1 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,080 VLT to Search for Planets around Alpha Centauri 2 00:00:11,620 --> 00:00:16,580 ESO and the Breakthrough Initiatives have agreed to upgrade an instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope. 3 00:00:18,580 --> 00:00:22,300 Here are five reasons why this agreement could be a milestone for humanity's dream of interstellar travel: 4 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:33,400 The Alpha Centauri system consists of three stars orbiting each other — the closest star system to the Earth, just 4-light-years away. 5 00:00:37,660 --> 00:00:39,880 Astronomers using an ESO telescope recently found a planet around one of the stars in the system, Proxima Centauri 6 00:00:39,900 --> 00:00:42,140 The closest possible abode for life outside our Solar System. 7 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:46,380 #PaleRedDot anyone? 8 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:50,680 9 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:57,680 But no telescope today has actually seen any planets directly in the Alpha Centauri system — the stars are too bright and the planets drown in their glare. 10 00:01:03,260 --> 00:01:07,360 But the upgraded Very Large Telescope could be powerful enough to spot a planet around Alpha Centauri! 11 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,960 Hashtag: Life Goals 12 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,460 Breaktrhough Initiatives aim to launch ultra-fast, light-driven "nanocrafts" to the system within a generation. 13 00:01:19,460 --> 00:01:22,140 Interstellar Travel, check! 14 00:01:24,740 --> 00:01:26,260 bite-sized astronomy 15 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,280 Produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory. Reaching new heights in Astronomy 16 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,780 ESO. Music: Paulo Raimundo. Footage and photos: ESO, Breakthrough Initiatives, Gianluca Lombardi (glphoto.it), Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org), B.Tafreshi (twanight.org), S.Brunier and C.Malin (christophmalin.com) 17 00:01:35,780 --> 00:01:36,400 Produced by ESO, translated by —