01x30 - Total Eclipse of the Sunspot/Sean’s Year in Space

[bunniefuu]

[MUSIC - THEME SONG, "READY JET GO!"]

(SINGING) Ready, jet go!

Jet Propulsion, that's his name.

Jet Propulsion, he'll rocket to fame.

When he arrived, he created a buzz 'cause there was no house

and then there was.

He said, people of Earth, you ain't seen nothing yet.

I'm a Bortron and my name is Jet!

Jet Propulsion, that's his name.

He looks like us but he isn't the same.

I'm a space tripper and a galaxy crosser.

My parents brought me here in a flying saucer.

And just to prove it was a fact, he flew

them out to space and back.

Jet Propulsion, Jet Propulsion, ready, Jet, go!

He showed up and now it's a blast.

Looks like the future really got here fast.

Nice to meet you, human race.

Tell me all about the place.

Jet Propulsion.

Jet Propulsion.

Jet Propulsion.

Ready, Jet, go!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

Yeah! [MUSIC PLAYING]

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

[THUD AND SKID]

He!

[LAUGHTER]

Hey, Jet.

What are you doing?

Oh, hey guys!

Just working on a new invention.

Sort of a play your favorite while making pancakes device.

[LAUGHS] You're making a what?

You know, a play your favorite music

when making pancakes machine.

I call it eats and beats.

[RIMSHOT]

And how come?

You know, sometimes you're just thinking what to do first?

Music or pancakes?

Well, tada!

A solution!

It's super smart, Jet.

And not just because I like pancakes, and music.

Well, super smart is my middle name.

Eh, actually, on Bortron , my middle name

is [SERIES OF SILLY NOISES].

But super smart sounds better.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

You're right, Sunspot, technically super smart

is your middle name.

What does this do, Jet?

That's the automatic griddle flipper.

It's not automatic yet, but I'll do it by hand.

Watch. [GRUNTS]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[SPLAT] See?

Almost perfect.

Looks like you might want to make a couple adjustments.

Delicious pancake, though.

Mm.

Very.

Mm-mm.

Ah.

You guys want to help me?

I'm trying to finish this machine before mom and dad

get home from their assignment, so I

can surprise them with music and a pancake dinner.

[BOING] [THUD]

OK.

I don't have much experience with musical pancake machines,

but I can learn.

So, what?

We're supposed to get this thing to play rock and roll and spray

out a fountain of maple syrup?

Hey, great idea!

Sunspot, do we have any maple syrup fountain spouts?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[BOING] [THUD]

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Ah, I might be able to make this work.

If anyone can do it, you can, Jet.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[BOING]

[LAUGHS] And you, Sunspot.

Let's get to work.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It looks pretty good.

One question.

How are we going to power it? - Oh.

Great, Sunspot.

An old DSA solar panel can power the machine.

Let's set it up where the sun is strongest.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

But how does this panel thingy help?

You can't make the machine work with just sunlight.

Actually, we can.

The solar panel soaks up energy from the sun

and turns it into electricity, which we can use to power

inventions like eats and beats.

All that eats and beats stuff sounds great.

But makes me hungry.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[MUSIC PLAYING] [SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

A tea party?

Sounds yummy, Sunspot.

See you guys later!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

More apple-butter for your scone, Sunspot?

Here you go.

Sorry I'm out of homemade.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

What's wrong, Sunspot?

Why are you pointing at the sky?

What's up there?

There.

Now the converter will let us change

the sun's rays into the energy we need to power the machine.

Guys!

Guys!

Something strange is happening!

Sunspot keeps pointing up at the sky!

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Where is Jet?

He always knows what Sunspot is saying.

He ran out to go get a spatula.

I'm sure we can figure it out.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Do you think it's going to rain?

- [SUNSPOT SPEAKING] - On Jet's invention?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Is that it, Sunspot?

- [SUNSPOT SPEAKING] - Oh!

Oh!

I know!

Something is hot.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Uh, Sunspot has a fever?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Wait!

Maybe the sun has a fever!

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Oh, I still don't get it.

I've got it.

Oh, good.

Tell us, Jet.

What's wrong with Sunspot?

Huh?

I just meant I've got the spatula.

See?

What do you mean, what's wrong with Sunspot?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Ah, he means follow him!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Oh, goody!

Sunspot's going to juggle!

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

That's either the worst juggling act ever,

or he's trying to tell us something else.

It can't be just about a flashlight,

a ball, and an orange.

Or can it?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Hmm.

Maybe the flashlight is the sun, the orange

is supposed to be the Earth, and the ball

smaller than the orange is like the moon?

So the ball is blocking the light from the sun!

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

I think you guys are getting it.

[GASPS] Could Sunspot be talking about a solar eclipse?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Hm, I translate that as a Bortron yes!

Wow!

So there's going to be a solar eclipse!

And so the sun won't be able to power our invention.

I knew it.

I knew it the whole time.

You did?

Sure.

I just have a little teeny question.

What's a solar eclipse?

It's something amazing.

It's one of the sun's light is blocked by the moon.

Let's get set up to see it so we don't miss it.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

All right.

We're ready for the eclipse.

Well, the bad news is we can't look at it.

It could really hurt our eyes.

Ah!

But there won't be any sun in the eclipse.

How could it hurt our eyes?

Even when it looks like the sun is completely blocked out,

there's something around it called a corona.

A corona is a rim of light that will hurt

your eyes if you look at it.

Just my luck.

Something interesting to see finally comes along

and we're not allowed to look at it.

But there's good news.

There's a way we can look at the eclipse without looking at it.

[LAUGHS] Sean, how can you see something

without looking at it?

There's a safe way to look at it.

We learned it in school.

Oh, yeah.

The pinhole box viewer.

- The pinhole what? - Box viewer.

Hold on.

I'll show you.

I have an idea.

While you guys look at the eclipse from down here,

Sunspot and I will watch it from up high in the sky.

Which you Earthies call a different perspective.

OK.

We can keep in touch using our walkie-talkies.

Good idea, Sydney.

Enjoy your eclipse viewer box thingy.

We'll call you from the sky! Bye!

[SPACESHIP TAKING OFF] Excelsior!

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

Oh, yeah! [LAUGHS]

OK. The eclipse viewer.

Step one, turn a box upside down so the open end facing down.

Then cut a round hole in one side.

Good.

Step two, take a pencil and poke a pinhole in tinfoil

and attach it over the hole in the box.

Step three, tape a piece of white paper on the other side

of the box opposite the hole.

What's step four?

That's the best part.

Now, we watch.

Oh, goody.

What's going to happen?

The light from the sun will come through this pinhole

and form a circle on the white paper.

See it?

I see it.

I think the eclipse is starting!

That's so cool!

[GASPS] maybe it will help me see better if I run around!

[LAUGHS]

I really don't think this is the best idea, Mindy.

I can see it! [LAUGHS]

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

Hi, guys.

We're up in the sky.

Now we just have to wait for the solar eclipse.

Luckily, Sunspot has snacks for us.

[CRUNCHING]

Well, Sunspot had snacks for us.

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

Hey!

Does it look a little darker to you?

I think so.

The eclipse must be nearly total.

Time to activate the eclipse viewing box again.

Woohoo!

Bortronian protective goggles on!

Bring on the eclipse!

OK, Jet.

We're activating the eclipse viewer here, too.

That means put the box back on my head again, right?

Yes.

OK, Mindy, describe what you see.

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

It's almost there!

The moon is almost blocking the sun!

I think I see!

[GASPS] Is that the solar eclipse?

[LAUGHS] I see it! Yes!

A solar eclipse!

Wow!

It's amazing!

Here, Sydney, your turn.

[GASPS] Oh, this is so cool!

Best eclipse ever!

[LAUGHS] Woohoo!

[SPACE SHIP FLYING]

[GRUNTS] OK.

This is the final test.

Will our solar powered machine give us music and pancakes?

Well, we did miss out on some sun during the eclipse,

so I hope the solar panel has collected enough energy.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

I bet that's why Sunspot was trying so hard

to tell us about the eclipse.

Was that it, Sunspot?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Thanks, Sunspot.

It was amazing.

But you know what will be really amazing?

To see Jet's machine work.

[SIGHS] OK.

Ready, everyone?

I'm flipping the switch!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[SPLAT]

Pancakes!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Yeah!

- Woohoo! - Wow!

This is great!

It really works!

Pancakes everywhere!

[LAUGHS] Uh, maybe it's working a little too well.

[BOING]

Wow, Jet.

I think that's probably enough pancakes.

OK. New project!

Get this thing to stop making pancakes before mom and dad

get home and clean up this mess!

[BOING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Or we could just clean it up like Sunspot is.

Everybody eat!

[MUSIC PLAYING] - Mm!

Luckily the floor isn't dirty!

What a mess!

The two biggest things in the sky are the sun the moon.

But did you ever wonder what would

happen if those two things got a little too close together?

Hi.

I'm astronomer Amy Mainzer.

Well, sometimes something happens

where the sun, the Earth, and the moon

all line up in just a perfect line so that it makes

the moon appear to disappear.

We call that an eclipse.

The Earth travels around the sun once a year,

and the moon is traveling around the Earth once a month.

Just like you, the Earth has a shadow.

And when the moon passes into it,

we get what's called a lunar eclipse.

And the moon turns red because sunlight from the sun

is still sneaking around the Earth to shine on it.

This doesn't happen every month because the moon actually

travels around the Earth at an angle.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Sometimes the moon can get between the Earth and the sun

in the daytime and it also casts a shadow, but on the Earth.

We call this a solar eclipse.

This is very rare.

But when it does happen, it's spectacular.

If you're lucky enough to see one, make sure you're very safe

and never look directly at the sun without special protection.

That means using special eclipse glasses or a pinhole viewer.

The sun is still very bright.

So the next time you look up at the full moon, just

imagine what it would be like if it would slowly disappear

right before your eyes.

Well, maybe someday you'll be lucky enough to see

an eclipse just like that.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Whoo! Yes!

All right!

- Super fun! - Whoo!

[LAUGHTER]

Oh, hey great!

Mars is here.

Sean, take a load off and spin with us.

Can't. I'm making a supply run.

To where?

The International Space Station.

The International Space Station?

I think he means the treehouse.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Come on! [MUSIC PLAYING]

So, what's shaking, Sean?

Look at this.

Did you know that astronauts are staying on the space

station for a whole year?

A whole year?

That's like forever!

Why are they doing that?

See, by spending a whole year in space,

astronauts can prepare for longer space voyages.

Even going all the way to Mars. - OK.

But what do they do up there besides sleep and float around?

They do experiments to find out like,

how plants grow in space.

And you're going to do the same thing?

Yup. Just like the space station.

Except in a treehouse.

You're going to stay in the treehouse a whole year?

Sure.

I figure if the astronauts could stay in a real space station

for a year, then I should be able to live

in that treehouse for my own year in space no problem.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Wow. He's really going to do it.

But don't you have to eat and sleep?

And go to the bathroom and stuff?

Well, astronauts also have to overcome those challenges.

I'm well prepared.

I brought a sleeping bag, food supplies, and all kinds

of projects to keep me busy.

What about school?

And aren't you going to miss your mom and dad?

Well, everyone will just have to understand

that this is what it takes to become an astronaut.

Staying in a treehouse for a year?

Only astronauts with the right stuff

will get picked to go to Mars.

So I need to start training early.

Like, right now.

Very impressive, Sean.

Can we hang out and watch you do it.

Yeah!

I want to see how you do it, too.

I want to see how long he can stay in the treehouse.

Yeah. Before he cracks.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Well, actually, we astronauts don't get a lot of company

up here in the space station.

And that means you all have to leave.

Jet, my old alien friend, have a great year

on Earth and flying around the solar system in your saucer.

Sydney, keep trying those great Commander Cressida comics.

I hope to see adventures from you upon my return to Earth.

Mindy, you'll be five when I see you again.

You're really growing up fast.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Oh, and Sunspot, uh, keep being Sunspot.

Hey, where's my watch?

[LAUGHTER]

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

Ugh!

Who knows what will happen before I see my beloved friends

and colleagues again.

Yet, I'm so excited to go on this adventure.

See you next year.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[SIGHS] All right.

Let the year in space begin.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

Hey, Sean.

Can I come in?

I have more questions. - Like what?

Are you really going to do this?

Yes, I'm really determined to spend a year in space.

Are you really, really determined?

Sure I'm determined.

Look, here's a list of all the experiments I'm going to do.

For my first experiment--

[DOOR OPENS]

Hey, Sean.

I've been thinking.

A year is a really long time without one bubble bath.

[BUBBLES POPPING]

[SIGHS] You guys!

We're in space.

You can't just pop in.

I'm orbiting miles above the Earth at , miles an hour.

See?

Sean's using his imagination.

Yeah.

He's really doing a good job.

And I can hear you.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

And it'll be week and weeks before you

can visit in a capsule and spend time with me.

So, see you then, OK?

[DOOR OPENS]

Bye, Earth friends.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[SIGHS] Finally.

[CRASH]

Hi, Sean!

Uh, what's going on?

We've accepted your decision to be in the space station.

And we want to support your mission.

So we're setting up a mission control down here on the ground

and keep you company.

That's right.

And I'm mission control Mindy.

See?

(OVER WALKIE-TALKIE) Mission control Mindy--

- Ah! - --calling astronaut Sean.

Over.

I mean, uh, astronaut Sean here, mission control.

Hey!

This is great!

If you guys play mission control, we can count down,

and I can rocket up to the space station.

Yeah!

I love it! OK.

New plan.

Sean's year in space, take two.

Hold on a sec.

[THUD]

OK.

I'm ready, I'll strap in lying down.

Astronaut Sean ready for lift off.

Good!

Countdown!

Ready? - Ready.

, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!

Lift off!

[CHEERING]

- Go, Sean! - OK.

It's all systems go.

Leaving the atmosphere and picking up speed.

Over.

Roger that, Sean.

Over.

Reaching orbital speed of , miles per hour.

OK, main engine cut off. Over.

Main engine cut off. Wow.

Over.

There.

After main engine cut off, I'm weightless now.

Cool.

And I'm about to rendezvous with the space station.

Prepare for docking sequence.

Wait for it.

[THUD]

I'm docked! Over!

[CHEERING]

[SIGHS] OK.

There's oxygen inside the space station.

Good. - Hi, Sean.

Mission control Sydney, here.

How's it going? Over.

It's going great, Sydney.

Mission control Mindy here.

But don't you miss Earth?

And your favorite foods?

And your mom and dad and stuff like that?

Over. - Nah.

I'm OK.

I can do it.

I'm just going to start my experiments right away.

At miles up, we're in microgravity.

That makes us almost weightless.

Huh, my ants seems to do fine in microgravity.

They're ant farming away, just like normal.

Working on keeping fit in space.

Doing microgravity push should be easy.

[GRUNTS] OK.

That's enough microgravity push-ups.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now we'll study aging in space by seeing how long it

will take me to grow a beard.

[GRUNTS] Hm.

Still no beard.

Wow.

I've already studied my ant farm, done some exercise,

and tried to grow a beard.

And only minutes have gone by.

Maybe time is different up here at miles above the planet.

In the space station it seems to pass more slowly than on Earth.

How is it going to feel what I've been

up here for an actual month?

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

Hey, astronaut Sean.

Sunspot and I are pretending that you

need supplies because an actual month has passed.

OK. Good idea.

Isn't it?

We're on a resupply mission. You know.

Bringing you more food and water and stuff.

But you don't have any supplies.

Yeah.

We're pretending.

You need to use your imagination.

You know what?

It's nice to have some company.

I'm glad you came on a resupply mission.

Good.

We had to make sure you haven't run out of food yet.

Not at all.

I knew I'd need food.

So I mad a year's supply of peanut butter sandwiches.

[CRUNCHING]

Uh, make that six month's supply

of peanut butter sandwiches.

Oh.

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

What did you say?

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[LAUGHS] More like five month's supply.

What?

Now there's five months left?

Oh, wait.

Four, three, two.

Look, I've really enjoyed your visit,

but I need to do my experiments and have my year in space.

I understand.

We promise to be quiet and let you do your work.

- Thank you. - [SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[SUNSPOT SPEAKING]

[SNORING]

[GRUNTS]

[THUD]

Man trying to pretend to take a nap in microgravity

takes a lot of imagination.

[LAUGHS]

Mm.

[ELECTRONIC JINGLING]

MINDY (OVER WALKIE-TALKIE): This is mission control Mindy.

How's it going, Sean? Over.

I'm fine. Over.

MINDY (OVER WALKIE-TALKIE): I've been thinking.

Did you realize that you'll miss Halloween?

And Christmas?

And your birthday? Over.

Uh. I have a plan for that.

They can fly my presets up to me in a rocket.

MINDY (OVER WALKIE-TALKIE): Hm.

That sounds complicated.

Over.

[SIGHS] You guys, I really appreciate your help,

but I'm determined to do my year in space.

I need to do this by myself.

And nothing is going to make me leave the space station.

Sean, we realize that you really are serious about this.

So we're going to leave you here and go back to your house.

OK. Wait.

To my house? Why?

It's pot roast Tuesday at your house, of course.

And we're all invited.

Yeah.

No one wants to miss pot roast Tuesday at Sean's house.

Pot roast Tuesday?

I did not calculate for pot roast.

[SIGHS]

See you later, Sean!

Good luck with your year in space!

Oh, I'm so hungry!

I can't wait!

Oh, who am I kidding?

This is too much for any astronaut.

Why oh why didn't I ask mission control

to send a resupply mission with some pot roast?

Mission control, request emergency landing.

Over.

[STATIC]

Oh, that's right.

They all went to go eat pot roast.

Astronaut Sean reporting from outside the house.

The smell of pot roast is almost overwhelming.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- Sean? - Ah!

[THUD]

I mean, uh, yes, mission control Sydney?

Did you come down for pot roast?

Uh, no.

I'm on a special mission.

I mean a space walk out.

I think it's OK to take a break from training

and have some dinner. - Really?

Phew, man, what a relief.

It may have only been a day in space, but it felt like a year

in space.

If I'm lead that team to Mars someday,

I'd better study hard, exercise, and eat right.

And bring plenty of pot roast.

It's good to have you back, astronaut Sean.

What else is on the menu?

[LAUGHTER]

Great. Thanks.

Bye.

Hi.

I'm astronomer Amy Mainzer, and I've just taken

a phone call on my cell phone.

Everybody does that.

But here in this special room, we take phone calls from space.

I'm here with Jim McClure.

Jim, what's going on in this special room here?

I'm the Operations Manager of the space

flight operations facility, also known as mission control.

They're talking to lots of spacecraft, aren't they?

They are.

From this room, we capture all data from interplanetary space.

These people here are actually driving our spacecraft?

hours a day, seven days a week, since .

That is amazing.

It kind of looks like a video game almost, doesn't it?

[LAUGHS] - It does.

And I'm sure some of these people started that way.

What does it take to talk to spacecraft?

I'm guessing it's not a cell phone.

[LAUGHS] You're right.

We use these very large antenna that we

call the Deep Space Network.

We have them located in three locations around the world.

Why do we need three locations around the world?

Isn't one good enough?

The Earth rotates.

We need to see our spacecraft as that happens here.

So as the Earth turns, there is

always an antenna they can find a spacecraft

wherever it might be.

That's exactly correct.

How big of an antenna do we need to have

to talk to some of these?

Actually, we have one meter antenna at each

of those three locations. - meters?

meters in diameter.

That's almost the size of a football field.

It is.

So what's with the peanuts going on in here?

Well, years ago, we had some failures.

After a great success, the engineers

looked around and said, well, what did we do different?

What they determined is one of our engineers happened

to be eating peanuts and sharing them with the other engineers.

Well, as scientists and engineers,

you know we're not big on superstitions.

We call them lucky peanuts, but I'm not going

to say we're superstitious.

We always the peanuts.

It's good to have some traditions.

[MUSIC PLAYING] (SINGING) Jet Propulsion.

Ready, Jet, go!

Jet Propulsion.

Jet Propulsion Jet Propulsion.

Ready, Jet, go!