to its South pole.
Right. Every planet
rotates on its own axis
when it orbits the Sun.
Um...okay, I'm confused now.
Watch. I'll be the Sun.
Eagle, you roll around me in a circle
and spin around at the same time.
Now, Robyn, jump in and do the same.
I'm getting dizzy!
Sorry.
Spinning while you're circling is hard.
So, let's say the Sun rises in the east
because both of you rotate in the same direction.
What happens when one of you
rotates in the other direction?
Huh?
Eagle, keep circling and spinning.
Robyn, you do the same, the other way.
If I'm the Sun, on Eagle,
I'll rise in the east.
But on Robyn...
...in the west!
Yes! That's it!
Hawk, you're a wild rocket.
But your hypothesis is a great idea!
Now all we have to do is test it.
Ava, do all the planets
rotate counter-clockwise on their axis?
Ava: No. Only six of the eight planets
spin counterclockwise.
Venus and Uranus rotate clockwise,
the opposite way.
Then, would the Sun rise
from the other direction
if you were standing on Venus or Uranus?
Exactly the question we need to answer.
Let's go to Venus!
Booster rockets? Engaged!
Wings? Back!
Space visors? Down!
Blast off!
Woo-Hoo!
Venus! Let's go down there and...
Ava: Warning! It is too hot on Venus
for Space Racers to land.
Oh. Then we'll just have to check this out
without landing.
Wow! What's with all those clouds?
Oh, I forgot.
Venus is covered with clouds of acid,
so we can't see the surface.
Even if we stood on Venus...
Not like that's gonna happen.
...we couldn't see the sunrise anyway.
The clouds are too thick.
Ava, can you show us Venus rotating on its axis?
Ava: Affirmative, Cadet Eagle.
Look! It is spinning clockwise!
I see it.
So we'll have to prove this another way.
But how?
Huh.
I have a cool idea!
Ahhh.
Very clever, cadets.
Uhh, I don't get it.
So you see, sir...
I see the three of you spinning around my office
like you're at a playground for little rockets.
Well, we also made this short animation
to show you how the Sun can rise in the west.
You see, all the planets
revolve counter-clockwise around the Sun.
But while they do that,
they also rotate and spin on their own axes.
Here, all the planets
are spinning on their axes...
counter-clockwise.
And from their surfaces
the Sun rises in the east.
Yes! Ha-ha!
I'm going to win this bet!
Hawk: Not quite, sir.
You see, all the planets
spin one way, except two...
Venus and Uranus.
They rotate on their axes
in the other direction -- clockwise.
And here comes the Sun!
On Venus and Uranus,
the Sun rises west to east.
Oh-ho-ho. This is nonsense.
Everyone knows animation is make-believe.
We couldn't actually land on Venus.
We tried.
Too hot, and cloudy.
But, if you could,
you'd see the Sun rise
in the west, sir.
Ava, confirm, please.
Ava: From the surface of Venus,
the Sun would rise from the west.
So, I lost the bet?
You tricked me!
No, there was no tricking.
We never agreed that the sunrise
can only be seen from Earth.
Our cadets listened carefully
and learned much.
Well done!
Dodo, how could this be?
I thought it was a sure thing.
I hate losing.
Awww. Cheer up, Boss.
Maybe no one will recognize you in your costume.
Or you in yours.
Me?
I-I have to dress up and dance, too?
But, but, but, but...
[goal signal][whistle]
I feel completely ridiculous!
C'mon, Boss!
Shake it but don't break it!
Woo-Hoo! Ha-ha!
Watch what you're doing!
C'mon, Vulture, loosen up!
Ha-hah! You make me feel like dancing!
♪ Uh-ha, uh-ha ♪
♪ Ha-ha. Uh-ha-hah. Ha-hah. Uh-ha ♪
[laughing]
01x38 - Here Comes the Sun
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Show follows the Space Racers cadets, a group of anthropomorphic unique spaceships resembling and named after various species of birds, as they travel the Solar System exploring space through assigned missions.
Show follows the Space Racers cadets, a group of anthropomorphic unique spaceships resembling and named after various species of birds, as they travel the Solar System exploring space through assigned missions.