Original title
The Sky at Night
Released
4/24/1957
Origin country
GB
Genre
Documentary, News
Status
Returning series
Number of seasons
69
Number of episodes
844
Your monthly journey through the fascinating world of space and astronomy with the latest thinking on what's out there in space and what you can see in the night sky.
Patrick Moore takes a look at the close up pictures of Mars taken by the American Mars probe, Mariner 6.
Patrick Moore presents a retrospective of five decades of The Sky ay Night, recalling the history of space exploration from the first Russian Sputnik, the major astronomical discoveries over half a century, and the people he has met, from Orville Wright to Neil Armstrong.
Using archive sound, satellite footage and film taken by the astronauts, Patrick Moore presents the story of mankind's first journey to another world. The task of telling Apollo 11’s story from a British angle is a challenging one, since most of the domestic television presentation was not saved for the archives. However, Apollo 11, A Night to Remember, part of BBC Four’s Moon Night, has knitted together the remaining material into an effective two-hour documentary. Satellite pictures have been married up with amateur audio recordings, and linked with rarely-seen reports, background films, a couple of rediscovered studio clips, and some new explanatory pieces by Sir Patrick Moore, one of the presenters in 1969. The satellite images, which form the bulk of the programme, cover the main events in America, in the spacecraft, and on the moon. The source tapes are the BBC’s original 525-to-625 line live electronic standards conversions, but because they are derived from an international signal feed, they are lacking the domestic commentary and captions. However, it has been possible to reinstate much of the commentary from amateur off-air recordings, and thereby restore parts of the BBC’s television coverage. This technique has been applied in previous moon landing documentaries, but here it is used much more extensively than before, greatly enhancing the experience. The sound quality of the amateur recordings is not brilliant; usually it is perfectly intelligible, but occasionally becomes indistinct against all the interference from the space communications. A highlight of the programme comes near the start, when we can savour lengthy sections of what must be one of British television’s most compelling commentaries, as Michael Chartlon dramatically sets the scene at Cape Kennedy’s launch site, then guides us through the last 6 minutes of countdown. There are several technical glitches resulting from a poorish satellite link but these do not detract from the occasion. (Wobbly pictures from Cape Kennedy’s control room appear also on NASA’s recordings, so must have another cause.) The launch build-up also features James Burke demonstrating the rocket tower escape procedure, the first of several entertaining, but seldom-seen, colour film items that were played into the live programmes. The Burke / Moore Apollo 11 studio presentation, long thought to be totally missing from the archives, has acquired for itself a certain mystique, and a place among the top ten missing programmes. But now, perhaps for the first time since 1969, we can glimpse one of these famous broadcasts, made on 16th July 1969, as James Burke reviews the launch earlier that day. The minute-long clip, taken from BBC1’s Twenty-Four Hours current affairs programme, is a high quality, 625-line black-and-white video recording. The second of the recovered studio clips, 20-seconds long, is of much poorer technical quality than the first, and appears to be from an amateur recording. It shows Burke signing off for the night after a broadcast probably made in the early hours of Saturday 20th July 1969 (the days of the week are incorrect in the documentary). Michael Charlton’s contributions from Houston seem to have fared better in the archives than those of his London colleagues, and here we can view two examples: an interview with NASA’s George Hage shortly before the critical lunar orbit insertion manoeuvre on 19th July 1969, and a report to camera at 2am on 21st July 1969, about two hours before Armstrong steps onto the moon. It is hard to know why this colour material has been hidden away for so long, (although a very short Charlton snippet did appear in the film The Dish a few years ago). Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins made several telecasts live from the spacecraft on their outward and homeward journeys. Excerpts of these appear frequently in documentaries, but now we can gain a better insight, thanks to the inclusion of greatly extended sections, taken for the most part from video recordings, which tend to preserve the “live” feel of an event compared to film recordings. On fast-moving shots, you can sometimes see colour fringing caused by the Apollo TV camera’s mechanical system of colour encoding. Despite their blurred appearance, lingering shots of the barren moonscape, televised from the orbiting spacecraft the day before touchdown, are remarkable images, which benefit from being shown at length. The reinstated BBC commentary that accompanies them is a 3-way, transatlantic hook-up from Burke, Moore and Charlton. These lunar sequences, and the earlier telecast from Apollo, were carried live in colour by the BBC, although most people would have been viewing in black-and-white. As made clear in the narration, the programme sometimes departs from the live coverage seen in 1969. And so, for example, during Eagle’s descent to the moon’s surface, pictures from Houston are interwoven with clear extracts from the astronauts’ well-known LEM film. On the whole, this approach is used judiciously, even if it is not the authentic television experience. For reasons explained already, the scenes following lunar touchdown are without the striking captions originally seen by BBC viewers (e.g. “Americans on the Moon. Apollo 11 touched down 9.18”) but, as elsewhere, they have been reunited with James Burke’s comments. At mission control, we can pick out the commander going through his stay/no stay routine shortly after the landing. A long compilation of the actual moonwalk covers the major events on the lunar surface, including in full President Nixon’s “most historic telephone call ever made” to Armstrong and Aldrin. The president is shown inset in colour, though the live broadcast of this was in monochrome only. A strobing effect in some of the scenes is caused by the slow scan lunar camera signal, which required optical conversion to translate it to broadcast standards. One of the most dramatic parts of the mission, the fiery return to Earth, is a curious omission, and the splashdown features only briefly over the closing credits. Nonetheless, Apollo 11, A Night to Remember has given us our clearest understanding since 1969 of how British television covered the historic first moon landing mission, plus the hope that more missing footage might eventually be recovered.
The planets have fascinated us for millennia, but over the past 60 years our understanding of them has been transformed. Using The Sky at Night archives, Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes us on a spectacular voyage of discovery through our exploration of the planets. From incredible technological achievements, to astonishing phenomena such as epic storms on Jupiter and the stunningly complex rings of Saturn, this is the definitive guide to the planets. And the journey doesn't end at the edges of our solar system. We're now discovering that the Milky Way is full of weird and wonderful exoplanets outside our own solar system. Yet the more we learn, the more we discover how special our own planet really is.
Galaxies are the building blocks of the universe. Our solar system sits inside a huge galaxy that we call the Milky Way - home to as many as 300 billion stars. But the Milky Way is itself just one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the observable universe. Over the last 60 years of broadcasting, the Sky at Night has covered every major story of discovery about the galaxies, and in this film presenter Chris Lintott uses this archive to reveal the deepest secrets of galaxies, from their earliest beginnings to their very ends. From the first galaxy ever discovered through to today's cutting edge attempts to map our own Milky Way, this is a story of incredible ingenuity, extraordinary technology and spectacular discoveries. We'll discover how galaxies work - from the secrets of their spiral arms to the dramatic events that drive their evolution - uncovering a weird and wonderful menagerie of objects along the way. Ultimately, the discovery of the galaxies is also the story of how we found our place in the cosmos, and discovered answers to some of the biggest questions in the Universe.
Chris Lintott opens up The Sky at Night's 60-year archive to reveal how stars work, their life cycles and how their own demise holds the key to our very existence.
Comets and asteroids are the building blocks of the planets, relics from the early days of the solar system. They have been witnessed in our skies for millennia - tantalising, yet too small and too distant to study. However, over the course of the past 60 years, developments in astronomy and space exploration have allowed scientists to now see these tiny, mysterious worlds up close - and the Sky at Night has been there every step of the way. Using the Sky at Night archives, Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes us on a journey in pursuit of comets and asteroids - from ancient history to the cutting edge of modern astronomy, from tales of omens seen in our skies to exhilarating space missions straight out of science fiction. Unlike planets and moons, we only get fleeting glimpses of comets and asteroids, and it’s this rarity that makes these visitors so special. Who knows what the next one will bring us?
A celebration of 50 years of The Sky at Night, featuring classic archive and celebrity interviews from fans of the show, including Jonathan Ross, Myleene Klass, Jon Culshaw, Sir Richard Branson, Charles Kennedy and Brian Blessed. They recall their favourite moments of the series and the role Sir Patrick Moore has played in inspiring them.
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. Roger Jennison of Jodrell Bank how radio astronomy is increasing our knowledge of the Universe.
Patrick Moore discusses the most famous of all the constellations.
Patrick Moore talks about the forthcoming penumbral eclipse of the Moon, and Mercury the nearest planet to the Sun.
Tonight Patrick Moore is at the Hampstead Observatory. If weather conditions are suitable television cameras will bring live pictures of the moon's surface.
Patrick Moore talks about the largest planet, its family of moons, and its mysterious changing red spot.
Patrick Moore talks about the life history of a star.
Patrick Moore explains what it would mean to astronomers if a successful attempt were made to reach the moon.
Patrick Moore talks about old and new telescopes with A. H. Degenhardt, and shows some of the things which the new telescopes can reveal-for instance, about the Andromeda Galaxy, whose light takes nearly two million years to reach us.
Patrick Moore talks to America's foremost astronomer, Dr. Harlow Shapley, about his theories on the size and scale of the universe.
Mars is better seen now than it will be for the next ten years.
Patrick Moore and Dr. Gilbert Fielder discuss the recent report by a Russian astronomer of an eruption on the moon, and what it reveals about the moon's origin and present state.
Patrick Moore describes the life-cycle of a star and compares the Sun's history with that of Betelgeuse, the vast red giant now visible in Orion.
Patrick Moore describes the life-cycle of a star and compares the Sun's history with that of Betelgeuse, the vast red giant now visible in Orion.
Patrick Moore talks about the forthcoming partial eclipse of the Moon and about the planet Mercury, which is at its most visible period for some time.
Patrick Moore and Roger Griffin talk about these pairs of suns revolving round each other, and how they help astronomers to measure the masses of the stars.
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Harlow Shapley, former Director of Harvard College Observatory and one of the world's leading astronomers, our island of stars in the Universe, of which the solar system forms a minute and insignificant part.
Patrick Moore talks about some of the lesser known bodies of the Solar System.
Patrick Moore discusses with F. L. Jackson, F.R.A.S., the theory that the planet Venus is covered with a shallow ocean, which might possibly contain single-celled creatures of a primeval type.
Patrick Moore discusses with Colin Ronan the Northern Lights and other similar natural phenomena.
Patrick Moore talks about the planet Saturn, which may now be seen low in the south, looking like a fairly bright yellowish star. With its rings of satellites and its retinue of moons, it is one of the loveliest objects in the whole sky.
Patrick Moore introduces George Alcock who recently discovered two new planets. He also speaks about the eclipse of the sun which is visible here next Friday.
Patrick Moore talks with Colin Ronan about what is known of the hidden side of the moon, and about the Russian satellite Lunik III, its path through space, its looping of the moon, and the possible information it has brought back with it.
Patrick Moore talks about double stars.
Patrick Moore gives an astronomer's view of the Star of Bethlehem which is described in Chapter 2 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Patrick Moore talks about the Andromeda nebula, the most distant object in the heavens it is possible to see with the naked eye, and compares it with what is known of our own galaxy.
Patrick Moore talks about the remote and slow-moving planet which was discovered in 1781. Uranus is sixty-four times as large as the earth, and has 65,000 days in its year, which is eighty-four times as long as ours.
Patrick Moore explains how the atmosphere interferes with the astronomer's work. He discusses with Dr. Hugh Butler of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, how a satellite could be an astronomical observatory.
The new comet, Burnham's, is now moving steadily closer to the earth, and should be clearly seen in late April. It will then be in the Northern part of the sky not far from the Pole Star. Patrick Moore talks about this and other comets-where they come from, what they are, and how they move.
Patrick Moore talks about the remote and slow-moving planet which was discovered in 1781. Uranus is sixty-four times as large as the earth, and has 65,000 days in its year which is eighty-four times as long as ours.
Patrick Moore talks about the centre of our galaxy, which is so obscured by clouds of dust, gas, and interstellar haze that only radio waves come through with evidence of what lies beyond.
Patrick Moore talks about the moons of other planets in the solar system. Some planets have more than one moon and they range in size from tiny globes, twelve miles across, to giants twice as heavy as the Moon.
August is one of the best times of the year to observe shooting stars. Patrick Moore talks about meteors and meteorites, and what we know about these sudden arrivals from outside the Earth's atmosphere.
Patrick Moore talks to Sir Harold Spencer Jones F.R.S. The former Astronomer Royal about measuring distances which are literally astronomical. The greatest distance ever measured is that of a recently discovered galaxy whose light takes five thousand million years to reach the earth.
Soon the Russians and Americans should be able to land instruments on the surface of the moon. Patrick Moore discusses with Gilbert Fielder, the Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association, the conditions to be met with on the moon's surface and some of the problems that may be solved by a successful landing of instruments there. [Editor's note: The original title of the episode Moonscape. The current iPlayer listing has it as The Moon.]
Patrick Moore describes how the modern spectroscope has enabled astronomers to find out what different stars are made of and how bright they actually are.
Patrick Moore talks about his recent visit to Russia and some of the principal observatories there.
These are strange glassy objects of unknown origin which are found on the surface of certain parts of the world. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. M. H. Hey, of the Department of Mineralogy, British Museum (Natural History), the theory, which has recently been in the news, that Tektites may have originated in the moon and travelled through space to the earth.
Patrick Moore talks with W.M. Baxter, Secretary of the British Astronomical Association, about the mysterious dark areas, many thousands of miles across, on the sun's surface, known as sunspots. Besides discussing whether these affect the weather, they also consider the effect of solar flares on future manned space-travel. Particles emitted from these may turn out to be one of the worst hazards of all.
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. F. L. Jackson, of King's College Hospital Pathology Department, the results of certain experiments carried out specially on behalf of 'The Sky at Night'. In these experiments various living organisms have been subjected to conditions of atmosphere and temperature which exist on Mars.
Following last month's programme on the possibility of life existing on Mars, Patrick Moore discusses whether very low forms of life may be found on the Moon, our nearest neighbour in space and the one most likely to be first reached by man. He also shows viewers the newly published Russian Atlas of the back of the Moon, based on photographs taken by Lunik III.
As the Russian space probe approaches Venus, Patrick Moore discusses the little we know about this planet and what sort of world further exploration might reveal it to be.
Frank Hyde has built and operated his own radio telescope at Clacton in Essex. Patrick Moore discusses with him the contributions an amateur can make in this latest field of astronomy.
Patrick Moore discusses meteors and meteorites with Dr. M. H. Hey of the British Museum of Natural History, and the latest versions of the suggestion that some may contain organic compounds.
To celebrate the fiftieth edition of "The Sky at Night", Patrick Moore looks around the night sky through George Hole's 24-inch telescope at Patcham and the 36-inch telescope at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. Weather permitting, it is hoped to obtain the first-ever 'live' pictures of probably the most beautiful object in the heavens, Saturn and its rings.
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. H. E. Butler how artificial satellites outside the earth's atmosphere can help astronomers, and what further discoveries they may lead to.
From time to time it has been suggested that the Earth may have more than one natural moon. Any such satellite would be very small and faint; but searches for them have been carried out, and recently a Polish astronomer claimed to have photographed two of them. Patrick Moore discusses the theory with Colin Ronan.
Patrick Moore talks about star clusters and asks viewers to help find out how many stars in the Pleiades are visible without a telescope.
Patrick Moore describes how to set up a small home telescope, powerful enough for real astronomical use, and discusses with L. Marsland Gander the best way to use it. He also gives the result of viewers' observations of how many stars can be seen in the Pleiades.
Patrick Moore discusses with Gilbert Fielder the age-old problem of what caused the craters on the moon, and whether the next Russian lunik may solve the problem.
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. Francis Jackson bacteriologist of King's College Hospital reports that signs of past life have been found in meteorites They also report on the latest progress of the 'life on Mars' experiments inaugurated last year.
Pluto, on the boundary of the solar system, is the planet most remote from the earth. Patrick Moore discusses this strange small world whose mysteries have puzzled astronomers ever since its discovery in 1930.
The recent United States attempt to put millions of fine copper wires into orbit round the earth for communication purposes has aroused fierce objections from some astronomers. Patrick Moore discusses this controversial subject with Colin Ronan.
Is space empty? Astronomers used to think so, but nowadays it is believed there is matter spread out between the stars so that we look out through a sort of cosmic fog. Patrick Moore talks about what astronomers have learned by studying this matter.
Every year many people watch the midsummer sun rise over the avenue at Stonehenge. Patrick Moore discusses how much the ancient peoples knew of astronomy and how far the old Stone Circles of Britain were aligned astronomically.
From the control point of Frank Hyde's amateur radio astronomy station at St. Osyth in Essex, Patrick Moore discusses with Frank Hyde his work there, especially on the problem of whether the planet Jupiter generates its own radio signals.
With the help of a camera attached to the twenty-four-inch telescope in George Hole's back garden at Patcham, Patrick Moore brings viewers pictures directly from the sky and discusses with Dr. A. F. O'D Alexander, the most beautiful object to be seen there, the planet Saturn.
The first interplanetary rockets could carry with them bacteria from earth which might contaminate other planets. Returning spacemen might bring back new and dangerous bacteria which could endanger our existence here. Patrick Moore, Sir Bernard Lovell, and Dr. Francis Jackson give their views on this vital aspect of space travel.
Algol, now visible in the evening sky, was called 'The Demon Star' in ancient times. Certainly it is a most unusual star; periodically it seems to 'wink'. Patrick Moore discusses Algol, and explains its importance.
The American spacecraft Mariner II should be at its nearest to Venus on about December 14. Patrick Moore discusses with Howard Miles, Director of the Artificial Satellite Section of the British Astronomical Association, what it may reveal about the mysterious cloud-covered planet.
This year is the bicentenary of the death of James Bradley, third Astronomer Royal. Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss his work and observations, remarkable for his time, which first proved the earth was moving through space.
A Russian astronomer has suggested that the two moons of Mars might be artificial space stations. Patrick Moore discusses the peculiarities of the Red Planet's satellites and considers whether they might be used as staging points for future manned exploration of Mars.
Patrick Moore and Howard Miles Director of the Artificial Satellite Section of the British Astronomical Association discuss the American space probe Mariner II and its remarkable new findings about the planet Venus.
Patrick Moore talks about the exploding star or nova in the constellation of Hercules which was recently discovered by an amateur astronomer in Sweden, and discusses the sequence of events which leads to these tremendous celestial catastrophes.
Patrick Moore discusses with Anthony Michaelis how over the years many writers' fantasies, like Bishop Godwin's voyage to the Moon of A.D. 1657, are now becoming reality, and whether other favourite theories of science fiction - anti-gravity, for instance - may in turn become fact.
American astronomers have just reported the discovery of a planet moving round a near star. It is now believed that similar planet families must be common in space. Patrick Moore discusses the latest theories about how planets come into being.
It used to be thought that the moon had been a dead world for millions of years. Now Russian observers have reported traces of volcanic activity in two craters. Patrick Moore discusses the evidence with Dr. T. M. Sugden, F.R.S. and considers how it affects theories of the moon's present state.
Patrick Moore and Professor C. W. Allen of London University show and discuss a remarkable film of the sun.
Patrick Moore discusses with Arthur C. Clarke, one of the pioneer thinkers of space exploration, how his ideas have developed as he has seen the reality happen, and in particular what will be the problems of organising a manned base on the moon.
Following the re-measurement of the distance to the nearest star system-the Andromeda Galaxy-as 2.2 million light years, Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton how these enormous distances are calculated.
Patrick Moore discusses the recent unusual happenings observed in the surface markings of the giant planet Jupiter.
The stars have always compelled men's attention. Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss some of the extraordinary legends attached to them in the past.
Patrick Moore talks about some of the strange celestial objects, like the planet Vulcan, which have been reported at times but do not in fact seem to exist.
Frank Hyde discusses with Patrick Moore the progress of his radio-astronomy station's observations in collaboration with Florida State University to try to determine whether the radio emissions from Jupiter originate there or are reflected from the sun.
The recent flight of Ranger VI came near to solving the age-old problem of the nature of the Moon's surface. Patrick Moore reports on the present situation and its significance to astronomers.
For ages man has used the stars to navigate by Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton some of the new problems of celestial navigation which the space traveller has to face.
The Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland is the oldest observatory still in use in the Commonwealth. Yet the work being done there on the structure of galaxies is in the forefront of contemporary research. Dr. E. M. Lindsay, the director, describes the Observatory's activities to Patrick Moore, as well as showing him round the eighteenth-century building and its historic possessions.
Patrick Moore reports on the New York International Symposium on the Structure of the Moon's Surface, at which he himself read one of the technical papers.
The accurate astronomical alignment of Stonehenge, notorious on Midsummer Day, contrasts with ancient Egyptian theories that the sun and planets revolved round the earth. Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss the historical theories, some odd, some prescient, which have tried to explain the universe.
Quasi stellar objects, quasars for short, is the description given to a recently discovered and puzzling new kind of body in the universe. Patrick Moore discusses with Colin Ronan these very remote and powerful sources of radio emissions.
Commenting on reported changes in the yellow colouring of the planet Saturn, Patrick Moore discusses the colours a telescope reveals in the night sky.
The minor planet Vesta is now visible in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about the swarm of dwarf worlds in the solar system which may be the remains of an old planet which met with disaster.
Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss the current scientific evidence as to when the earth came into existence as a separate body in the solar system.
Patrick Moore discusses the atmospheres of the other planets in the solar system, how much is known of them, what more is likely to be found out about them in the near future, and whether one day man will be able to survive them.
The advantages, drawbacks, and achievements of using balloons to take astronomical instruments above the earth's atmosphere are discussed by Patrick Moore and Kenneth Fea of the Space Research Group, University College, London.
Patrick Moore discusses what information the photographs taken by Ranger 8 may give on the controversial question of the nature of the moon's surface.
Patrick Moore examines the ancient mythology of the stars and some of the ways in which they have been said to influence man's destiny on earth.
Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss how much useful observation can be done without using optical instruments.
Recent studies suggest that the day on Mercury may be two months long. Patrick Moore discusses how this affects our ideas of conditions on Mercury, and how its length of day compares with that of other planets.
Space was once thought to be empty, but recent planetary probes - such as Mariner IV now approaching Mars - have shown that it is anything but so. There is plenty of weather in space, though it is not the same as weather on earth. Kenneth Fea discusses these new findings with Patrick Moore.
In the 100th edition of Sky at Night, Patrick Moore considers one of the most intriguing problems of modern astronomy: could conditions for life as we know it exist outside the solar system, would it be possible to establish communication with other worlds, and if we did what would be the result?
Patrick Moore discusses the information sent back by Mariner IV and what new ideas it gives us about the planet Mars.
Patrick Moore reports on Quasars. These recently discovered objects, immensely distant sources of vast amounts of energy, are causing astronomers to reconsider their previous ideas of the nature of the Universe.
Patrick Moore looks at the new Isaac Newton telescope which will be the largest in Europe. What will it achieve?
In the past few months views about the nature and origin of the Universe have been changing considerably. Patrick Moore discusses some of the current thinking on this vast subject.
Recent Russian studies have suggested that there may be another major planet in the solar system. Patrick Moore discusses the evidence for the existence of a world even more distant than Pluto.
Patrick Moore discusses with Frank Hyde whether the radio emissions from Jupiter, which have been puzzling many astronomers, can be related to the movements of Jupiter's moons.
On Christmas Eve the first meteorite to fall on British soil for many years exploded over the village of Barwell in Leicestershire. Patrick Moore discusses with experts and eye-witnesses its possible origin and nature.
The recent successful landing of the Russian space probe Luna-9 on the moon has brought nearer the possibility of a manned landing there. Patrick Moore discusses the latest information, and speculates about the future.
Is Astronomy a good basis for further education? Patrick Moore discusses with Professor A J. E. Ingram and Dr. R. C Maddison the Keele University practice of introducing all first-year students to astronomy, and the use they make of the University Observatory and telescopes.
On May 20 there will be a partial eclipse of the sun, visible from Great Britain. Patrick Moore talks about eclipses and explains what will be seen on that day.
Since Greenwich Observatory was founded in 1675 there have been eleven Astronomers Royal. Sir Richard Woolley, the present one, talks about the sometimes brilliant, sometimes eccentric characters of his predecessors. Introduced by Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore discusses with Barbara Middlehurst of the University of Arizona Observatory and lunar observer Peter Sartory a new theory of how the effect of the earth's pull on the crust of the moon may explain the reported volcanic outbursts there.
Sundials were one of the earliest instruments used to study the earth's movements. Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton, and with Sir Alan Herbert who makes his own, the use of sundials in modern astronomy.
Patrick Moore talks to Professor P. A. Wayman, Director of Dunsink Observatory about the remote star-systems which have been found to be galaxies of immense size-many of them racing away from us at thousands of miles every second.
Saturn is the lovely Ringed Planet - but this year the rings are not properly visible. Patrick Moore explains this unusual appearance of Saturn, and why astronomers find it so interesting.
The Leonid shooting-stars may make a really brilliant display this month. Patrick Moore and N. B. Ridley talk about this interesting meteor shower, and ask for help from viewers in observing the Leonids of 1966.
1966 is near its end. Millions more years are to come, but the earth will not last for ever. Patrick Moore discusses some of the ways in which our world will eventually come to an end.
At present the most brilliant object in the evening sky is Jupiter, giant planet of the Solar System - an immense world with cloud belts, the fascinating Great Red Spot. and four bright moons. Even a small telescope will show details upon its yellowish gaseous surface. Patrick Moore talks about Jupiter, and the many problems that it presents to modern astronomers.
Well over a thousand artificial satellites are now in orbit round the earth, and some can be seen as bright lights crossing the stars. Patrick Moore talks to Desmond King-Hele, F.R.S. about the way amateur observers can sight and track satellites, and about the value of these observations to space research.
Patrick Moore and Dr. V. Barocas talk about the nebulae - clouds of gas of many kinds far out in space. In some of these, new stars are coming into existence.
Close-up photographs of prospective lunar landing-sites are rapidly increasing our knowledge of the moon's surface. But how strong is the evidence that the lunar craters were formed by the same kind of volcanic activity as Earth calderas? Patrick Moore puts this question to a geologist, Dr. G.J.H. McCall.
On the programme's tenth anniversary, Patrick Moore describes the enormous advances made in astronomical studies during the space-decade since April 1957. He shows highlights from past programmes, including the first photographs of the far side of the moon in 1959 and the solar eclipse tracked across Europe in 1961.
Since the American rocket Mariner IV went close to Mars to send back information, our ideas about the Red Planet have changed very much. Patrick Moore discusses these new ideas with Harold Ridley and in particular considers whether there can be any life on Mars.
Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky, is now almost overhead during the evening. It is a magnificent blue star, much hotter than the sun. Patrick Moore and Dr. V. Barocas talk about Vega, and discuss the view of the universe that could be obtained from there.
From 1845 until 1917 the biggest telescope in the world was the 72-inch reflector built and operated by Lord Rosse at his Irish home. Patrick Moore visits Birr Castle in County Offaly, Eire, to discuss with the present Lord Rosse his great - grandfather's remarkable achievement in constructing the huge telescope, and his use of it to establish the spiral nature of galaxies.
Patrick Moore talks about Novae, which appear to be new stars but are in fact existing ones brightened by explosions, and discusses the new Nova near the Constellation of Delphinus with George Alcock, a Huntingdonshire schoolmaster, who was the first person to see it.
Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss the increasing study of non-visible radiations from space which is dramatically widening our knowledge of the universe.
In the just-completed NASA Lunar Orbiter programme, five photo-laboratories have orbited the moon at 4,500 m.p.h. Patrick Moore talks to H. J. P. Arnold about the sophisticated techniques involved in spacecraft photography.
The Russian probe Venus 4 has landed on its target. Patrick Moore talks about the mysterious earth's twin' planet, and puts questions about the new information from Venus to Colonel Valery Bykovsky, the Russian astronaut. Close Down
Meteorites are the only solid objects from outer space which land on earth. Two thousand have been found, the biggest weighing sixty tons. What are they, and where do they come from? Patrick Moore discusses their significance and possible origin with a geologist, Dr. G. J. H. McCall.
The enthusiasm of astronomers makes them build observatories at their own homes. Tonight Patrick Moore looks at three home-built observatories, including his own, which he has successfully transferred to Northern Ireland. Not all are built for the same purposes.
Leap Year makes this a special month-but variations in earthly calendars are slight compared with those in other worlds. In tonight's programme, Patrick Moore talks about Uranus's 65,000-day year, Jupiter's 'year', twelve times as long as ours but with a 'day' of less than ten hours, and Venus's 'year', which seems shorter than its 'day'.
The Armagh Planetarium-the first big public planetarium to be built in Britain outside the London area-was opened to visitors on February 5. Its Director, Patrick Moore, shows viewers round and describes its principles and uses.
Patrick Moore discusses with Iain Nicolson the sooty clouds in space which hide some stars and themselves shine in the light from others.
Patrick Moore discusses with Michael Bentine the problems of manned flight beyond the Moon to the planets and stars. They examine the techniques devised in fiction and in fact to solve some of these problems.
In three weeks' time the asteroid Icarus, first seen in 1949, orbits close to the Earth. Patrick Moore talks to Dr. Vinicio Barocas about the nature and movements of the asteroids.
Sunspots, or 'storms' on the sun's surface, appear in maximum numbers about every eleven years; and large numbers are expected this year. Patrick Moore discusses with William Baxter the significance of sunspot activity.
Strange, quickly vibrating radio sources have been discovered far out in space. These pulsating stars or 'pulsars' are one of the most exciting discoveries of modern science, and have taken astronomers by surprise. Patrick Moore talks about them with Dr. A. Hewish at Cambridge and discusses the implications with Sir Bernard Lovell and Professor F. Graham Smith at Jodrell Bank.
Within a few months from now, man may land on the moon. Patrick Moore discusses with a geologist, Dr. Peter Cattermole, the conditions the first lunar astronauts are likely to find.
On September 22 a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in Russia. Patrick Moore explains why eclipses are scientifically important and what people in Britain will see.
Patrick Moore shows film and gives a first-hand description of the recent total eclipse of the sun he saw in Siberia, and discusses its scientific significance with another British astronomer who was there, Dr. Ron Maddison.
Radio-astronomers at Jodrell Bank are carrying out a series of remarkable experiments to measure the distance from earth of 'pulsars'-the mysterious regularly-ticking radio sources out in space which were discovered last year by British scientists. Patrick Moore discusses the significance of these experiments with Dr. Gerhard de Jager at Jodrell Bank
The planet Venus is like the earth in size, yet totally unlike it - as recent American and Russian probes have shown - in being an inferno of heat and clouds. Patrick Moore explains why modern research into Venus has only made the planet more mysterious than ever: and discusses with Commander Henry Hatfield, R.N., his remarkable photographs of the planets and the moon.
Is it unlucky to see the new moon through glass? The moon has always been thought to have a powerful influence on the earth, causing not only tides but good luck, bad luck, and even lunacy, according to its phases. Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton, Bert Foord, weather man and J. P. Hutchinson, a psychiatrist the scientific truths and popular superstitions about the moon's effects on the earth.
Man has just taken his first close look at the moon, and in a few months American spacecraft are expected to bring back samples of the moon's crust for analysis. At this turning point in lunar research, as the long history of earth-based observation gives way to first-hand experience, Patrick Moore sums up our present knowledge; Raymond Baxter discusses the significance of the new developments with Sir Bernard Lovell, Professor J.G. Davies, and Dr. J.H. Thomson at Jodrell Bank; and Patrick Moore describes the optical work done at the world's highest observatory, the Pic du Midi. Sequences in France made available by courtesy of the French Television Service
Without a telescope can you see the phases of Venus? The little star Alcor? The Great Nebula in Andromeda? Patrick Moore discusses what can or cannot be seen without telescopes and invites viewers to join in an experiment.
Jupiter is specially brilliant this month, but it is so remote that many of its mysteries are still unsolved. Patrick Moore discusses them with Terence Moseley Two bright planets are in the evening sky now. Venus is in the west, and at present two Russian spacecraft are on their way there. In this evening's The Sky at Night Patrick Moore gives the results of the investigation into whether anyone can see the crescent shape of Venus with the naked eye-which may help to clear up the mystery of the old references to 'the horned Venus.' Attention is then turned to the other brilliant planet, Jupiter—, the giant of the sun's family, with its belts, moons, and strange Red Spot. Patrick Moore is joined by Terence Moseley to discuss this remarkable world which is always changing; large enough to hold more than 1,000 earths, it is a fascinating object when seen through even a small telescope, if only because one never knows what to expect next!
Is it unlucky to see the new moon through glass? The moon has always been thought to have a powerful influence on the earth, causing not only tides but also good luck, bad luck, and even lunacy, according to its phases. Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton, Bert Foord, weatherman and Dr. J. T. Hutchinson, a psychiatrist the scientific truths and popular superstitions about the moon's effects on the earth.
Two American spacecraft will fly past the planet Mars this summer and send back information which may help to answer the long-debated question, 'Is there life on Mars?' Patrick Moore discusses the latest Martian experiments with a biologist, Keith Reid.
Unique scientific observations are made on the rare occasions when Venus 'transits' - or crosses - the sun. Tonight's programme marks the bicentenary of Captain Cook's voyage to the South Pacific to observe a transit - on June 3, 1769 - during which he claimed Australia for Britain on his way home. Patrick Moore talks to Cdr. Derek Howse, R.N. about Cook's voyage and to Dr. Vinicio Barocas about the first astronomer ever to observe a transit, in 1639 - a twenty-year-old Lancashire curate, the Rev. Jeremiah Horrocks
Meteors and meteorites travel around space in their millions. A few reach the earth but most are burnt up in our atmosphere. Astronauts in space suits, moon bases and manned satellites will be unprotected by the atmosphere. Patrick Moore talks about meteors, and the danger they may pose to future astronauts and their equipment with Dr. N. H. Langton, a physicist who has studied this problem.
Does it ever rain on Mars? Are there clouds, winds, and storms? The Mariner probes have sent back new, fascinating information about the Red Planet, but even now there are many problems to be solved. Patrick Moore talks about the Martian climate and what future astronauts may expect to find there.
It is now over fifty years since Einstein astounded the worlds scientists with his revolutionary theories of Relativity. Patrick Moore discusses with Professor Samuel Tolansky the application of Einstein's theories to astronomy and their vital significance for space exploration.
Most stars remain unchanging over huge periods of time; but some continually vary in brightness. Only long observation can reveal their secrets, and much of this patient work is done by amateurs. Patrick Moore describes the different types of variable stars, and discusses with John S. Glashy the vital role of amateur observers
Patrick Moore describes The Moons of Saturn. Why are Saturn's 10 satellites so different from each other? Why does one of them orbit in the opposite direction from the others, and another appear brightest on one side as it rotates?
In the late 1970s a spacecraft may be sent on a 'tour' of four of the outer planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - using the gravity and orbital speed of each to boost it on to the next, and sending back photographs and scientific information. Patrick Moore discusses the chances of success for this ambitious project with Iain Nicolson, a British astronomer, and with Dr W.H. Pickering, head of America's unmanned scientific space programme.
'I believe 1969 may turn out the most famous year in all history.' So says Patrick Moore who, this afternoon, surveys the space highlights and astronomical achievements of 1969. He shows unique film of a Russian manned space-flight, and interviews leading American space scientists.
In January a comet will be visible in the northern sky, bright enough to be seen without a telescope. Patrick Moore talks about comets and their appearances with an observer, Keith Hindley, and about Sir Edmund Halley - discoverer of Halley's Comet - with Colin Ronan.
The constellation of Orion the Hunter is conspicuous in the southern sky. Patrick Moore talks about its many fascinating features, among them white giant stars, the old red giant Betelgeuse, and the gas-cloud where fresh stars are being formed.
In the year 1054 a new star, or Supernova, appeared. It was a star so brilliant that it rivalled Venus and was said to be visible in daylight. It was two years before it faded away. Modern astronomers now know that this was the explosion that produced the Crab Nebula. Tonight Patrick Moore talks to Dr Vinicio Barocas about the Crab Nebula and its mysteries.
The Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts brought back colour photographs which have given valuable information about the moon's surface and geology. Soon the Apollo 13 crew will be photographing the rugged uplands of the Fra Mauro crater. But there are special problems in taking photographs on the moon, and tonight Patrick Moore discusses these with H. J. P. Arnold.
On 9 May the tiny planet Mercury will be seen as a black dot in transit across the sun's disc. Because it orbits close to the sun, Mercury has always been difficult to observe, and astronomers can only guess at the nature of this planet. Patrick Moore explains how a spacecraft will fly past Mercury in 1973 and send back television pictures.
Patrick Moore examines the telescopes at Frank Acfield's back-garden observatory in Newcastle. Amateur astronomers - whether they have sophisticated equipment or simply use small telescopes or binoculars - can find out what is visible in the sky at night during the summer and where to find it.
Patrick Moore examines some instruments used by ancient mariners to steer their ships by the stars, and discusses with James Burke the use of the stars by American astronauts and scientists to navigate the Apollo and Mariner Mars Spacecraft. The emergency return of Apollo 13 and the fact that Mariner 7 was 'locked on' to the wrong star presented the navigators with an extraordinary set of problems. As man ventures further into space Steering by the Stars will become more and more important.
The two tiny Moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are unlike any other astronomical bodies known to us. Too small to be satellites like our Moon - are they asteroids or minor planets? Patrick Moore examines photographs from the Mars probe Mariner 7 and talks about the unique circumstances of these two astronomical dwarfs.
Patrick Moore talks to some of the world's leading astronomers, who are attending an international conference at Brighton, about the spectacular growth in recent years of our knowledge of the universe - and also about the huge problems still to be solved.
The devastating results of earthquakes are well known, but recent observations have shown that the moon too has moon-quakes, and they are linked with the tidal effects of the earth on the moon. Patrick Moore, who has himself been concerned with the observations, talks to Dr Maurice Ewing, leader of the American investigating team, and other leading authorities about these discoveries and their significance.
Spacecraft have already been to the nearest planets, Mars and Venus. Within the next 10 years other probes will explore much further, heading inward to Mercury, and outward beyond Jupiter-perhaps even to Pluto. Patrick Moore discusses with Iain Nicolson the information and pictures we may get back from these missions. He also talks to Professor Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto.
One of the newest and most exciting branches of science, infra-red astronomy can detect 'invisible light' from the stars and so tell us more than we could find out from visible light only. Patrick Moore talks to Professor James Ring of Imperial College about the special techniques used in infra-red astronomy and plans for further research.
Astronomers now think there must be planets circling many of the stars in the Universe, and that some of these planets could well be inhabited. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Peter van de Kamp, who has already managed to detect two planets going round another star.
Mars has now started to approach the Earth. Later in 1971 it will be as close to us as it can ever come. More Mariner spacecraft will be sent there, and Patrick Moore looks ahead to see what new information they are likely to bring us from this puzzling world.
Our view of the Universe is always out of date! We see the Moon as it was over a second ago, the Sun 81 minutes ago, and remote star systems as they used to be before the Earth was formed. Patrick Moore explains why we can never see the universe 'now.'
Patrick Moore and Dr Vinicio Barocas discuss this star and its strange companion, a body so dense that one thimbleful of its material would weigh a ton.
Patrick Moore discusses with Professor Samuel Tolansky a startling new theory about an 'invisible' star in the two-star system Epsilon Aurigae. Could this mysterious object be, not an ordinary star at all, but a 'collapsar' or collapsed star within a black hole moving through the galaxy?
Only two planets are known to have magnetic fields: the Earth itself, and Jupiter the huge cold outer planet full of mysteries which have puzzled astronomers for centuries. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Raymond Hide the significance of Jupiter's radio signals, and what we may learn from the probes which will fly past it in a few years' time.
The Russian Soyuz flights and America's planned launching of a manned Skylab in 1973 are steps towards the establishment by the 1980s of permanent observatories outside earth's atmosphere. As well as making observations of the sun, a purpose of the first Skylab is to solve the problem of enabling crews to work efficiently during long periods of weightlessness. Patrick Moore discusses this problem With Wing Cmdr. Tony Nicholson and explains how such observatories will help astronomers to see further into outer space.
A telescope must be moved continuously to follow the stars. Patrick Moore uses his own telescopes to show how this is achieved, and visits the observatories of Henry Brinton and Cmdr Henry Hatfield, RN.
The nearest star - not counting our own sun, which is a star - is 25 million million miles from us. Patrick Moore uses a school cricket-pitch to show how the distances of the stars have been worked out: and he explains that, because the light of stars travels so far to reach us, we see many of them not as they are now but as they were centuries ago.
Mars is at its closest to earth since 1956, and American and Russian probes are on their way to map it and send back scientific information. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Geoffrey Eglinton the ambitious Viking mission, now in preparation to soft-land a space craft on the red planet in 1975. The mission which may at last answer the question: Is there life on Mars?
Stars look like simple points of light to the naked eye, but they have complicated lives, evolving from dust and gas and eventually ageing into dense 'white dwarfs.' Patrick Moore discusses the stages of a star's life with Iain Nicolson, who is a lecturer on astronomy at Hatfield Polytechnic.
The mathematician and astronomer Johann Kepler was born in 1571. Tonight Patrick Moore discusses with Colin Ronan the importance of Kepler's discoveries.
Three spacecraft should reach the red planet this month, the Russian Mars 2 and Mars 3 and the American Mariner 9. Patrick Moore shows the latest photographs from Mariner, and discusses these with Arthur Cross
A historic telescope recently returned from Herstmonceux to its original home on the roof of the old Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Patrick Moore talked to the Astronomer Royal, Sir Richard Woolley, about the telescope's history, and to Cmdr Derek Howse, RN, about its future.
The Great Bear is the most familiar and conspicuous star-pattern in the night sky all the year round: but it is not exactly what it seems. Patrick Moore explains that, although its seven stars look close together, some are further from each other than they are from Earth.
The first X-ray source far out in space was detected nine years ago. Since then, 100 more have been found. But what are they? Patrick Moore talks to Professor Peter Willmore and Dr Kenneth Pounds about a recent successful British experiment to track down one of these mysterious sources by using rockets.
Mars could have water and life. This is the astonishing information now coming back from the Mariner 9 orbiting probe. Patrick Moore discusses the evidence in the latest photographs with a geologist, Dr Peter Cattermole, and explains the significance of these revelations. Have you a question about astronomy you would like to ask Patrick Moore? In the next Sky at Night on 27 March he will answer as many as he can in the time available. Send your questions - on a postcard - to: The Sky at Night, [Address removed]. Sorry, Patrick Moore cannot reply to questions not included in the programme.
What is a neutron star? a quasar? a pulsar? a black hole in space? Patrick Moore answers your questions.
The Sky at Night with Patrick Moore started on 24 April 1957. In tonight's special edition, Patrick Moore looks back, with Commander Henry Hatfield, at the astonishing changes and advances in astronomical knowledge since 1957. He discusses recent developments in 'invisible astronomy' with Professor Anthony Hewish, whose team discovered the first pulsar, and with infra-red astronomer Professor Jim Ring. Finally, he looks forward to the discoveries we can expect in the next 15 years.
Patrick Moore explains why Planet X has been so difficult to detect, and what kind of place this dim, cold world at the limits of our solar system would be.
How much did our prehistoric ancestors know about the movements of the sun and moon? Patrick Moore is at Stonehenge to watch the midsummer sun rise over the Heel Stone, and to discuss with Professor Gerald Hawkins the evidence that ancient monuments were built as observatories or eclipse computers.
An unmanned spacecraft, Pioneer F, is on its way to Jupiter, the largest planet in our system and one of the most mysterious. Patrick Moore explains why Jupiter puzzles astronomers, and what sort of picture of the giant planet we expect Pioneer F to send back.
The Great Spiral in Andromeda is one of the most spectacular objects known to astronomers. Patrick Moore describes our nearest galactic neighbour and other galaxies in our 'local group.'
There may once have been in the solar system an extra planet, destroyed in the remote past and producing the fragments we now know as asteroids. Patrick Moore talks about the 'missing' planet and its possible connection with the numerical relationship known as Bode's Law, which has puzzled astronomers for generations.
New information about Mars is being received from the American space-probe Mariner 9. Patrick Moore and Arthur Cross talk about what this means, and show some of the new charts of the crater-scarred Martian surface.
Are there such things as 'black holes in space' - old stars which have collapsed in on themselves and lost their light? Patrick Moore discusses with Professor Samuel Tolansky, FRS, the possible existence of 'collapsars,' and the problems it would help to solve.
Four hundred years ago this month, the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe saw a brilliant new star blaze overhead near the 'W' of Cassiopeia. This was a supernova, one of only three in recorded history. Patrick Moore talks about these dramatic stellar explosions.
Patrick Moore looks forward to a year of spectacular astronomical events: the launching of the Sky-lab earth-orbiting laboratory in May; the longest eclipse of the century in June; the first dual-planet probe to Venus and Mercury in October; and the Copernicus quincentenary celebrations.
From his Selsey observatory, Patrick Moore illustrates what amateur astronomers can achieve, and shows the planet Saturn.
Patrick Moore talks about Sirius the Dog-Star, the brightest star in the sky and one of the nearest to us, and about its white dwarf companion Sirius B. (Patrick Moore's new opera Perseus discussed in Scan: Thurs 8.45 pm R4)
The longest solar eclipse of the century, lasting over seven minutes, will take place in Africa on 30 June. Patrick Moore talks about some of the exciting experiments which will be carried out by solar observers who will be in - or above - the Sahara during the eclipse.
Patrick Moore discusses with Gordon Taylor and Dr David Allen new ways of measuring objects in our solar system.
Ancient astronomers described Sirius the Dog-Star as red: but what colour is it today? A few weeks ago, Patrick Moore asked viewers to tell him what colour they see Sirius, and now he analyses the thousands of reports he received, and explains the significance of the colours of stars.
British observers back from the longest solar eclipse of the century tell Patrick Moore about the results of their experiments. These astronomers went to see totality from widely different viewpoints - Dr John Beckman from Concorde, Dr R. J. Speer from a rocket site in West Africa, Barrie Jones from the shore of Lake Rudolf, and observers from ships at sea and the Sahara desert.
Until the invention of modern techniques like radar and satellite-guidance, a ship at sea could only find her position by sun and stars. On board ship, Patrick Moore and Cmdr Henry Hatfield, RN, discuss the navigational origins of astronomy, and show how seamen use the sun.
Venus has always been a mysterious planet - shrouded in its dense, fiercely hot atmosphere, in which life as we know it could never exist. Astronomers have just announced a startling discovery: using radar and the latest computer techniques, they have detected vast, shallow craters on the surface of Venus. Patrick Moore shows these exciting pictures and explains their significance.
How big do you see the full moon? Near the horizon, it appears larger than when it is high in the sky - but this is not due to magnification by the earth's atmosphere. Patrick Moore discusses this with Professor Richard Gregory
Patrick Moore visits the volcanic crater at Mount Teide in Tenerife, and discusses with Dr Ron Maddison the characteristics of Martian volcanoes, compared with those on the earth and moon.
On the morning of 10 November the planet Mercury will pass in transit across the face of the Sun. Patrick Moore tells observers what they can expect to see, and he looks forward to the launching in 1974 of an American spacecraft which will fly past Mercury and send back the first close-up pictures.
This month for the first time a space probe passes close to one of the giants of the solar system - the planet Jupiter. The American craft Pioneer 10 has penetrated further into the solar system than any probe has ever done before. Patrick Moore brings you the latest news of the mission and discusses the implications of the results with Dr Garry Hunt , a planetary meteorologist.
Patrick Moore talks about what is on view in the night sky now, and discusses with Gilbert Satter thwaite the important subject of positional astronomy - the exact measurements and movements of celestial objects.
Saturn is now very well placed in the evening sky, and a small telescope will show its ring system as well as some of the moons. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt examine the recent results showing that its largest satellite, Titan, has a thick atmosphere, and discuss the Saturn space-probe now being planned.
The Milky Way, made up of countless faint stars, can easily be seen in the evening sky this month. Tonight Patrick Moore describes this luminous band which stretches from one horizon to the other, and explains how it forms part of the huge Galaxy of stars in which we live. The latest news will also be given of Mariner 10, the space probe now nearing Mercury, which on 29 March should send back the first close-range pictures of the planet's surface.
How strong is the possibility of life existing in other worlds in our galaxy and elsewhere in the universe, and if it does, where is the nearest life likely to be and how could we communicate with it? Patrick Moore discusses this with Professor Carl Sagan , director of planetary studies at Cornell University in New York.
The Sun is the only star near enough for us to study in detail. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Ron Maddison the mysterious cycles of activity which cause spots and vast looped prominences to appear on the sun's surface.
Patrick Moore describes the Red Giant star, Antares, in the constellation of Scorpio. It is now visible above the southern horizon; and although it looks like a dot, it is bigger than the orbit of the Earth round the Sun.
At this time of the year shooting stars can be seen in profusion, for we are in the middle of the year's richest meteor-shower - The Perseids. Tonight Patrick Moore discusses these spectacular objects and how they occur. He also hopes to show photographs which viewers were invited to send.
What can you see in the night sky with binoculars, or with a small telescope - and how much money must you spend if you need adequate equipment for 'the amateur astronomer'? Patrick Moore shows examples of telescopes, and explains what can be seen with each of them.
A century ago, the most powerful telescope in the world was the great 72-inch reflector at Birr Castle in Eire, with which its builder, the 3rd Earl of Rosse, discovered the spiral galaxies. Patrick Moore visits Birr, and talks to the present Earl and Countess of Rosse about the past and future of the great telescope.
Has gravity always been the same? There have been suggestions that the force of gravity today is weaker than it used to be. Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss this fascinating theory and try to decide whether we are all getting lighter.
This winter the minor planet Eros is due to approach the Earth as closely as it will ever do. Patrick Moore talks with Gordon Taylor of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
During 1974 there have been some important and spectacular space missions. In the spring Mariner 10 sent back the first close-range pictures of cloud-covered Venus and crater-scarred Mercury. Then, early in December, Pioneer II made a close rendezvous with Jupiter, the only planet known to have a tremendously powerful magnetic field. Pioneer will now travel on to Saturn, which it should reach in 1979. All these probes have given us vital new information about the Solar System. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Garry Hunt the most important results of the Year of the Planets.
Patrick Moore talks about this most splendid of constellations.
Algol, the Demon Star, is now well on view during the evening. Every two-and-a-half days the star seems to give a long, slow ' wink.' Patrick Moore describes this remarkable eclipsing binary and explains its importance.
Patrick Moore focuses on the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, identifying points of interests about these remote members of the solar system.
Astronomy of the infra-red is now vitally important in studies of the planets, the stars and the universe as a whole. Patrick Moore talks about infra-red astronomy to Professor Jim Ring, of Imperial College.
This month the three outermost planets - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - are all on view, even though they are faint. Each has its own special points of interest; and Patrick Moore talks about these remote members of the Sun's family.
A strange force of X-rays from the sky has been discovered by instruments on board the British satellite Ariel-5. What is the object sending them out?
What is the sun made of? To study the nature of the sun, special equipment is needed. At Sevenoaks Commander Henry Hatfield has built one of the very few spectrohelioscopes outside professional observatories, and Patrick Moore joins him there.
Six years ago, in July 1969, the first man landed on the moon. At a major international conference held in London last month, experts from all over the world met to discuss the results of their work on the material obtained by the Apollo missions. Patrick Moore , who took part in the conference, talks to the scientists about some of the new and unexpected conclusions which have emerged and discusses their importance with Professor Geoffrcy Eglinton of Bristol University.
Jupiter's four largest moons - the Galilean satellites - are among the most interesting members of the Solar System. They were discovered by Galileo in 1610 - hence their nickname - and they have been studied by the Pioneer probes; one of them, lo, affects Jupiter's radio emission. Patrick Moore talks about these planet-sized satellites with Dr Garry Hunt , who is involved in all the space missions and gives the latest news about the Viking probe to Mars.
How did the Universe come into being? This is one of the most important and most puzzling problems facing mankind. Recently we have some new information from the depths of space, which may shed some light on the whole. question; Patrick Moore discusses it with Dr John Beckman of Queen Mary College, whose studies of remote objects from balloon-borne equipment have produced interesting results.
We have just seen the brightest nova, or exploding star, for many years - Nova Cygni , which blazed out in the constellation of the Swan and became very bright. Patrick Moore talks about this strange and dramatic newcomer and reports on the research now being carried out by astronomers at the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux in Sussex.
On 22 October the Russians landed a space-probe on the planet Venus and sent back pictures of the surface which have taken astronomers completely by surprise. Venus has been called the planet of mystery - and these results make it more mysterious still. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Garry Hunt about the new questions raised by these landings.
Is Earth the only inhabited world, or is our civilisation one of many? Patrick Moore looks at some of the stars which could be the centres of planetary systems, and speculates as to which of them could support life.
The planet Mars is brilliantly visible in the sky at the moment. It has always been regarded as the one planet beyond earth upon which life might exist, and in 1976 we could find out at last. Two American rockets, the Vikings, are now on their way to the Red Planet, and should land there next summer, transmitting information from the Martian surface. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt look forward to what the Viking probes may tell us.
Everyone has heard of the Pole Star - but how many people can find it, or know its importance? From his observatory at Selsey, Patrick Moore talks about this huge, remote sun which has served to guide navigators for so many centuries.
What is a Black Hole? Nobody can yet be sure; it may be the final state of a very massive star which has collapsed, surrounding itself with a ' forbidden zone' from which not even light can escape. Patrick Moore discusses these remarkable objects, which have become so important in modern astronomy, with lain Nicolson of Hatfield Polytechnic Observatory.
The rings, easily visible with a small telescope, are now better displayed than they will be for some years to come. Patrick Moore talks about Saturn and describes what the American spacecraft Pioneer 11 may tell us when it by-passes the ringed planet in 1979.
The Sun sends us its light and heat, but it has many other effects on the earth too. It raises tides; it produces the lovely Polar lights; it has long-term effects on plant growth - and its variations may even cause ice ages. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison of Keele University discuss some of these lesser-known effects of the Sun on the Earth.
Pulsars are among the most incredible objects known to man. They are composed of neutrons and are so dense that a pin's head of neutron star material would weigh as much as an ocean liner. Discovered as recently as the late 60s, neutron stars are of great and increasing interest to astronomers and valuable information on X-ray pulsars has been obtained from the instruments aboard the British satellite, Ariel 5. Patrick Moore talks about pulsars to Jocelyn Bell Burnell who was involved in their discovery.
Patrick Moore discusses the results of this historic mission with two leading experts Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr Garry Hunt.
The first spacecraft to land successfully on Mars has started its programme of research. America's Viking 1 is now standing on the Martian surface, sending back information direct from that strange, rugged landscape. For the first time we have been able to see close-range views from the one world in the solar system which has always been regarded as being possibly able to support life. To give the latest news about Viking and the search for life on Mars, Patrick Moore is again joined by Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr Garry Hunt.
Patrick Moore brings news on the Viking missions to Mars and asks How Far Can You See? With the naked eye one can see 12 million, million, million miles. Patrick Moore talks about these tremendous stretches of space and time in relation to our present efforts to explore the Solar System.
Mars has been reached. Both Vikings have not only landed successfully but have sent back information which is as exciting as it is unexpected. Now that the first results have been studied, we are able to give a realistic picture of Mars, and Patrick Moore , Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr Garry Hunt sum up our new ideas about the Red Planet.
For many centuries Greenwich Observatory was the world's leading astronomical establishment, and it marks the 'zero for longitude', dividing the world into two hemispheres. More than 20 years ago, the telescopes were shifted to the clearer skies of Sussex; but now the largest of the old telescopes, the 28-inch refractor, has been brought back and is in full operation once more. Patrick Moore and Dr Percy Seymour, of the National Maritime Museum, discuss this new development, and explain the modern role of the Greenwich refractor, which is still the largest telescope of its kind in the British Isles.
In 1963 astronomers identified ' quasars ' - star-like objects which were held to be the most remote and the most luminous ever seen. There have been doubts about the accuracy of these estimates, but new research indicates that it is correct. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Simon Mitton , of Cambridge University, about these strange objects which may well lie very close to the edge of the observable universe.
This winter Venus is a brilliant object in the evening sky. It is very like the Earth in size and mass, and until the Space Age it was thought to be capable of supporting life in some form. Nowadays we know that Venus is a hostile world, but there are still many questions to be answered. Patrick Moore talks about this strange planet, and describes the latest studies which confirm that Venus has a heavily cratered surface.
Sirius is now at its best in the evening sky. It is one of our nearest stellar neighbours, and is much more luminous than the sun. It seems to flash all colours but is really a white star, it has a strange, super-dense White Dwarf companion. Patrick Moore and lain Nicolson discuss some of the questions associated with Sirius.
How big is the universe - and does it have a boundary? Distances on the astronomer's scale are very hard to appreciate. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison discuss them in this programme, and explain how to describe them in everyday terms.
First detailed photographs of Mercury, the innermost planet, were obtained by the American space-probe Mariner 10. Maps of Mercury have been drawn from these photographs by Arthur Cross and in this programme he joins Patrick Moore to explain how the maps were made and what they have told us.
In April 1957 The Sky at Night began. It could not have started at a better time; within months the Space Age opened, with the launch of Sputnik 1, and over the next few years astronomy saw some of the most spectacular advances of all time. Today, 20 years later, men have visited the moon; rockets have flown past the planets and even landed on some of them; new giant telescopes have probed further into the universe than Man has ever done before, and each year brings its new quota of discoveries. Every month, since April 1957, The Sky at Night has presented the changing scene. In this 20th anniversary programme Patrick Moore discusses the past and the future with some of Britain's leading figures in astronomy.
Sunspots are known to increase and decrease over an 11-year cycle. We have just passed through a period of minimum solar activity and the sun-spots should now be increasing, but are slow to do so. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddi son discuss the possible causes of this apparent irregularity. in the solar cycle, and talk about some of the other interesting features of the sun's surface.
For centuries the ringed planet Saturn has been regarded as unique. This year the startling discovery has been reported that Uranus also has a system of rings - though as yet they have not been seen directly. Patrick Moore discusses this new development with Gordon Taylor, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. who has made special studies of Uranus, and Dr Garry Hunt, who is closely involved with plans for Voyager, the unmanned space-craft due to bypass Uranus in the 1980s.
This month an important new British telescope has been completed. It is destined to be set up in Hawaii, and it is not an ordinary telescope; it is designed to study infra-red radiation from space, which cannot be seen directly but which is all-important in modern science. Professor Vincent Reddish , Astronomer Royal for Scotland, describes the Hawaiian telescope, and Patrick Moore talks to Professor James Ring about its likely role in infra-red astronomy.
Cygnus, the Swan, is one of the most beautiful of the constellations, and it contains some spectacular objects, including the very luminous Deneb - a star at least 10,000 times more powerful than the Sun-and the lovely coloured double star Albireo. Very recently astronomers have found a new object in Cygnus-a star surrounded by a highly luminous disc from which planets may be in the process of formation. In this programme, Patrick Moore shows where to look for Cygnus, and describes some of the interesting objects on view there.
The two Voyager probes to the outer planets are probably the most ambitious of all automatic space-craft launched up to the present time. They should send back important new information about Jupiter, Saturn and their satellites - they may even go on to study Uranus and Neptune before finally leaving the Solar System altogether. Patrick Moore discusses the Voyager projects with Dr Garry Hunt of University College London, who has been involved in the planning of the missions.
How many people living in Britain have seen the Southern Cross? It never rises over Europe, but it is a familiar sight to those who live in the Southern Hemisphere. The stars of the far south are indeed of special interest, and Patrick Moore talks about them, explaining why they are important and the reasons why they are invisible from Britain. Many of the new giant telescopes are being set up in the Southern Hemisphere to study objects of particular significance, such as the Clouds of Magellan, and in this programme PATRICK MOORE talks about these new developments with Dr David Allen , who is carrying out research at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.
Astronomy is still one of the few sciences in which the amateur can play a useful part. Paul Doherty , who specialises in planetary observations, is an amateur astronomer who has built his own observatory and 16-inch reflecting telescope. Patrick Moore visits him at his observatory to discuss its construction and the observational work being carried out there.
All the bright planets are now visible in the early morning sky. Some of them seem to outshine the stars, and yet they have no light of their own. They shine only by reflecting the light of the sun. The different ways in which they reflect the sunlight tell us a great deal about the planets themselves. Patrick Moore talks about the reflecting powers of the planets and what they can tell us with Dr Peter Cattermole of Sheffield University.
Ever since the days of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, science fiction and space exploration have been closely linked, and over the last 100 years science fiction has often become science fact. Rockets to the moon, orbiting stations, missions to Mars and the outer planets-all these were forecast decades ago. Patrick Moore talks to Arthur C. Clarke, science-fiction writer, who describes himself as an armchair astronaut, and The Sky at Night welcomes the return of Michael Bentine, best known as a humorist, but who is also a serious and dedicated scientist.
Good astronomical telescopes are very expensive today, but there are many objects in the night sky which can be viewed with binoculars. For example, during winter evenings the constellation of Orion is excellently placed, and it contains the lovely nebula which binoculars show quite clearly. Patrick Moore describes this and other features of the night sky, and gives advice on the types of binoculars which are most useful.
What is the most remote object ever visible with the naked eye? The answer is: the Great Spiral in Andromeda, which is a member of our Local Group of galaxies, but is still very remote - its light takes over two million years to reach us. The Local Group is now known to contain over 25 members, some of which are huge systems while others are dwarf galaxies. Patrick Moore talks about the Local Group to Heather Couper , lecturer at the Caird Planetarium, Greenwich.
The Viking space-probes have been operating on Mars for almost one Martian year (nearly two Earth years). We do not yet know whether life in any form exists there but many scientific discoveries have been made. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr Garry Hunt.
Ever since the days of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, science fiction and space exploration have been closely linked, and over the last 100 years science fiction has often become science fact. Patrick Moore talks to Arthur C. Clarke, the science fiction writer, who describes himself as an armchair astronaut, and Michael Bentine, best known as a humorist, but who is also a serious and dedicated scientist.
The asteroids or minor planets are among the most interesting of the junior members in the Solar System. Only one - Vesta - is ever visible without a telescope, but thousands are now known to exist; some swing near the Earth, and several close approaches have been recorded. In this programme Patrick Moore discusses the origin and nature of the asteroids, and Gordon Taylor, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, describes his ingenious method of measuring their sizes.
How is a star born? We believe that with our telescopes we can see where fresh stars are being created. In this programme Patrick Moore talks about stellar birth, how a star develops and how every star, including our sun, must eventually die.
Far from being exceptional, our earth is an ordinary planet moving around an ordinary star. From space it looks like a coloured globe as men have seen it from the surface of the moon. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison discuss the earth from an extra-terrestrial astronomer's point of view.
Gamma ray astronomy is a new science; as yet we do not know as much as we would like about these strange, high penetration rays which come from deep space. Patrick Moore discusses gamma ray research with Dr Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, who worked on the discovery of pulsars.
The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, are now visible in the evening sky. Do these worlds mark the real edge of the Solar System? There have been suggestions that an undiscovered planet may exist and searches have been made periodically. Patrick Moore discusses the evidence, and speculates upon the possibility that our planetary system may extend much farther than is generally believed.
What effect does the moon have on the tides? How do I recognise the constellations? What is a shooting star? Is there life on other worlds? If I want to take up astronomy, how should I go about it? These are among the commonest questions which are sent in to Patrick Moore from viewers. This evening, from his Selsey home, he selects some of the regular questions and gives them answers.
The moon has long been regarded as a dead world; but is this completely true? Astronomers have described faint coloured patches and local ' fogs', which are sometimes thought to be gases seeping through from below the ground. Patrick Moore discusses these ' transient phenomena', and also describes the eclipse of the moon which will take place on 16 September.
According to a new and revolutionary idea life did not originate on Earth but was brought here as organisms from outer space. Patrick Moore talks to Sir Fred Hoyle and Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe who have put forward this theory and discusses its implications in terms of life elsewhere in the universe.
Six thousand light-years away in space lies the Crab Nebula, a patch of spreading gas which is all that is left of a star which was seen to explode in 1054. The most famous of all supernova remnants, it has always been of interest to astronomers, but new techniques developed recently have further increased its importance. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Simon Mitton about supernovae and their role in the manufacture of the heavy elements from which worlds such as our own Earth are made.
The two giant planets Jupiter and - Saturn are now visible in the late evening sky. Rocket probes are on their way to both, as the alignment of the outer planets between now and the early 1980s gives exceptional opportunities for interplanetary navigation. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison consider the significance of this planetary alignment and discuss suggestions that it may have an effect upon the Earth.
In December, six American and two Russian space-craft reached Venus. With its dense atmosphere, its searing hot surface and its clouds of deadly sulphuric acid, this strange planet is overwhelmingly hostile; but it is of tremendous interest. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt talk about the findings of the space-ships, and discuss what will happen next in the exploration of Venus.
All astronomers know of the catalogue of star-clusters and nebulae compiled 200 years ago by Charles Messier ; and ' hunting the M objects' is a favourite amateur pastime. Tonight Patrick Moore describes Messier and some of the objects which he listed.
Most scientists believe that intelligent life is common in the Universe. But the creation of life requires special conditions, which could be much less frequent than is usually thought. Patrick Meore talks to Professor Sir Bernard Lovell who believes that life elsewhere, in the Universe is likely to be extremely rare.
Is space empty? Astronomers used to think so, but it is now known that there is a tremendous amount of material spread between the stars. Even complex molecules are found there. This discovery has had a great influence upon our ideas about the formation and life-stories of the stars. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr John Beckman, of Queen Mary College, talk about the developments which have taken place during the past five years.
When Voyager 1 flew past Jupiter in March of this year, it sent back results which surprised even the space-planners. The famous Red Spot was shown as a huge whirling storm, while one of the satellites, Io, a world larger than our Moon, has a brilliant red surface upon which active volcanoes can be seen. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss Voyager l's remarkably successful mission.
'Is it going to rain today?' 'Will it be a sunny weekend? ' The British are famous for discussing the weather. Its vagaries are part of our lives, and we all watch the forecasts. 1957 saw the start of the space age, and since then space probes have not only provided information about other planets in the solar system, but they have also studied the atmosphere and weather on Earth itself. Recently, more elaborate satellites have produced the clear pictures we see on television forecasts. Patrick Moore talks to Michael Fish about how these satellites in space have revolutionized weather forecasting.
On 2 June the new all-British satellite, Ariel 6, was put into orbit more than 600 km above the earth's surface. Like its highly successful predecessor, Ariel 5, one of its main tasks will be to study x-rays and cosmic rays from deep space, and it is carrying experiments from four British universities. Patrick Moore talks about this new astronomical satellite with Dr Leonard Culhane, the project scientist for the mission.
Voyager 2, the latest Jupiter probe, made its rendezvous with the Giant Planet on 9 July. Following the outstanding success of its predecessor, Voyager 1, the results were expected to be spectacular. As well as obtaining additional close-range views of Jupiter itself, Voyager 2 was scheduled to continue studies of the four large satellites of the planet. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt give the latest news from Voyager 2.
Aries, the ram ... Taurus, the bull ... Gemini, the twins ... These are three of the constellations of the Zodiac, the belt stretching round the sky in which the Sun, the Moon and the bright planets are always to be found. Tonight Patrick Moore talks about the Zodiac, what it meant to the old astrologers and how it is regarded by astronomers of today.
The American probe Pioneer II. which by-passed the planet Jupiter in 1974, made the closest approach to Saturn on 1 September 1979. after a journey which has taken it right across the Solar System. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss the first-ever attempt at surveying Saturn and the rings from close range.
From the country, the skies are dark and the stars shine out brilliantly, but city-dwellers can never see the stars well. Fortunately the Sun can be studied telescopically, and at present it is at its most active. Patrick Moore talks to Peter Gill , an amateur astronomer, who carries out his observations of the Sun by using a small telescope from the window of his third-floor London flat.
Not all stars are alike: some are red, some yellow and some white. These different colours show their different temperatures, and by using spectroscopes it is possible to find out what materials exist there. Patrick Moore and Dr Jacqueline Mitton explain what stellar spectroscopy has told us.
Patrick Moore and Michael Bentine discuss UFOs - fact or fantasy? What are the unidentified flying objects which have been so much in the news in recent years? Are they spacecraft from other worlds, as some people believe, or are they optical illusions caused by weather-balloons, satellites, ice-crystals, or other aerial objects? Patrick Moore and Michael Bentine consider the question of UFOs and try to decide what these strange phenomena could be.
How many people know the meaning of terms such as ' right ascension' and ' declination '? And what exactly is the celestial sphere? Mapping the sky presents problems different from those of mapping the earth. Patrick Moore talks about sky-maps, and how astronomers have worked out their own equivalent of latitude and longitude.
Saturn is generally regarded as the most beautiful object in the sky, but this year it has an unusual appearance. For the first time since 1966 the rings are edgewise-on to the Earth, and even large telescopes will show them as no more than a slender line of light. Paul Doherty, an enthusiastic observer of Saturn, joins Patrick Moore to talk about the interesting features of Saturn which can be seen when the rings are almost invisible.
Exactly 50 years ago, in 1930, the planet Pluto was discovered by a young research student named Clyde Tombaugh. Since that time Pluto has set puzzle after puzzle. It is smaller than expected; it has an unusual path: and it has a moon, Charon, which is one-third the size of itself. Today, at the age of 77, CLYDE TOMBAUGH is one of America's most respected astronomers. For this programme Patrick Moore flew to Arizona to meet Professor Tombaugh and to ask him what he now thought about the curious planet he discovered half a century ago.
On the summit of Mount Hopkins, in Arizona, is the world's most revolutionary observatory, containing the multiple mirror telescope. Instead of one great mirror, there are six all working together and controlled by a laser beam. Patrick Moore visits the observatory, and looks at this remarkable new telescope.
What lies at the centre of our galaxy? Are there masses of brilliant stars, or is there something even more significant, such as a Black Hole which is swallowing up any stars which move too close to it? Patrick Moore and Heather Couper explore this mystery.
The Solar Telescope ' Kitt Peak, in Arizona, is America's national observatory. One of its most important instruments is the ingeniously-designed telescope used for studying the sun. Patrick Moore visits Kitt Peak , to see this remarkable telescope and talk to the scientists who are carrying out research with it.
What are the quasars, which may be close to the edge of the universe as seen from Earth? Are they made up of exploding stars, or are they the centres of galaxies in which great outbursts have taken place? Patrick Moore talks to Professor Alec Boksenberg about these strange, super-luminous objects which have set astronomers so many problems since they were first identified less than 20 years ago.
In December 1978 America's Pioneer Venus I reached its target. Since then it has been orbiting Venus, and mapping the planet's surface by means of radar. Venus is not the kind of world it was once believed to be; it has volcanoes, high plateaux, and deep canyons. In this programme Dr Garry Hunt joins Patrick Moore to describe the new findings, which have changed many of our past theories about this strange world.
In Northern Arizona there is a vast hole in the desert, almost a mile across and 600 feet deep, known as Meteor Crater. It was blasted out in prehistoric times by a huge iron meteorite, and is the most perfectly preserved impact area known on Earth. Patrick Moore visits Meteor Crater, and goes down into what has been described as the oldest of all natural museums.
Patrick Moore , with the aid of a sundial at his Selsey home, explains why equinoxes occur, and shows how the seasons of the year vary, due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. Other planets in the solar system have different axial tilts and therefore different seasons; PATRICK MOORE compares them with those of our own world.
In the constellation of Aquila, the Eagle, there is a faint star known rather unromantically as SS433. Lately, however, it has proved to be very unusual. Probably the result of a tremendous stellar explosion long ago, it seems to be a star accompanied by a tiny object expelling jets of gas. This new kind of supernova remnant has been termed a scintar. Patrick Moore talks about this puzzling object to Paul Murdin , one of the astronomers who discovered it.
After a journey of over three years, Voyager 1 has reached Saturn-800 million miles from Earth. Last year the spacecraft bypassed Jupiter and sent back the most spectacular images ever seen of the planet and its satellites. Now it has arrived at Saturn and is transmitting pictures and scientific information about this most beautiful planet. Patrick Moore reports from the Mission Control Centre for Voyager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, with Dr Garry Hunt , and discusses the results with the American scientists responsible for the mission.
Meteors or shooting stars are familiar objects in the night sky. Several times during the year showers of meteors occur. One of them, known as the Quadrantid shower, will be at its maximum on 3 January and could provide an impressive display of cosmic fire-works. Patrick Moore tells about this interesting phenomenon and explains what observers should look for.
Palomar Patrick Moore visits Mount Palomar in South California to see the great 200-inch telescope, and talks to the scientists who use the largest working telescope in the world.
The Orion nebula is one of the most famous objects in the sky. It is visible with the naked eye as a hazy patch in Orion's sword; small telescopes show it well, but we now know that it is only part of a vast mass of gas and dust in which fresh stars are being born, Inside it are some remarkable objects whose nature is still uncertain. One of the astronomers who is carrying out research into these fascinating mysteries is Dr John Beckman, who talks to Patrick Moore about the latest news from this 'stellar birthplace'.
Patrick Moore tells the story of William Herschel, the obscure Hanoverian army bandsman whose discovery with a home-made telescope of the planet Uranus doubled the size of the known solar system. Herschel was hired to provide 'astronomical entertainment' for the British Royal Family and King George III gave him £4,000 to build the world's largest telescope in a garden at Slough.
What can be seen in the night sky this month? Patrick Moore describes the stars which are on view during April; he also shows the latest maps of Saturn's satellites drawn up from Voyager I pictures, and discusses the recent discovery of three galaxies so remote that their light takes about 10,000 million years to reach us.
In the crystal-clear atmosphere of La Palma in the Canary Islands the new Northern Hemisphere Observatory is being built. This observatory, a joint international project, is designed to study galaxies so remote that their light takes thousands of millions of years to reach us, leading us on to a real knowledge of the way in which the universe was born. One of the scientists involved is Professor F. Graham Smith , Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, who talks to Patrick Moore.
Neptune, the outermost of the giant planets, has been known for well over a century, but our knowledge of it is still meagre. With its gaseous surface, its quick rotation and its large satellite, Triton, it is of tremendous interest. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss what is known about Neptune and what future researches may tell us when Voyager 2 passes this ' outermost giant' in 1989.
What are the chances of the Earth being hit by an asteroid - another and much smaller world orbiting the Sun? Just over 40 years ago the Earth was nearly in collision with an asteroid called Hermes. Statistically the danger of a collision is slight, but by no means nil. In America the NASA authorities have announced plans for destroying any approaching asteroid with a nuclear missile. Can we predict the possibility of a collision? In this programme Patrick Moore discusses the whole question of asteroid collisions with Dr David Hughes of Sheffield University.
During summer evenings many interesting constellations are on view. There are also some spectacular double stars, most of them are binary systems in which the components are physically associated. Patrick Moore surveys the evening sky during the summer, and points out some double stars which may be seen with any small telescope.
Meteors, or shooting stars, space debris shed by comets travelling round the sun, can produce brilliant displays and the Perseids, seen each year between 27 July and 17 August, are unusually spectacular. They are of special interest during the early 1980s, because the comet associated with them - Swift-Tuttle - is due back having been unobserved for 120 years. Patrick Moore talks to John Mason , who led an expedition to France to study the Perseids, and looks forward to the return of Halley's Comet, which also is associated with meteor showers.
On 25 August the American spacecraft Voyager 2 made its pass of Saturn, and told us more about the unexpectedly complicated ring-system, the surface of the Planet, and the puzzling family Of satellites.
Three weeks ago Professor Sir Bernard Lovell retired as Director of the radio astronomy observatory at Jodrell Bank, where the 250-foot 'dish' opened up new methods of studying the universe; its design and its setting-up were due almost entirely to Sir Bernard, and in this programme he talks to Patrick Moore about the story of Jodrell Bank as well as his hopes for the future of astronomy.
Pegasus, the flying horse, is the main autumn constellation - but do you know where to find it? Can you see Mars now - and if so. where is it? Where should one look for the Great Spiral in Andromeda, a huge system containing more than 100,000-milIion suns? Patrick Moore conducts a tour of the autumn sky.
For almost 2,000 years, the Star of Bethlehem has been regarded as a major mystery. What was the Star of Bethlehem? Was it the planet Venus, an exploding star, a comet, or a grouping of planets? Patrick Moore examines all the latest evidence, and looks at the problem from the scientific point of view.
Yesterday evening there was a lunar eclipse. The moon passed fully into the earth's shadow from 7.15 until 8.35 pm and the eclipse should have been seen well from all over Britain and, weather permitting, from the special camera on top of Television Centre. Patrick Moore talks about eclipses, and describes some of the other features of the January night sky.
Venus has always been a planet of surprises, and very recently the Pioneer spacecraft orbiting the planet have provided some more. There is evidence of current active volcanoes, very similar to those on Earth, and it seems that in the distant past (when the Sun was cooler than at present) Venus may have sustained life, only for it to be destroyed as the Sun grew hotter, changing the 'Planet of Love' into an inferno. Patrick Moore discusses how our knowledge of Venus has changed in view of these exciting new discoveries.
Close to the brilliant star Capella, in the constellation of Auriga, there is a particularly interesting star, Epsilon Aurigae. We know it is made up of two stars, but we can only see one directly. The mysterious companion is invisible, but can be detected by infra-red. It may be the largest star known to science-or, just possibly, it might be what is known as a 'black hole'. This summer the companion is due to pass in front of the visible star, so that astronomers will be doing all they can to find out just what it really is. Patrick Moore talks to Heather Couper who has made a special study ef this strange object.
During evenings in April three bright planets-Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - are very conspicuous, with Venus still prominent in the east before dawn. Patrick Moore explains how these planets move, sometimes apparently ' looping the loop', and gives details of the latest Russian flights to Venus as well as describing the spring stars and constellations.
In this special programme to mark the 25th anniversary of The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore reports on what's happening at great observatories all over the world; he talks to space researchers and 'ground-based' astronomers, and his journey round the world took him from the top of Mauna Kea, at 14,000 feet above sea-level, to one mile down a goldmine in South Dakota. This is a report not only upon what has happened in the past, but also a look ahead to the future, with the Space Telescope and other developments undreamed of when the first Sky at Night was transmitted.
Astronomers in Australia have just discovered an object which may be the most remote and luminous known to man. It is a quasar, apparently 13,000 million light years from us. Yet some astronomers have their doubts and believe that there have been serious errors in interpretation. Patrick Moore talks about the quasar problem and sums up what we have so far found out about these remarkable objects.
La Palma, in the Canary Isles, is a picturesque place. It is also ideal as a site for large telescopes, and it is here that a major observatory is being established. It is linked with the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and the project scientist is Dr Paul Murdin. Patrick Moore reports from La Palma, giving the latest news of the huge telescopes to be set up there and talking to DR MURDIN and Professor Alec Boksenberg , Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Is there a new planet in the solar system? Many astronomers believe that there is a massive body beyond Neptune, the outermost of the main planets now known: it could be a planet, but it might also be a dark star or a black hole. The movements of the two Pioneer space-craft now on their way out of the solar system may provide valuable clues. Patrick Moore gives an up-to-date report.
Siding Spring Mountain in New South Wales is the site of one of the world's most sophisticated observatories. All the southern sky is available for study, and the AAT, or Anglo-Australian Telescope, has already been used to make major discoveries. Patrick Moore visits the observatory, and talks about the work there with David Malin and Dr David Allen.
Why are some galaxies, such as ours, spiral in form like huge Catherine wheels, and why are stars born inside these arms? Patrick Moore and Dr John Beck -man of Queen Mary College talk about the mysteries of spiral galaxies, and how the massive, powerful stars inside the arms affect the whole course of the history of our own galaxy and other systems.
Can comets have collided with the earth? According to a new theory by Dr Clube and Dr Napier from the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, collisions can happen, and it was one such event which wiped out the dinosaurs over 60 million years ago. Dr Clube and Patrick Moore discuss these surprising theories.
Less than four years after Neil Armstrong made his 'one small step ...', Commander Eugene Cernan became the last man on the moon. In December 1972 when Challenger, the lunar module of Apollo 17, lifted off from the moon carrying Commander Cernan and his colleague Jack Schmitt , the first phase of lunar exploration was at an end. Now, ten years later, Eugene Cernan relives his experiences of that epic 13-day trip, and talks to Patrick Moore about what he believes the Apollo missions mean to mankind.
The winter stars are more brilliant than those of any other season. Orion dominates the scene, together with his brilliant retinue. Two particularly interesting stars are visible; the Twins, Castor and Pollux - Pollux an orange giant and Castor a sort of stellar family, made up of no fewer than six sans. Patrick Moore talks about these unusual stars and gives the latest news about developments at the new observatory in La Palma and about the approach of Halley's Comet.
A week ago IRAS, the Infra-red Astronomical Satellite, was launched and is now moving round the Earth at a height of 560 miles. It will provide new information about objects ranging from super-giant stars, to the mysterious centre of our Galaxy. Patrick Moore talks about this exciting new project.
Mauna Kea, in the Hawaiian Islands, is almost 14,000 feet high. At its summit the air is thin and the skies are clear-which is why some of the world's largest telescopes have been set up there. Patrick Moore pays it a visit.
Patrick Moore talks about a strange pulsar to the Astronomer Royal, Professor Graham Smith.
A mile below the Black Hills of Dakota lies a huge tank of cleaning fluid deep inside a gold mine - the world's strangest observatory. It is designed to collect neutrinos sent out by the sun. But what do we really know about the sun? Some of our long-cherished theories seem to be wrong. Patrick Moore visits this unusual observatory and talks to Drs Raymond Davis and Keith Rowley about the results of their work.
A mile below the Black Hills of Dakota lies a huge tank of cleaning fluid deep inside a goldmine - the world's strangest observatory. It is designed to collect neutrinos sent out by the sun. But what do we really know about the sun? Some of our long-cherished theories seem to be wrong. Patrick Moore visits the observatory and talks to Drs Raymond Davis and Keith Rowley about the results of their work.
The stars, many far bigger than our ' star the sun, are many millions of miles away and appear only as specks of light. Until recently it had been impossible to see any details of the stars. But thanks to a new technique called 'speckle interferometry' this can be done for the first time. Patrick Moore discusses the remarkable results with Professor Alec Boksenberg , Director of the The Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux.
Two rocket probes, Pioneers 10 and 11, are on their way out of the solar system. They are sending back new information about the heliosphere, that part of space in which the influence of the sun is dominant. Patrick Moore and Iain Nicolson talk about the outer heliosphere, and also the search for a possible planet moving beyond the paths of Neptune and Pluto.
Two rocket probes are on their way out of the solar system. They are sending back new information about the ' heliosphere ', that part of space in which the influence of the sun is dominant. Patrick Moore and lain Nicolson talk about the outer heliosphere.
First identified 20 years ago, quasars are probably the most dramatic objects in the universe. Though small compared with galaxies, they are extremely luminous, and some of them are so far away that they may lie near the edge of the observable universe. Patrick Moore discusses the latest researches with Dr John Beckman of Queen Mary College.
Vega has been known to astronomers for centuries. At least, astronomers thought they knew most things about this brilliant blue star. But Vega has been keeping a secret. It is surrounded by a planetary system in the early stages of development. This discovery is the latest in a series of unexpected finds by IRAS, the infra-red astronomical satellite launched in January 1983. Patrick Moore talks to astronomers Dr Aumann and Dr Gillette and discusses the importance of this major contribution to our knowledge of the universe.
IRAS, the Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite, continues on its triumphant way. and has now discovered a remarkable 20 million mile dust-tail associated with the faint Tempel's Comet. Patrick Moore discusses this new finding, and points out many objects which are now on view in the evening sky this month.
In 1917 astronomy entered a new era. The great 100-inch reflecting telescope on Mount Wilson in California was completed. It was far more powerful than any existing telescope, and it soon led to the discovery that we live in an expanding universe. Mount Wilson Observatory is still in full use. Patrick Moore visits the observatory and talks to some of the astronomers who are working there.
IRAS, the infra-red astronomical satellite, is proving to be one of the most successful of all space missions. Already it has carried out an all-sky survey in infra-red, discovering hundreds of thousands of new infra-red sources ranging from very young stars out to remote quasars. Patrick Moore talks about these striking developments with Dr Jim Emerson of Queen Mary College, a British member of the IRAS team which also includes specialists from Holland and the United States.
Black holes are almost certainly the most bizarre objects known. They cannot be seen but they betray their presence by their effects upon more normal stars. Now, for the first time, there has been an opportunity to weigh one of these strange objects. Patrick Moore talks about the latest developments with Dr Michael Penston.
Winter is perhaps the best time for star-gazing; the nights are long and dark. Also the winter constellations, led by Orion the Hunter, are brilliant. Patrick Moore talks about the winter Sky at Night and points out some objects which can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope.
British astronomy has always been in the forefront of research. This is still true today, though the largest optical telescopes have been moved to sites with better climates, such as La Palma and Hawaii. The organisation, together with the development and testing of new equipment, is still carried out largely at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux. In this programme Patrick Moore talks to Professor Alec Boksenberg , Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and other scientists about these important new developments, in which British astronomers are so deeply involved.
For the past few months Venus has been a brilliant object in the morning sky. Though we cannot see through its dense, unbreathable atmosphere, space probes have sent back remarkable pictures, and using infra-red techniques, the Anglo-Australian Observatory has taken pictures of the dark side. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Peter Cattermole of Sheffield University about this fascinating world.
The stars are suns; they have tremendously long lives, but they do not exist for ever. In this programme Patrick Moore and Heather Couper trace the stories of some typical stars which are easy to see with the naked eye or through a small telescope.
In February 1980 the Americans launched an important artificial satellite - Solar Max, designed to study the sun. After nine months it developed serious faults. Recently a daring rescue mission was mounted to capture and repair it. Patrick Moore describes this remarkable feat, and explains why Solar Max is so important.
Most astronomers believe that the universe began with a big bang, perhaps 15,000-million years ago, and that all the familiar elements have since been built up out of the original hydrogen by being 'cooked' inside stars which have long since exploded. Patrick Moore talks to Dr John Beckman of Queen Mary College about these early days of the universe, and how it has developed.
The Isaac Newton Telescope at the new observatory at La Palma, in the Canary Islands, is now ready for use. Patrick Moore has been there taking part in one of the first sets of observations, together with Dr Paul Murdin , who is in charge of the telescope. During the observations it was possible to obtain the first colour video picture of an object well beyond the Solar System: the Ring Nebula in Lyra.
Interest is growing as Halley s Comet continues to draw in toward the sun. Already there have been trial runs in observing the much fainter Crommelin's Comet, and of course several space-probes will be launched towards Halley, to rendezvous with the comet in March 1986. Patrick Moore discusses these developments with Dr John Davies of Newcastle University, and explains what British observers may be able to see.
Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is one of the most remarkable bodies in the solar system. With its dense orange clouds and its nitrogen atmosphere it may have a deep ocean made up of methane, with cliffs of solid methane and a steady drip of methane rain. Patrick Moore talks about what is known about this extraordinary 'Earth in deep freeze'.
Do other solar systems exist? Information from the infra-red astronomical satellite, IRAS, indicates that they may well do so. Many stars - some of them similar to our sun - have been found to be associated with what may be planet-forming material. In this programme Patrick Moore gives the latest result, and speculates as to their significance.
What is only 100 years old? What were the French finally forced to accept? And why do King Charles II, Sir Isaac Newton, Captain Cook, Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovel, the Great Western Railway and an American called Charles Dowd share a vital part in an institution of which we in Britain can be justly proud? Patrick Moore takes an affectionate look at the stories behind the centenary of Greenwich Mean Time; asks why it incurred the wrath of the law and discovers why astronauts and space men - like mere earthlings - would be lost without Greenwich Mean Time.
There is a tremendous amount of material spread thinly between the stars. If a star happens to pass into a cloud of denser gas and dust, it will illuminate it to produce a reflection nebula. In this programme Patrick Moore talks to Dr Paul Murdin , who is in charge of the British telescopes at the new observatory in the Canary Islands, and shows some of the latest spectacular pictures of these strange clouds in space.
Most people can recognise the major constellations such as Orion the celestial hunter, Hercules, Perseus, the Great Bear and others. But more constellations have been proposed from time to time, and there have even been attempts to make radical reforms, such as replacing the Zodiacal groups with the 12 Apostles. Patrick Moore looks back at the old star maps and tells the stories of some of the groups which have long since passed into history.
Patrick Moore looks at the new and quite unexpected developments in our understanding of Beta Pictoris and Van Biesbroeck 8-two very different stars, but both associated with faint companions.
The Anglo-Australian Telescope in New South Wales is one of the largest and best telescopes in the world. With it David Malin has been taking colour pictures of remote stars and star-systems which are not only the most beautiful ever taken but are of great scientific value. David Malin talks to Patrick Moore, explaining his methods, and shows his latest photographs.
Halley's Comet is now approaching the Sun and the Earth. Patrick Moore explains when and where to look for the comet, and describes the various investigations which are to be carried out both from the Earth and by space-craft.
The Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, operated for most of 1983 and provided important information about subjects ranging from the dusty tails of comets to star formation in remote galaxies. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Jim Emerson of Queen Mary College about these new results and their significance.
The moon is a world of mountains, craters, valleys, peaks and huge waterless seas. Of special interest are the cracklike features known as rills, which are unlike anything we find on earth. Patrick Moore talks about them to Dr Lionel Wilson of the University of Lancaster, who has been making a careful study of these remarkable lunar features.
During its voyage to Jupiter, the American Galileo probe will survey a small and interesting world, the asteroid Amphitrite - one of the swarm of minor planets moving round the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Patrick Moore talks about the Amphitrite encounter, and about the whole swarm of these little worlds which were once referred to by a German astronomer as 'vermin of the skies'.
How do you find your way around the sky? It is not difficult; the constellation patterns are easy enough to make out. Patrick Moore conducts what may be called a guided tour, explaining where to find the planets, the main stars, and the clusters and clouds of stars, as well as giving the latest news about astronomical events.
Infra-red radiation, often termed 'heat', is an important part of the total range of wavelengths now being studied by astronomers. Striking results have been obtained at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. In this programme Patrick Moore talks to Dr David Allen from Siding Spring and shows some of the spectacular new pictures.
Mizar, the second star in the 'handle' of the Plough, has a faint companion, Alcor, easily visible with the naked eye. Use a telescope and Mizar is seen to be double; and the brighter member is again double. Patrick Moore talks about Mizar and speculates as to the view from a planet moving in this system.
Many amateur astronomers have large telescopes but Ron Arbour 's observatory, near Winchester, is exceptional; his 16-inch reflector is computer controlled and is programmed to hunt automatically for stellar explosions far across the universe. Patrick Moore visits the observatory to talk to Ron Arbour about his telescope and about his plans for photographing Halley's Comet later this year; during the programme he attempts to get a photograph of the comet specially for The Sky at Night.
How large is the universe? Astronomers measure the distances of very remote objects by using spectroscopes, but today there are some doubts as to whether the measurements are reliable. Two star-systems in the constellation of the Fishes appear to give very confusing results. Patrick Moore talks to Iain Nicolson about these new results and what they may mean.
Halley's Comet is now back and can be seen with binoculars, and should be visible with the naked eye next month. Patrick Moore talks to Douglas Arnold (photographing the comet); Brian Harpur (Halley Comet Society), Lee Sproates (a young amateur astronomer), and Dr Rod Jenkins of British Aerospace, who built the probe that will go right into the comet next March.
The science of astronomy is thousands of years old. Yet only in the last few decades have astronomers made discoveries that have proved the old theories wrong. Venus has no water - Mars has no canals - Man did not sink without trace into the moon's dust. Patrick Moore tells the stories of these old theories, and explains how, because of one mistake, the size of the universe was doubled.
How much is known about the sun? We know that it is a huge nuclear furnace that sends out electrified particles, which affect the tails of comets and much else. But there is still a great deal that isn't known. Patrick Moore gives the results of the latest research into the nature of the nearest star.
The Voyager 2 probe by-passed the planet Uranus on 24 January. Though discovered in 1781, not much had been found out about Uranus - in many ways a mysterious world, with a strange axial tilt and a system of dark rings. Patrick Moore is at the space headquarters in Pasadena for the encounter, and in this programme he is joined by the leading NASA experts to give the latest news and pictures of what Voyager 2 has to tell us about this mysterious green world.
Tonight's news from the comet comes as Europe's Giotto spacecraft plunges deep into the glowing dust and gases of its coma. At 47 miles per second, every grain of dust strikes like a bullet. Will Giotto be destroyed by that deadly hail, or will it win through, to send back the first pictures of the mysterious object at the heart of Halley's Comet? Horizon and The Sky at Night join forces, with Patrick Moore reporting from mission control at Darmstadt in West Germany, and James Burke at Greenwich, where Edmond Halley was Britain's second Astronomer Royal.
By spring evenings the brilliant winter constellations have vanished into the twilight, but there is still plenty to see. Patrick Moore talks about the spring constellations such as Leo and Virgo, and shows where to look for Halley's Comet before it disappears - not to return for 76 years.
When the planet Saturn was first examined telescopically in 1610, it was believed by Galileo to be a triple world. Patrick Moore shows what can be seen this month, while Saturn is best placed, with a small telescope.
Two months ago the Giotto spacecraft passed through the head of Halley's Comet. It sent back the only close-range pictures ever taken of a nucleus, and more information about comets than we ever knew before. The results of this remarkable mission are as exciting as they are unexpected. Patrick Moore gives the latest findings and talks to many of the scientists involved.
This is a favourable time for planetary enthusiasts, as all the bright planets are on view. There are also brilliant southern stars, such as the Scorpion with its red leader Antares. Patrick Moore conducts a tour of the summer sky, and explains what can be seen with the naked eye or with binoculars or telescopes.
The southern galaxy Centaurus A is a peculiar system, crossed by a dark dust-lane. In it an Australian amateur astronomer has found a supernova - a colossal stellar outburst involving the destruction of a star. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Paul Murdin of the Royal Greenwich Observatory about this remarkable object.
Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is always difficult to study from earth, but it is at its best in the morning sky this month. So far the only space-probe to have bypassed it has been Mariner 10, more than 12 years ago. Patrick Moore has been to a conference in the USA in which all the information about Mercury has been summarised; tonight he explains what has been learned.
Astronomers in Australia have just announced the discovery of the most remote object known to science. It is a quasar - an object whose nature is not known with certainty but which is so far away that its light comes to us after a journey which has lasted for longer than the whole history of the Earth. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Sir Francis Graham Smith , the Astronomer Royal, about this remarkable discovery and its significance.
Autumn skies may be less brilliant than those of other seasons, but there is plenty of interest. In this programme Patrick Moore discusses the main features, with special reference to binocular observations, and gives a timetable for the eclipse of the moon which will be seen on 17 October. And the continuing story of Halley's Comet. The latest stunning series of black and white pictures from Giotto's camera - seen for the first time on television - will give scientists the clues to exactly what organic materials the comet contains.
The unique object known to astronomers at SS433 looks at first sight like a dim star, but has proved to be as bizarre as anything known. Jets of material spreading out from it are 'processing' in the manner of a lawn-sprinkler. Patrick Moore talks about SS433 with Dr David Clark , co-discoverer of its extraordinary nature.
Jupiter is now prominently visible in the evening sky. Any telescope will show it together with its four large satellites, known as the Galileans because they were studied in 1610 by Galileo with his first telescope. They are not alike; two are icy and cratered, one smooth as a billiard ball, and one brilliant red, with violently active volcanoes. Patrick Moore talks about the Galileans, and what we have learned about them from space missions.
Can you take astronomical photographs with limited equipment? The surprising answer is yes. Though such pictures cannot rival those of professional astronomers or skilled, well-equipped amateurs, they are pleasing to the eye and may even be of some scientific value. Patrick Moore talks to Douglas Arnold about what can be achieved with very limited photographic equipment.
Studies of variable stars form a very important part of the work of modern amateur astronomers. In this programme, Patrick Moore describes how the amateurs work and also gives the latest news about the variable star R Coronae, which periodically veils itself behind clouds of soot.
On 24 February a supernova blazed out in the Large Cloud of Magellan, which is the brightest of the external star-systems though unfortunately too far south to be seen from Britain. The new supernova is the brightest to have been seen since 1604, and is of immense interest to astronomers. Patrick Moore and Dr Paul Murdin of the Royal Greenwich Observatory talk about the supernova, and what it may tell us about the life-stories of the stars.
The Sky at Night is now 30 years old; the first programme was transmitted on 24 April 1957, before the space age began. Much has happened in those three decades. Rockets have been to the planets, men have reached the moon, great new telescopes have been built, and electronic aids have to a large extent superseded photographic methods. It has been part of the role of The Sky at Night to keep viewers abreast of what has been happening, and to interest newcomers of all ages. This programme looks back over the years, showing again some of the highlights, and then looking ahead to the great new telescopes and the developments which may be expected in the future.
We depend upon our atmosphere, without it, no life on earth could have appeared. Other worlds, too, have atmospheres of various kinds, some of them dense and corrosive, others incredibly thin. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Garry Hunt about our neighbour worlds.
The Earth and the Moon travel together round the Sun, but the movements of the Moon itself are not so straightforward as might be thought. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison discuss the whole question of how the Moon moves, how it affects the tides, and why it is very slowly receding from the Earth, at the same time slowing down the Earth's rate of rotation.
Coming into operation shortly is a telescope that is not only one of the largest in the world, but probably the most accurate. The William Herschel telescope is on the summit of an extinct volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands. Patrick Moore visits the telescope and talks to the astronomers who have been closely connected with its development.
A great new telescope has just come into operation at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, almost 14,000 feet above sea level. It is the James Clerk Maxwell. Telescope, a sort of radio telescope designed to study regions of the universe where stars are being born. Patrick Moore visits the telescope and talks to the astronomers who planned and built it.
Is there a tenth planet? New evidence seems to indicate that there is in fact an extra member of the solar system, moving far beyond the paths of the most distant planets now known, Pluto and Neptune. Patrick Moore discusses the whole problem, and speculates as to what Planet Ten may be like - if it really exists!
In February of this year a supernova burst out in a neighbouring galaxy and became visible to the naked eye. It has provided astronomers with all kinds of problems. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Russell Cannon , Director of the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, and to Dr Paul Murdin of the Royal Greenwich Observatory about this remarkable event.
Thirty years after its completion, the most famous radio telescope in the world - the 250 foot 'dish' at Jodrell Bank - was officially renamed The Lovell Telescope in honour of its creator. Patrick Moore talks about the work at Jodrell Bank with Sir Bernard Lovell and with the present Director, the Astronomer Royal, Professor Sir Francis Graham Smith.
Do you want to own an astronomical telescope? If so, you must take great care before purchasing. Patrick Moore offers advice to would-be buyers, and warns of some of the pitfalls.
What are the exact positions of the stars in the sky? How do they move, and how far away are they? These are the problems which will be studied from Hipparcos, an artificial satellite due to be launched in 1988. Patrick Moore talks about Hipparcos with Andrew Murray, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, who has been deeply involved with the project ever since it was first planned.
At the start of 1987 The Sky at Night asked for amateur astronomical photographers to send in their pictures - either of objects in the sky, or of observatories and telescopes. In this programme Patrick Moore and Douglas Arnold show the best pictures sent in, and also take a look round the night sky as it appears in January.
During March, Venus and Jupiter are splendidly placed for observation in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about them, and explains what observers using small telescopes may expect to see on their surfaces.
Yerkes Observatory, at Williams Bay near Chicago, is a most unusual place. Its main telescope is not a reflector, but a refractor - the world's largest Old-fashioned though it may look, Yerkes is in the forefront of scientific research, as Patrick Moore explains when he goes there to talk to the director, Dr Al Harper, and members of the observatory's staff.
The sun is the nearest star; but how much is known about it? Less may be known than was thought a few decades ago; there are problems of the sunspots, the strange particles called neutrinos, and the recently discovered oscillations or quivering of the whole solar globe. Patrick Moore and lain Nicholson discuss these problems, and show photographs of last month's total solar eclipse.
Are quasars remote and super-luminous, or are they comparatively close to our galaxy? Dr Halton C. Arp , formerly of Mount Wilson Observatory, believes that they are not so remote as most people think, and he discusses these exciting and controversial ideas with Patrick Moore.
The first successful spacecraft to the planet Venus was sent up more than a quarter of a century ago. Since then most of the planets in the Solar System have been contacted. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt look back over the space-probe story, and describe the exciting developments to be expected during the next few years.
Can you identify the main star groups? It is by no means difficult - and once you have found your way around, there are many fascinating objects to be seen. Patrick Moore invites you to join him on a 'tour' of the summer sky, and talks about some of the variable stars, which, unlike our Sun, brighten and fade over short periods.
Would you like to see a shooting star? August is the best month of the year for meteors; go outdoors on a dark, clear night between now and 17 August and you should see several members of the Perseid meteor stream as they plunge to their fiery death in the Earth's upper air. With Dr John Mason, Patrick Moore talks about this annual display of cosmic fireworks.
How 'empty' is space? Astronomers used to think that there was no material between the stars, or between the galaxies; they now know that there is a great deal. Patrick Moore talks about interstellar material to Professor Alec Boksenberg, Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Two Russian space probes are on their way to Mars. Patrick Moore discusses the fascinating red world with Dr Peter Cattermole of the University of Sheffield.
How do you record an astronomical observation? What details should be noted? And what are the important 'dos' and 'don'ts'! Patrick Moore talks to Paul Doherty about these points and also discusses the brilliant planet Jupiter and other features of the night sky in October.
Some stars send out radio waves, though generally they are less powerful than other kinds of radio sources in the sky. These genuine radio stars are discussed by Patrick Moore and Dr Alan Wright , who was also present at the opening of the great new Australia Telescope - the most powerful radio astronomy installation in the world.
There are some asteroids which pass close to the Earth! Patrick Moore talks about these 'close-approach' asteroids to the American astronomer Eleanor Helin , who has discovered many of them.
The winter sky is magnificent, with Orion dominant; this year there are also two of the brilliant planets, Jupiter and Mars. But there are puzzles to solve, too. For example, why was Sirius once described as a red star rather than a white one - and has Alcor, the companion to Mizar in the Great Bear, brightened since ancient times? Patrick Moore takes a look round the winner sky, and discusses some of these curious mysteries.
How many star systems or galaxies are there? It now seems that there are many more than has been believed - some of them so dim that they are barely visible, so that we are seeing only 'the tip of the iceberg'; others so compact, like crouching giants, that they have been mistaken for stars. Professor Michael Disney of Cardiff University, who has been deeply involved in this new research, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest results.
Pulsars are among the most bizarre objects in the universe. They are very small, amazingly dense and spinning round rapidly. Astronomers have been waiting to see whether the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, seen in 1987, will produce a pulsar. Reports from the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile indicate that this may well be the case, as Dr Paul Murdin discusses with Patrick Moore.
High in the Andes mountains of Chile lies one of the world's major observatories, La Silla, with its 15 telescopes. Conditions there are ideal - far better than anywhere in Europe. In this programme Patrick Moore visits La Silla , talks to the astronomers there, and even has what may be his last view of Halley's Comet.
The IUE or International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was launched in 1978. It had an estimated lifespan of three years, but it is still operating and has revolutionised our whole understanding of the stars. In this month's Sky at Night, Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Robert Wilson , who has been the prime mover in the IUE experiment.
New generation astronomical telescopes are entirely different from those of the past. They have different types of mountings; their main mirrors are made in a new way, and in some cases there are separate telescopes working in combination. Dr Ron Maddison talks about this new revolution in telescope making.
Pluto is the smallest of the planets, and also one of the most puzzling. It is so far from the sun that it takes almost 248 years to complete one orbit; it is made up of a mixture of rock and ice; it has an extensive though thin atmosphere; and it is attended by a companion. This autumn Pluto reaches its closest point to the sun, and Patrick Moore takes the opportunity to sum up what is known about this curious little world.
The eclipse of the Moon, due on the early morning of 17 August, will be well seen from all over Britain (clouds permitting). It is a fascinating spectacle; slowly the Earth's shadow creeps across the Moon's face, blotting out the mountains and craters. Patrick Moore talks about the eclipse, and H. J. P. Arnold explains how to take good photographs of it with an ordinary camera.
The Atacama Desert of Chile is an exceptionally good site for astronomers; three major observatories have been set up there. One (La Silla) was the subject of a Sky at Night programme earlier this year. Patrick Moore visits the other two, Cerro Tololo and Las Campanas, and talks to the astronomers working there.
Voyager 2, launched in 1977, has already passed by the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, all of which have provided plenty of surprises. Voyager has now passed Neptune, sending back remarkable new information about the outermost planet. In this programme, Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Garry Hunt and other experts from the American team to summarise what has been discovered about this lonely, remote world.
Do you want to become a professional astronomer? If so, you will need a proper qualification. One of the leading courses for would-be professional astronomers is at Birmingham University. Patrick Moore goes there to be joined by Professor Peter Willmore , Dr Ken Elliott and, of course, the students.
Patrick Moore talks about Taurus the Bull, one of the most interesting objects in the winter night sky. It contains one brilliant star, two beautiful star clusters (one of which, the Pleiades or Seven Sisters, is familiar to many people), and much else
In 1977 Voyager 2, the most ambitious of all space-craft, was launched toward the outer planets. Since then it has surveyed Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in turn, and has sent back amazing pictures as well as a vast amount of new information. Patrick Moore sums up what Voyager has told us, and goes on a grand tour of the outer solar system.
Tales of the Unexpected Astronomers, like other people, can be taken by surprise. Bright comets, new stars, outbreaks on planets, displays of aurora - none of these can be predicted; and in this programme Patrick Moore looks at some of these 'tales of the unexpected'.
The NTT, or New Technology Telescope, at La Silla in the Atacama Desert of Chile has now come into full operation. It is the most accurate, most modern telescope in the world, as Patrick Moore finds when he visits La Silla.
Brilliant comets have been rare over recent years, but Austin's Comet, now brightening as it moves into the northern part of the sky, may become really spectacular, with a bright head and a long tail. In this programme Patrick Moore is joined by Harold Ridley , one of Britain's leading observers of comets, to explain what, hopefully, is in store during the coming weeks.
Two of the zodiacal constellations - Leo (the lion) and Cancer (the crab) - are on view during evenings this month. Both contain interesting objects, including Praesepe or the 'beehive', one of the brightest of all star-clusters. Patrick Moore talks about them and gives the latest news on Austin's comet.
A Brown Dwarf is like a missing link - not quite a star and yet too big to be a planet. A team including Dr Mike Hawkins of Edinburgh's Royal Observatory may have located the first definite Brown Dwarf.
The William Herschel Telescope is the third largest astronomical telescope in the world and one of the most modern. Patrick Moore visits the observatory in the Canary Islands and talks to the astronomers who have been exploring the universe with this great new telescope.
The sun, our nearest star, is at present at the peak of its cycle of activity and there are many sunspots. These can be observed by amateurs, though great care must always be taken. Patrick Moore is joined by Bruce Hardie , director of the Solar Section of the British Astronomical Association. He also visits the Swedish solar telescope in La Palma, where remarkable pictures of the sun are being taken.
Titan is Saturn's largest moon. A new mission, Cassini, is to be launched to it in a few years' time. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr John Zarnecki of the University of Kent to discuss Titan and the plans for landing there.
At the moment the planet Venus is a brilliant object in the east before dawn. It is a world much the same size as the Earth, but very different in many ways, with its fiercely hot surface, its dense, choking atmosphere and its clouds of corrosive acid. Maps of its surface have to be compiled by radar. In this programme, Patrick Moore and Dr Peter Cattermole describe how the new radar-carrying spacecraft Magellan, which reaches Venus this month, will continue this work.
A new European space probe, Ulysses, is about to be launched to study the unknown poles of the Sun. Patrick Moore goes to Noordwijk in the Netherlands and talks to the scientists at the European Space Agency who are planning and carrying through these exciting new missions.
Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland is 200 years old. Patrick Moore goes to Armagh on the occasion of the observatory's bicentenary and talks to the astronomers who are carrying out their researches there.
rofessor Michael Rowan-Robinson of Queen Mary and Westfield College discusses developments in the study of the Great Wall and the Great Attractor with Patrick Moore.
Radiations of very short wavelength from space cannot reach the Earth because they are blocked by the atmosphere, but they are of increasing importance to astronomers. ROSAT, an artificial satellite designed specially for this research, is now sending back exciting information. Professor Ken Pounds of Leicester University and Patrick Moore discuss the latest results.
Looking like a bright red star, Mars can be seen clearly in the south-west sky after dark. It has been studied since prehistoric times and many people believed there was life on the planet, yet the Viking spacecraft in the 1970s could find no trace. Patrick Moore explores the myths and legends surrounding Mars and takes a voyage over its surface.
Patrick Moore and Professor Andrew Lyne of Jodrell Bank investigate millisecond pulsars, the spinning remains of exploded stars.
Patrick Moore explains the new insight into Jupiter provided by the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft.
Cosmic rays are not rays at all, but high-speed particles from space which bombard the earth from all directions all the time. Patrick Moore is joined by one of the world's leading experts in this field: the Astronomer Royal, Professor Arnold Wolfendale.
Patrick Moore talks to comet expert Dr Donald Yeomans.
Dr Ian McHardy , of Southampton University, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest on BL Lacertae, the object found in the northern constellation of Lacerta, the Lizard.
Patrick Moore explains what can be seen of Saturn, the ringed planet, now well in view during the hours of darkness, rather low in the southern sky. He also gives the latest results from the spacecraft which have studied Saturn from close range.
Patrick Moore visits Baikonur, the site from which all the important Soviet space missions have been launched and until recently out of bounds to westerners. He watches the launch of a probe to the orbiting space-station Mir and talks to leading Soviet astronomer Prof Alexander Boyarchuk.
Polaris is probably the most famous star in the night sky and has been of tremendous value to navigators through the ages. Patrick Moore discusses not only its position but also its nature - pointing out that Polaris is far more luminous than the Sun, and so far away that we see it as it used to be at the time of the crusades.
Astronomers have found what seems to be the most luminous object known in the universe. It is 16,000 million light years away and 300 million, million times brighter than the sun. With Patrick Moore.
Although the Hubble Space Telescope is sometimes regarded as a failure, it is making significant discoveries. Patrick Moore finds out about the early results.
Patrick Moore reports on the remarkable discovery of planet moving around a neutron star. He is joined by the astronomers Professor Andrew Lyne, Setnam Shemar and Matthew Bailes of Jodrell Bank.
Patrick Moore visits the world's most powerful telescope, the Keck reflector, now being constructed on top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
It is not necessary to have a large telescope in order to take a real interest in the night sky. Binoculars will show a great deal. Patrick Moore takes viewers on a "guided tour".
Patrick Moore finds out more about asteroids, the minor planets which are junior members of the Sun's family.
At the Anglo-Australian Observatory in New South Wales, Dr David Malin has developed new techniques for photographing the stars. With Patrick Moore.
An anniversary edition to celebrate the first transmission of The Sky at Night35 years ago. A newcomer to television then, Patrick Moore has continued to present the programme ever since. Tonight he reports on the influence the space age has had on people's understanding and knowledge of astronomy.
Professor Arnold Wolfendale, joins Patrick Moore to discuss the latest information received from the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite,
A look at the outer giant planets, Uranus and Neptune. The Voyager probe missions that by-passed Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989 were covered by Sky at Night at the time. Further analysis has since been carried out, and Patrick Moore sums up the new findings.
The Giotto spacecraft encountered Halley's Comet in 1986 and escaped. The same craft recently made close-range studies of the comet Grigg-Skellerup. Patrick Moore and Drjohn Mason are joined by Professor Susan McKenna-Lawlor to discuss the problems of comets.
It is usually accepted that the first telescope was made in 1608. But new evidence shows that the first reflector was made in England, by Leonard Digges , many years before. In this programme Colin Ronan joins Patrick Moore to explain the principle, and to show the first "working" Digges-type telescope to have been made for more than 400 years.
Patrick Moore studies the Great Spiral in Andromeda, a galaxy containing more than 100,000 million stars.
Dr David Allen joins Patrick Moore to describe research aimed at showing surface details of the planet Venus.
Patrick Moore sees how the multiple mirror telescope in Arizona is to be changed.
Professor Sir Francis Graham-Smith , the former Astronomer Royal, joins Patrick Moore to discuss the latest findings about the fascinating Crab Nebula.
Patrick Moore surveys Orion the Hunter, and then Mars and Venus - two bright inner planets.
Patrick Moore visits the world's most powerful radio observatories and talks to the astronomers who make the radio pictures.
Patrick Moore discusses the latest findings on how the universe began.
Patrick Moore explains the significance of a new telescope jointly planned by Cambridge University and the Harvard Observatory at Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is being set up in Chile.
Patrick Moore explains that there is much for the amateur astronomer to see.
Dr Robin Catchpole of the Royal Greenwich Observatory joins Patrick Moore to talk about supernova - the most tremendous outbursts known in nature involving the destruction of a massive star - from which astronomers can learn a great deal.
Patrick Moore reports from Baltimore on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr Chris Kitchin joins Patrick Moore to explain what the so-called planetary nebulae are.
Patrick Moore discusses newly found bodies in orbit around the sun and asks whether the planetary system could be more extensive than previously believed.
Patrick Moore talks to Prof Richard Davis of Jodrell Bank about his current work with the Lovell radio telescope.
Patrick Moore is joined by Fred Watson, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, who has been developing fibre optics for astronomy.
Patrick Moore looks at Taunton School's radio telescope.
Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Jocelyn Bell-Burnell for the latest news about black holes.
Auriga is one of the most prominent of all the constellations of the northern sky. Patrick Moore explains what can be seen there.
Celestial names, discussed by Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore and Drjohn Mason report on the American lunar probe Clementine.
Patrick Moore talks to astronomers carrying out research in Australia.
There will be a partial eclipse of the sun on 10 May and of the moon on 25 May. Patrick Moore and H.J.P. Arnold explain what should be visible.
Patrick Moore explains the role of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, 100 years after it was established.
Patrick Moore investigates evidence for the existence of black holes - collapsed stars whose gravitational field is so strong that not even light can escape.
Earlier this month, the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacted on Jupiter and was destroyed. Patrick Moore reports on the event with Drs Jim Scotti, Steven Miller and John Mason.
Australia has become a major centre for radio astronomy. The 210-foot dish at Parkes, New South Wales has been in continuous operation since 1961 and has provided work of fundamental importance. The "Australia Telescope", a network of all the main observatories, now covers a wide area of the continent. In this programme, Patrick Moore goes to the Australian radio observatories and talks to the scientists who have made Australia so important in this branch of astronomy.
What to look for in the autumn evening sky. With Patrick Moore.
Professor Richard Ellis of Cambridge University joins Patrick Moore in a programme focusing on gravitational lenses.
Dr Paul Murdin talks to Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Alec Boksenberg to review a successful year for the Hubble Space Telescope.
New results from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal a fascinating and unexpected puzzle surrounding the age of the universe. Patrick Moore and Dr. Shaun Hughes of the Royal Greenwich Observatory discuss the implications.
Professor Iwan Williams of Queen Mary and Westfield College joins Patrick Moore to examine some recently discovered little worlds.
The planet Mars is now prominent in the evening sky, and a telescope can show its red dust deserts. Presented by Patrick Moore with Dr Peter Cattermole.
To mark his 500th appearance presenting the show, Patrick Moore gives an enthusiastic tour of the night sky. He surveys the planets Mars, Venus and Jupiter and marvels at dazzling constellations, star clusters and nebulae.
Dr Chris Kitchin of the University of Hertfordshire, joins Patrick Moore to discuss how stars are born.
For the first time in 15 years Saturn's rings are facing edgewise on to the Earth. Dr. Carl Murray joins Patrick Moore to explain exactly what is happening.
Patrick Moore takes part in a flight aboard the Kuiper Airborne Observatory.
Dr Steven Millerjoins Patrick Moore to summarise the full analysed results of the comet Shoemaker-Levy's collision with the planet Jupiter in 1994.
It is now a commonly held belief that mankind is the sole advanced form of life in the solar system. But there are so many stars that the chances of humans being alone in the universe seem infinitesimally small. Presented by Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore with news of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
Dr Russell Cannon talks with Patrick Moore about the Anglo-Australian Observatory telescope's new facility.
Dr John Mason talks to Patrick Moore about the Leonids, seasonal meteor showers which this year are predicted to be abundant.
The Galileo probe to Jupiter is now due to send back information on the giant planet. Professor Garry Hunt joins Patrick Moore for an update.
A tour of the winter night sky, with Patrick Moore.
A look at the material which lies between stars. With Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Paul Murdin to discuss this year's new developments.
Comet Hyakutake should be visible in the evenings at the end of the month. With Patrick Moore.
Prof Michael Bode joins Patrick Moore to discuss novas.
How might the universe die? With Patrick Moore.
How much do galaxies change as they grow older? Patrick Moore finds out.
Dr Alan Wright joins Patrick Moore to explain the purpose of a survey into the most plentiful substance in the universe.
News from Jupiter and Saturn, plus the first maps of Pluto obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. With Patrick Moore.
Iras (the Infrared Astronomical Satellite), which operated for much of 1983, provided a great deal of information on aspects such as the presence of cool, possibly planet forming, material around stars like Vega. Iso (the Infrared Space Observatory) is now performing well. Dr Helen Walker of Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory joins Patrick Moore to give the latest news on the probe.
Patrick Moore tells the story of the race to discover Neptune 150 years ago.
Dr Chris Kitchin of the University of Hertfordshire Observatory and Patrick Moore discuss supernovas.
Dr Peter Cattermole , one of Nasa's principal scientific investigators, joins Patrick Mooreto describe findings on Mars.
Professor Garry Hunt gives Patrick Moore the latest news received from the spacecraft Galileo.
Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Glenn White of Queen Mary and Westfield College to examine the centre of the Galaxy, a mysterious region some 25-million light-years from earth.
Dr Jasper Wall of the Royal Greenwich Observatory joins Patrick Moore for a discussion of what quasars have to say about the universe.
The zodiacal light is a cone-shaped glow that rises from the horizon after sunset or before sunrise. Dr John James joins Patrick Moore to examine this phenomenon.
For the 40th anniversary of The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore is joined by some of the world's leading astronomers to trace the story of the telescope.
Dr John Mason talks to Patrick Moore about the interest in Hale-Bopp.
Planetary geologist Dr Peter Cattermole gives Patrick Moore the latest news on Nasa's Pathfinder.
Patrick Moore explains what small telescopes will reveal on the bright planets now visible at night, and Dr Peter Cattermole gives the latest news about the space probes to Mars.
A look at the work and significance of the Earth satellite Hipparcos.
A new probe is being launched toward Titan, Saturn's largest satellite.
Patrick Moore examines powerful new equipment that is revolutionising astronomy.
Patrick Moore explains why the stars differ from each other in colour.
White Dwarf stars have used up their "nuclear fuel" and are so dense that a mere cupful would weigh tons. Patrick Moore discusses these feebly-shining stars with Professor Chris Kitchin.
Patrick Moore describes the family of moons belonging to the planet Saturn.
Leading astronomical photographer Dr David Malin joins Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore describes the total eclipse of the sun that he witnessed in the Caribbean on 26 February.
Patrick Moore assesses new research about infra-red radiation in space.
Amateur astronomers can now undertake important research by using charge-coupled devices (CCDs) with a moderate-sized telescope. Patrick Moore assesses the value of CCDs with British Astronomical Association president Martin Mobberley.
Patrick Moore and DrJohn Mason discuss the possible existence of extra-solar planets.
lain Nicolson and Patrick Moore discuss the Sun's activity cycle.
Dr Russell Cannon, former Director of the Anglo-Australian Observatory, joins Patrick Moore to discuss the results of the UK Schmidt Telescope in New South Wales.
A bright starthat flares up where no naked-eye star has been seen before is termed a "nova". But a nova is not really new, merely a formerly faint star which suffers a temporary outburst. Professor Chris Kitchin , of Hertfordshire University, joins Patrick Moore to discuss these strange, unpredictable stars.
Patrick Moore talks about the chief autumn constellation, Pegasus, the Flying Horse.
The Leonid meteors of 17 November are rarely predictable, but as Dr John Mason explains to Patrick Moore , there is a chance of a major display this year.
Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Jasper Wall, the last Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Allan Chapman to see how to use the stars to tell the time. and looks forward to events due in 1999, including the total eclipse of the sun next August.
Patrick Moore presents the latest news on attempts to pick up radio messages from other worlds, with Ian Morison, co-ordinator of SETI in the UK.
British Astronomical Association president Martin Mobberley describes the work of asteroid hunters to Patrick Moore.
A look at what happens when a star dies
Mars, now on view in the evening sky, is a world of craters, valleys, plains and huge volcanoes. The space probe Mars Global Surveyor is at present moving around the planet. Dr Peter Catterrnole , one of Nasa's principal scientific investigators, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest news.
Patrick Moore conducts a "tour" of the evening sky in summer, and takes a preliminary look at the total eclipse of the Sun, which is due on 11 August.
Many people will go to the West Country to see the total eclipse of the Sun on 11 August. Douglas Arnold joins Patrick Moore to explain how to photograph this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Astronomer and Queen guitarist Brian May joins Patrick Moore to discuss what people will be able to see during the total eclipse of the Sun on 11 August.
Dr Peter Cattermole and lain Nicolson join Patrick Moore to discuss Wednesday's total solar eclipse and how to observe it safely.
Patrick Moore and guests look at the results of last week's eclipse, aided by pictures from a variety of observing sites. With Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore takes a final look at last month's eclipse. Plus what to look for in the autumn skies.
lain Nicolson joins Patrick Moore to discuss the fascinating phenomenon of black holes.
Patrick Moore and Dr John Mason discuss the Leonid meteors - and the spectacle they might provide during November.
Patrick Moore advises on how to choose a telescope.
Dr Allan Chapman discusses with Patrick Moore the development of astronomy over the last 1,000 years.
Dr Alan Penny joins Patrick Moore to discuss the discovery of a vast planet orbiting a star 55 light years away.
Professor Chris Kitchin joins Patrick Moore to discuss the tendency of stars to be members of pairs.
Professor Martin joins Patrick Moore to give the news on the latest x-ray mission, the Newton satellite.
In May several planets will line up, which has not happened since the 1930s. Patrick Moore and Dr John Mason discuss this planetary conjunction.
Patrick Moore discusses the signs of very mild activity that occasionally appear on the moon.
Patrick Moore runs through his Caldwell Catalogue naming his top ten favourite star clusters, galaxies and nebulae.
Astronomy has its own language, and some of the terms are unfamiliar in ordinary conversation. In this programme, the first of two devoted to the subject, Patrick Moore is joined by Chris Lintott, of Magdalen College, Cambridge, to explain some of the basic terms.
In the previous programme, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott discussed some of the often unfamiliar terms used by astronomers. They concentrated upon terms relating to our own local part of the Universe. This evening they range further, and discuss terms such as galaxies, nebulae, black holes and the Hubble Constant.
Patrick Moore is joined by lain Nicolson to give the latest news on the problem of "dark matter".
Patrick Moore and lain Nicolson look at how massive bodies, theoretical particles and the concept of dark energy may all play a part in determining the ultimate fate of the Universe.
Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Alan Penny of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory to discuss Project Darwin, designed to explore the possibility of "other Earths".
Nasa astronaut Dr Jeffrey Hoffman describes the experience of stargazing in outer space.
As a new millennium begins we take a look at how our Earth and Moon came to be. Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Chris Kitchin to discuss how distant planets of other suns, ancient meteorites, and devastating collisions between worlds give us clues as to how the Earth and Moon grew from billions of dust grains, each too small to see.
On December 30 2000, the Cassini-Huygens space probe sailed past Jupiter, its last fly-by before arriving at Saturn and its moon, Titan, in 2004. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr John Zarnecki to discuss the latest news from this deep-space mission.
For the last two years, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor has been sending back exciting new pictures of the red planet. The spacecraft has now collected more information about Mars than all previous missions combined. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Peter Cattermole to discuss the latest views of our neighbouring planet and where to find Mars in the night sky as it approaches its opposition - a biannual opportunity to observe it at its best.
Could life exist elsewhere in our Solar System? This question has long been asked, but our understanding of our cosmic neighbourhood is constantly changing. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Monica Grady to discuss the latest views on how life originates, where it might exist, and what it might look like.
Patrick Moore visits one of the UK's newest and most exciting observatories, The Crendon Observatory, where Gordon Rogers demonstrates how he produces amazing deep-sky images of distant galaxies and nebulae.
The Sun has been in the news again, it is at the peak of its 11 year cycle of activity and there have been large solar flares, many sunspots and good displays of aurorae. It has also been eclipsed by the Moon for the first time since the great UK eclipse of 1999. Patrick Moore is joined by Chris Lintott to discuss the Sun, its variability and to look back at some of the eclipses The Sky at Night has seen.
The Earth is constantly bombarded by small fragments of space debris, but somewhere in the Solar System a sizeable asteroid or comet is probably on a collision course with Earth. We don't know where or when the impact will happen but it may prove catastrophic for life on Earth. In the first of two programmes on the subject, Patrick Moore is joined by Jonathan Tate and Lembit Opik to discuss where this threat comes from and assesses the chances of impact from a Potentially Hazardous Object.
Patrick Moore continues his discussion with Jay Tate and Lembit Opik about the threat to the Earth from a Potentially Hazardous Object. They look at the disastrous environmental effects that might happen after a large scale impact, how we are searching the night skies for Near Earth Objects and what could be done to avert disaster.
Patrick Moore is joined by Chris Lintott for a back-to-basics explanation of cosmology. Do current theories explain the Universe's 13,000 million year evolution? Can the Universe's fate be predicted?
In the second of two programmes on cosmology, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott look at the latest theories on inflation, dark energy and the accelerating Universe.
he dark, moonless sky of mid November may be filled by a spectacular storm of shooting stars as this year's Leonid meteors burn brightly in the upper atmosphere. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr John Mason who examines recent Leonid showers to explain why they happen, predict what may be in store for us this year and describe the best way to observe one of nature's most impressive sights.
When Venus is brilliant, the question is often asked: can Venus have been the Star of Bethlehem? The answer is certainly 'no', but we still do not know what the star was, if anything. Patrick Moore is joined by David Hughes and Mark Kidger, who have made careful studies of the records. Can they give a convincing answer?
In the 600th edition of The Sky at Night, Sir Patrick Moore will be interviewing special guest, Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, who will be talking about the cosmos, black holes, dark matter and explaining the new theories as to the future of the Universe and its origin.
July 4th 2005 a small copper impactor from the NASA Deep Impact spacecraft was released in the path of Comet Tempel 1, causing a collision that released fresh ice and dust, allowing astronomers for the first time to study pristine material from the formation of our solar system. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by leading comet experts who describe the science and importance of this historic achievement. While co-host Chris Lintott interviews British astronomer Richard Ellis at Palomar Mountain, California who is in charge of the observatory where professional astronomers using the historic Hale 200-inch telescope, and a team of amateur astronomers including Scott Roberts, Tony Cook, Russ and Stephanie Tanton, Dan Dickerson, John Downs, Mike West, and others who visually and photographically witnessed the actual point of impact.
Our Sun is an ordinary star, but the celestial zoo contains stars as small as the Earth and others which are tens of thousands of times brighter. Patrick Moore takes a census and celebrates the tenth anniversary of the solar satellite Soho, which has produced spectacular images of flares, comets and sunspots the size of planets.
Patrick talks to Mike A'Hearn, the NASA scientist behind the Deep Impact mission.
A look at Hawaii's Mauna Kea observatories; Chris looks at the telescopes, while Patrick talks to British scientists who use them.
Patrick Moore presents a guide to the most familiar body in the night sky, whilst Chris Lintott gives tips on how to observe the moon.
Tips on finding Saturn; Patrick talks to Prof John Zarnecki about the latest from the Cassini mission.
Patrick Moore offers advice on how to observe the sun and its many brilliant features. Chris Lintott demonstrates how to split light into a spectrum.
On 29 March, a total eclipse of the Sun passes over Antalya in Turkey. Patrick hopes for a glimpse of the partial eclipse to be seen from the UK.
How galaxies are formed.
Discussing gamma-rays that the spacecraft Swift has shown are far more varied than at first thought. Chris Lintott also tracks down the supernovae hunters.
Uranus and Neptune, which four billion years ago were much closer to the Sun, regularly swap orbits. Chris lintott takes a closer look at Jupiter.
UK scientists hope to find Martian life with the innovative 'life marker chip'; Chris lintott goes in search of the rover that will climb Martian mountains.
SMART-1 project scientist Bernard Foing on the spacecraft's pioneering technology; Chris looks at the STEREO and Solar-B missions to the Sun.
What to look for over the next few months; Lucie Green visits the Autumn Equinox star party at Kelling Heath; Chris talks to cosmologist Jim Gunn.
The latest findings of Venus Express, currently scrutinising Earth's 'evil twin' Venus, known for its searing temperatures.
Patrick finds out how scientists are making sounds and music from the changes within stars. Chris Lintott looks at variable stars.
British astronaut Piers Sellers on orbiting the Earth and the future of the manned space programme; NASA's upcoming Hubble rescue mission.
Celebrating the success of Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity; NASA's Phoenix mission; Lucie Green visits the ExoMars rover in Aberystwyth.
Chris shows us how to see Saturn with a small telescope, while Patrick finds out the latest from the Cassini mission currently orbiting the planet.
Celebrating 50 years of The Sky at Night, Patrick 'travelled' back to the show's first ever recording in 1957. The episode then jumped forward to 2057 where the 'virtual' Patrick talked to Dr Chris Lintott and Dr Brian May on Mars. Jon Culshaw's turn as a younger Patrick was uncanny as he recreated Patrick's first words on The Sky at Night.
The Sky at Night 50th birthday party. Patrick reflects on how astronomy has changed over the last half century, with amusing clips from the archives.
Patrick learns more about the exciting discovery of a planet that seems similar to Earth.
Patrick looks at the summer constellation Scorpius, and the black hole lurking at the centre of the Galaxy.
A look at Robonet, the robotic network of telescopes spanning the globe, able to react to cosmic phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts at any time.
Patrick uses magic to explain the mysteries of the Universe.
A look back at the completion of the world's largest steerable radio telescope in 1957, just in time to pick up the signal from Sputnik.
Patrick anticipates the cataclysmic day, in two billion years, when our Milky Way will collide with Andromeda, and the role dark matter will play.
In his garden, Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Brian May and Jon Culshaw to watch the cosmic firework display known as the Perseid meteor shower.
Dr Chris Lintott finds out how British technology is leading the way in satellite science, while Sir Patrick Moore investigates the threat from space debris that astronauts face in space.
On 14th December 1972, Captain Eugene Cernan left the Moon to return to Earth. He had no idea that, 25 years later, he would still be the last man to have left his footprints on the lunar surface. Dr Chris Lintott travels to the Johnson Space Centre to talk to the Commander of Apollo 17 about his memories of being on the Moon. Sir Patrick Moore looks at lunar samples brought back by the astronauts and talks to NASA scientists about what they discovered.
Patrick Moore investigates comet tails, meteorites and asteroids and discovers the terrible consequences of a cosmic collision with the Earth.
Mercury is a world of extremes and enigmas - the closest one to the Sun. The spacecraft Messenger, which has just reached it after a four year journey, now offers enthralling pictures of its hidden side, which has never been seen before. Sir Patrick Moore looks at the latest images from this exciting mission, while Dr Chris Lintott looks forward to the lunar eclipse this month.
With a new era of lunar exploration dawning as more probes are launched to try to unlock the Moon's darkest secrets, Patrick Moore finds out about British ambitions to get there. Dr Chris Lintott travels to NASA to hear about plans to blast a crater in the lunar surface and and meets the astronauts who may be the next men on the Moon.
It's the start of a new solar cycle, and the spacecraft Ulysses faces retirement, but solar missions Stereo and SOHO are still revealing our nearest star in a new light.
The world of astronomy. Gamma ray bursts are some of the largest explosions in the universe, and Sir Patrick Moore discovers how some of these monstrous events mark the spectacular deaths of the first stars. Also, Dr Chris Lintott visits the NASA Phoenix team fo find out the latest from the Mars Polar explorer.
Patrick Moore wonders if there is life beyond Earth, and Chris Lintott visits SETI.
This first Sky at Night of 2009 is a celebration of the humble (and Hubble) telescope, which is now 400 years old. It all began with Galileo . . . or did it? Patrick Moore furrows his brow over the news that an Englishman may have invented the first. Over the last 50 years Patrick has visited almost all of the worlds large telescopes, and there is some archive footage of some of these visits. Meanwhile, Chris Lintott visits some mighty examples in the USA, and astronaut Jeff Hoffman describes how he repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. Preparations are underway in NASA's watertanks for the next repair/update mission, which NASA hopes to be the last, because the next space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to succeed it. In a unique visite we get to see how 10m glass mirrors are cast and polished under the Arizona Wildcats Football stadium, and talks about the future of Extremely Large Telescopes.
Dr Chris Lintott travels to a radar facility in Norway to see the Aurora Borealis.
Saturn's mysterious moon Enceladus has startled astronomers with its amazing ice geysers, which spew out material into space. Sir Patrick Moore talks to the scientists who are trying to unlock the secrets of this tiny world. Dr Chris Lintott visits the Open University to find out the latest on our own Moon. He meets scientists from the Japanese Kaguya mission and the Indian Chandrayaan mission, with its British instrument CIXS.
Patrick Moore discusses what Herschel, Europe's biggest and most expensive space satellite, will do once it begins its infrared exploration of the universe. Dr Chris Lintott gets a rare chance to see the Herschel mirror, which at 3.5 metres will be the biggest astronomical mirror ever to be sent into space.
Every day, asteroids whiz past the Earth on their journey through space. Sir Patrick Moore discusses the chances of a close encounter with an asteroid, after telescopes recently got a unique view of an asteroid disintegrating in our atmosphere.
Containing trillions of stars, Andromeda is the largest galaxy in our neighbourhood. It is 2.5 million light years away, yet is still visible to the naked eye. Sir Patrick Moore and his guests unravel some of the mysteries in the star systems that surround us and look at the latest discoveries from our local galaxies.
Using archive sound, satellite footage and film taken by the astronauts, Patrick Moore presents the story of mankind's first journey to another world. The task of telling Apollo 11’s story from a British angle is a challenging one, since most of the domestic television presentation was not saved for the archives. However, Apollo 11, A Night to Remember, part of BBC Four’s Moon Night, has knitted together the remaining material into an effective two-hour documentary. Satellite pictures have been married up with amateur audio recordings, and linked with rarely-seen reports, background films, a couple of rediscovered studio clips, and some new explanatory pieces by Sir Patrick Moore, one of the presenters in 1969. The satellite images, which form the bulk of the programme, cover the main events in America, in the spacecraft, and on the moon. The source tapes are the BBC’s original 525-to-625 line live electronic standards conversions, but because they are derived from an international signal feed, they are lacking the domestic commentary and captions. However, it has been possible to reinstate much of the commentary from amateur off-air recordings, and thereby restore parts of the BBC’s television coverage. This technique has been applied in previous moon landing documentaries, but here it is used much more extensively than before, greatly enhancing the experience. The sound quality of the amateur recordings is not brilliant; usually it is perfectly intelligible, but occasionally becomes indistinct against all the interference from the space communications. A highlight of the programme comes near the start, when we can savour lengthy sections of what must be one of British television’s most compelling commentaries, as Michael Chartlon dramatically sets the scene at Cape Kennedy’s launch site, then guides us through the last 6 minutes of countdown. There are several technical glitches resulting from a poorish satellite link but these do not detract from the occasion. (Wobbly pictures from Cape Kennedy’s control room appear also on NASA’s recordings, so must have another cause.) The launch build-up also features James Burke demonstrating the rocket tower escape procedure, the first of several entertaining, but seldom-seen, colour film items that were played into the live programmes. The Burke / Moore Apollo 11 studio presentation, long thought to be totally missing from the archives, has acquired for itself a certain mystique, and a place among the top ten missing programmes. But now, perhaps for the first time since 1969, we can glimpse one of these famous broadcasts, made on 16th July 1969, as James Burke reviews the launch earlier that day. The minute-long clip, taken from BBC1’s Twenty-Four Hours current affairs programme, is a high quality, 625-line black-and-white video recording. The second of the recovered studio clips, 20-seconds long, is of much poorer technical quality than the first, and appears to be from an amateur recording. It shows Burke signing off for the night after a broadcast probably made in the early hours of Saturday 20th July 1969 (the days of the week are incorrect in the documentary). Michael Charlton’s contributions from Houston seem to have fared better in the archives than those of his London colleagues, and here we can view two examples: an interview with NASA’s George Hage shortly before the critical lunar orbit insertion manoeuvre on 19th July 1969, and a report to camera at 2am on 21st July 1969, about two hours before Armstrong steps onto the moon. It is hard to know why this colour material has been hidden away for so long, (although a very short Charlton snippet did appear in the film The Dish a few years ago). Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins made several telecasts live from the spacecraft on their outward and homeward journeys. Excerpts of these appear frequently in documentaries, but now we can gain a better insight, thanks to the inclusion of greatly extended sections, taken for the...
Patrick Moore presents a guide to the most familiar body in the night sky, whilst Chris Lintott gives tips on how to observe the moon.
Forty years on, Patrick Moore and guests discuss the achievements of the Apollo programme.
On 14th December 1972, Captain Eugene Cernan left the Moon to return to Earth. He had no idea that, 25 years later, he would still be the last man to have left his footprints on the lunar surface. Dr Chris Lintott travels to the Johnson Space Centre to talk to the Commander of Apollo 17 about his memories of being on the Moon. Sir Patrick Moore looks at lunar samples brought back by the astronauts and talks to NASA scientists about what they discovered.
Sir Patrick Moore, with the help of Pete Lawrence and the latest pictures, investigates the longest total eclipse of the sun for many years, which took place in India and China in July 2009. In orbit around Saturn, the Cassini probe has sent back amazing new images, and there's a new discovery on the moon Enceladus. Chris Lintott reports from the latest Cassini conference in London and finds out why there is a sprinkling of table salt in the rings of Saturn.
In July 2009, a mysterious large object crashed into Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, leaving behind a scar in the gas cloud the size of the Earth. Sir Patrick Moore examines this new feature with Jupiter experts John Rogers and David Rothery. Imaging experts Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel compete to capture the best images of the gas giant, while Chris Lintott has this month's news notes.
Following the Hubble space telescope's overhaul, Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott examine its latest findings and the data from NASA's other telescopes, Spitzer and Chandra. Pete Lawrence observes the spiral galaxies M31 and M33 and explains how they owe their enigmatic names to an 18th-century French comet hunter.
Observers now know there is water on the Moon, but how much? NASA's new LCROSS probe into the lunar surface will find out. Chris Lintott visits the Palomar observatory in California to witness the probe's impact, while Patrick Moore views it with friends from his home in Selsey. Can the Moon really support life?
For centuries, astronomers, writers and philosophers have speculated about life on the planet Mars, but we have learned more about our near neighbour in the last 30 years than at any time in human history. Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott explore the Red Planet.
Winter is approaching and, with longer nights, it is the perfect time to get outside to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Chris Lintott and Pete Lawrence, plus a host of stargazers searching for the best the winter skies have to offer.
January provides the perfect opportunity to observe stars, planets and galaxies. Sir Patrick Moore takes us on a tour of the winter sky, looking at twinkling 'variable stars' with Dr John Mason, and at planets and galaxies with Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel. Sir Patrick and Dr Chris Lintott also point out the best objects to observe if you've had a telescope for Christmas.
Mars is the brightest thing in the sky and is at its closest to Earth for the next four years. With NASA announcing that its Martian rover Spirit is to rove no more on the red planet, there is an interview with Prof Steve Squyres, the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, about the attempts to get it out of the sand dune which ensnared it in May 2009 and the agonising decision to stop the rescue.
Half a century ago, scientists were speculating about the possibility of planets outside our solar system. Since then over 400 such extra-solar planets have been discovered. Is there anything living on them and if so, is it intelligent? Sir Patrick Moore debates the question of life in the universe with today's planet hunters and astrobiologists, while at the Royal Society Dr Chris Lintott searches for evidence of alien life.
We can never see our nearest star at night, only by day. Looking at it directly will blind us - because our nearest star is the Sun. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor John Brown and by Dr Chris Davis. They take us on a tour of the Sun, Earth's primary source of energy and without which life would not exist. Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel demonstrate safe ways to look at the Sun from Sir Patrick's observatory in Sussex.
Saturn is one of the largest planets and the beautiful system of rings surrounding it makes it the most distinctive in the solar system. But how were the rings formed and what effect do Saturn's many moons have upon them? Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Michele Dougherty and Professor Carl Murray, while Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel demonstrate the best way to observe Saturn during May.
The many star-forming areas of our galaxy are obscured by interstellar dust, but Herschel, a new space telescope, can see these areas in infrared light. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Derek Ward-Thompson and Dr Chris North to examine the latest stunning images from Herschel.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis has returned from its final flight to the International Space Station. With the shuttle fleet soon to be decommissioned, Sir Patrick Moore and Dr Chris Lintott meet the crew of Atlantis to talk about the future of spaceflight, the legacy of the Space Shuttle - and how to prepare to go into space.
The team look at the discovery of the brightest and most massive star to date.
In July 2009 a large object crashed into Jupiter, and in May 2010 one of the most prominent features of the planet, the southern equatorial belt, disappeared. But where did it go? Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Dr John Rogers and Dr Leigh Fletcher to discuss the latest events on Jupiter. Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel observe the planet and explain what features can be seen through a telescope.
Light echoes are reflections of light from distant objects in space. But what do they look like and how can they best be seen? Sir Patrick Moore and his guests Professor Mike Bode and Dr Tim O'Brien explain all. Chris Lintott helps to construct a new radio telescope in Hampshire while Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel preview what is on view in the October skies.
Comets are strange and exotic objects, the remnants from dead stars and the birth pangs of our solar system. Only a handful of these ghostly, celestial objects have been seen at close quarters. Sir Patrick Moore discusses NASA's EPOXI mission, which hopes to rendezvous with comet Hartley 2.
Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is a rich source of galaxies, double and variable stars and the Hubble Deep Field, through which we are able to look back 10 billion years in time. Sir Patrick Moore and his astronomical team give an intimate guide to one of the skies' most recognisable constellations.
The planets and moons of our solar system are covered in volcanoes, some billions of years old and seven times the height of Mount Everest. Sir Patrick Moore discovers the havoc that volcanoes can wreak on our own planet, as well as elsewhere in our solar system.
The great winter constellation of Orion is easily visible, with its ruby red star Betelgeuse and distinctive shape. It is also home to the Orion nebula, our nearest stellar nursery, where thousands of stars are being born. Sir Patrick Moore and the Sky at Night team take us on a tour of this magnificent constellation and its jewels.
Sir Patrick Moore celebrates the 700th episode of The Sky at Night at his home in Sussex, with the help of special guests Professor Brian Cox, impressionist and amateur astronomer Jon Culshaw and Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal. A stellar panel of astronomers gathers to answer vexing questions from the viewers, while Sir Patrick has a close encounter with his younger self.
Sir Patrick Moore joins an unlikely star party in the heart of London, where enthusiastic astronomers are cutting through the light pollution to see the planets and stars. Dr Chris Lintott also drops in on another star party - the 88th birthday celebrations for the nation's most famous astronomer.
In the atmosphere of Saturn there is a gigantic storm, which is bigger than Earth itself. This month Sir Patrick Moore looks at the ringed planet, which can be seen in our night sky now. He talks to Paul Abel and Dr Chris North about these violent eruptions in the atmospheres of other worlds. And Jon Culshaw, Dr Lucie Green and Pete Lawrence travel to north Norway in search of the aurora borealis.
The summer constellation of Cygnus will soon be flying overhead in our night sky. With its rich array of nebulae and star clusters, it is a delight for astronomers to look at in the warm summer evenings. Sir Patrick Moore looks at the yellow star Albireo with its superb azure blue companion, while Chris North goes in search of the Milky Way.
Sir Patrick Moore visits the South Downs Planetarium and discovers how the stars appeared to the ancient Egyptians, whilst Pete Lawrence explains what to look out for in the summer night sky.
The NASA spacecraft Dawn is getting up close and personal with the asteroid Vesta. Sir Patrick Moore discusses the first fly-by images of this most unusual asteroid, which will tell us more about how our solar system formed some 4.5 billion years ago. Paul Abel and Pete Lawrence their guide to the August night sky, including the return of the red planet Mars.
The future of manned space flight is entering an uncertain phase, with our once vivid dreams of returning to the Moon and landing on Mars shattered by budget cuts and lack of will. Sir Patrick Moore discusses the demise of the shuttle programme with astronaut Piers Sellers, and also goes on an interstellar journey with Project Icarus, the visionary idea of how man might one day visit other worlds.
Two of the great autumn constellations of Andromeda and Pegasus will soon be gracing our night skies. The maiden Andromeda, chained to her rock, awaits her fate whilst the winged horse Pegasus gallops across the celestial skies. Full of interesting stars, nebulae and galaxies, these constellations are rich pickings for astronomers.
As Mars returns to our night skies, Sir Patrick Moore discusses its four faces. Dr Chris Lintott travels to a world gathering of planetary scientists in Nantes to find out about the NASA mission Curiosity, which will soon leave for the red planet in search of signs of life.
The outer limits of the solar system are a dark, cold and mysterious place, which only the Voyager spacecraft have visited. Sir Patrick Moore discusses the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, while Chris Lintott has an early Christmas treat - a lost episode of The Sky at Night from 1963 which has been returned to the BBC, in which Arthur C Clarke talks about his vision of bases on the moon and speculates when man will be on Mars.
We now know there are other solar systems far away in space, but are they like ours and is there life on these strange worlds? Sir Patrick Moore goes on the quest for little green men.
Space telescopes such as Herschel and Spitzer are peering at the dusty, dark cosmos and with their infrared eyes they can see the cold parts of the sky where stars are being born. Sir Patrick Moore discusses why the infrared is full of hidden delights, whilst Dr Chris North talks to Dr Amy Mainzer about NASA's infrared WISE telescope.
A look at how amateur astronomers can help in the quest for knowledge of the cosmos.
Have you ever dreamed of travelling through space? Sir Patrick Moore takes us on an epic journey to the ends of our known universe, stopping en-route to take in the view. The team engage the warp drive and celebrate 55 years of The Sky at Night - at the speed of light.
The Sky at Night celebrates 55 years with the second of its special programmes. Sir Patrick picked out 55 objects in the April sky and asked viewers to take part in his Moore Marathon. He finds out how everyone got on, with help from the team.
A European mission called JUICE has been announced which will visit Jupiter and its fascinating moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. Sir Patrick Moore finds out why these icy moons may harbour conditions suitable for life, and also has the latest news from the Cassini mission, currently sending back astounding images from Saturn.
The Sky at Night travels to the Arctic Circle and the archipelago of Svalbard to see the transit of Venus. This astronomical wonder, where the planet Venus passes in front of the sun, is the last one in our lifetime, but as ever the clouds test the team's nerves.
Up and down the country amateur astronomers are out in their back-garden observatories looking at stars, galaxies and nebulae. The team visits some astronomers on their own turf, to find out what keeps them up late at night.
The NASA rover, Curiosity, the size of a small car and nuclear-powered, landed on Mars in August and took its first view of the red planet. This ambitious mission hopes to find the building blocks of life as well as study the Martian climate and geology. Sir Patrick Moore discusses what Curiosity will be doing, as well as what to see in the September night sky.
Sir Patrick Moore selects celestial objects to observe in the winter night sky and challenges viewers to spot as many as possible. In the second part of the year's Moore Marathon, Sir Patrick has selected two lists to suit astronomers of all abilities - objects that can be seen with the naked eye or binoculars, and more remote ones observable only by telescope.
Sir Patrick Moore, Dr Chris Lintott and Dr Chris North find out what the universe is made of, from the 'dark matter' that shapes our galaxies to the infinitesimally small particles that make up atoms. Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel show how to use a planisphere as a guide to the night sky and what objects can be ticked off on the 'Moore Winter Marathon'.
The tiny planet Mercury is in the morning sky and Sir Patrick Moore talks about the latest news from Messenger, the spacecraft which is over Mercury at the moment. Mercury is often compared to the moon, which was last visited by man in December 1972. Forty years on, Dr Chris Lintott looks at the legacy of that mission, Apollo 17, and what it has been able to tell us about the moon.
For more than half a century Sir Patrick Moore encouraged people to look up at the wonders of the night skies. Fittingly in this programme, recorded just before his death, he and his team offer advice to those who are discovering astronomy for the very first time. How should they set up their new telescopes and what should they seek out in the winter skies as they begin to share Sir Patrick's lifelong passion for the stars?
The team are at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, to see how the sun affects our planet.
There are amazing astronomical objects to see in the winter night sky, and Sir Patrick Moore chose a few of them for his last Moore Winter Marathon. To find out how everyone got on, Chris Lintott and Lucie Green travel to the Kielder observatory in Northumberland to enjoy some of the darkest skies in Britain. Jon Culshaw joins them to take part in Patrick's final challenge, and the rest of the team set up their telescopes to try to catch an asteroid which is about to whizz past the Earth, closer than any before.
Meteorites regularly hit Earth, although most go undetected. Occasionally a big meteorite collides with Earth and when it does, it can cause devastation. Lucie Green and Chris Lintott visit the Natural History Museum to look at its meteorite collection and discuss the recent Russian impact. Jon Culshaw goes on a meteorite hunt, while Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel give their beginners' guide on how to look at Saturn.
Saturn is in our evening skies, and in any telescope looks a stunner. Lucie Green and Chris Lintott investigate the storm that is still raging in the planet's atmosphere, with the latest news from Saturn's amazing moons Titan and Enceladus. Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel illustrate Saturn's 'opposition effect' and look at some globular clusters, whilst Chris North gets a preview of the new eye-in-the-sky camera, soon to be fitted onto the International Space Station, which will image Earth in incredible detail.
Stars are full of variety - they can be big or little, bright or dim. Our sun is right in the middle - Mr Average - but eventually it will grow old and become a red giant. Lucie Green and Chris Lintott discuss the lives of stars and what happens to them when they die.
Every year thousands flock to Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice. Seeing the rise of the summer sun at Stonehenge is one of the most obvious connections between ancient man and the celestial calendar, but there is still fierce debate about possible links between this ancient site and the moon and stars. The team join in the solstice revelry and also launch the Moore Moon Marathon, with some easy things to look at on the moon over summer.
It's a golden era of exploration on Mars, with Nasa's space rover Curiosity finding out new and exciting things about the planet and which might offer the best chance of life elsewhere in our solar system. The spacecraft Mars Express is also celebrating a decade at the red planet and Chris Lintott and Lucie Green pick out some of the highlights, including the 'face of Mars'. Meanwhile Jon Culshaw explores the Moore Moon Marathon with astronomers in Chipping Norton.
Black holes are the beating heart of galaxies. It seems that they are pivotal in their evolution, but they also have a destructive side. A dust cloud more massive than the size of the Earth is on a doomed course, as it careers towards the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Chris Lintott talks to the Astronomer Royal about this cataclysmic encounter.
The team go camping at the Brecon Beacons star party and answer problems and queries about what to see in the night sky and how to use a telescope. Viewers have been sending in astronomy questions in the hundreds since the Space Surgery was launched six months ago.
The moon is a most familiar sight in our sky - it is the astronomer's friend and was Sir Patrick Moore's favourite object - yet fundamentally we still do not know how it was formed and why its far side looks so different. The team join astronomers on Blackheath to watch a lunar eclipse; find out how everyone got in the Moore Moon Marathon, the list of fascinating features you can see on the moon; and discuss the new missions that will explore this reassuringly familiar yet still most mysterious of cosmic satellites
Astronomers always get excited about comets and in December they are looking forward to something rather special. The snappily-named Comet C/2012 S1 ISON has travelled from the very edges of our solar system on a one way ticket around the sun. As it heats up there is intense speculation about whether it will develop a beautiful tail or just break apart. On the Canary island of La Palma the team use both the Liverpool and Issac Newton telescopes to go comet chasing.
The revamped team look at Jupiter's coloured bands and iconic 'eye', visible manifestations of a violent atmosphere that causes extraordinary weather.
The Sky at Night team listens to the sounds of the cosmos. Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott explore how sound can reveal extraordinary secrets about the universe - from orchestral tunes rippling on the surface of the sun and the crackle of Jupiter's atmosphere to the sound waves that reveal how the universe was formed. This is astronomy as you've never heard it before.
Mars captures the imagination like no other planet and currently our nearest neighbour is at its brightest for several years, so it's a perfect opportunity to explore a planet that is tantalisingly similar to our own. And in the past it may have been even more like Earth, an inviting and habitable place, a perfect environment for life to flourish. Geologist Iain Stewart investigates how we can read the story of Mars's extraordinary past from its rocks, Maggie Aderin-Pocock comes face to face with the latest Mars rover and Chris Lintott meets the man behind the discovery which the whole history of the universe now rests upon.
The universe is filled with spectacular objects, from gloriously-coloured nebulae to the swirling motion of a billion stars formed into a single galaxy. One force has created it all - gravity. The Sky at Night team steps away from the bright lights and travels to the Brecon Beacons AstroCamp to see how gravity shapes the universe, in all its spectacular glory. Maggie Aderin-Pocock asks why so much of the night sky is filled with spheres and why not all these spheres are what they seem. Chris Lintott finds out about the newest moon in the solar system that has just formed in Saturn's rings, and how it could shed light on how the planets formed billions of years ago. Plus, how to get great images of the night sky without using a telescope and what the shape of a galaxy tells you about its past.
The team looks at the cosmic impacts which have shaped the universe around us, from asteroids crashing into the surface of the moon to galaxies colliding with each other.
The team explore stargazing in the daytime, show how seasons change on other planets across the solar system and examine what makes the sun special.
The team goes behind the scenes at mission control for the critical point of the most ambitious space project of the decade. The European Space Agency's Rosetta probe finally catches up with the comet it has been chasing across the solar system for ten years and prepares to send out a lander armed with drills and harpoons for a daredevil attempt to hitch a ride. With the latest images revealing that it may even be two comets stuck together, Dr Chris Lintott is on hand in Germany with updates from the mission team on this unparalleled challenge, whilst Dr Maggie Aderin- Pocock reveals the instruments that the lander is carrying.
Are we alone? Geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford seeks to define what life is and Maggie Aderin-Pocock explores our chances of finding it in the universe.
The vast frozen worlds of Uranus and Neptune are the most enigmatic and mysterious planets in the solar system. From the most powerful winds ever recorded to their exotic atmospheres, what makes these planets so unique? Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock reveal the latest images of the ice giants, while award-winning astro-photographer Damian Peach shares his tips for capturing these jewels of the night sky.
It is one of the most extraordinary space adventures in a generation - to land a spacecraft on a comet. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft has been hurtling through space for over 10 years, tracking down a comet called 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Now it is about to do something that has never been attempted before and land a spacecraft on the comet's surface. This special episode of The Sky at Night puts the viewer right at the heart of the action, witnessing events as they happened from inside mission control. It reveals the latest images, explores the first groundbreaking science coming back from the comet and asks the astonishing questions that make this mission so captivating. Could Earth's water have come from comets? How do comets survive for so long? Could they have triggered the start of life on Earth? The journey has been fraught with risk and at every stage the comet seems to surprise, but if the mission succeeds it will be a momentous day in the history of space exploration.
Perhaps no object in the night sky conjures up a greater sense of awe and wonder than a nebula. These vast clouds of dust and gases are stupendously beautiful, but they aren't just pretty objects. Nebulae play a key role in the birth and death of stars, and therefore in our own origins. And driving their creation is a kind of chemistry that the textbooks say shouldn't be happening.
The Milky Way, our galaxy, is a magnificent sight in the night sky, but we know surprisingly little about it for certain. What is its shape? How many stars does it actually contain? What lies at its centre? The Gaia space telescope will answer these questions, being armed with the most advanced camera to leave our planet, and it will allow us to see our galaxy as we've never seen it before. The Sky at Night visits the factory in Chelmsford that made the astonishing sensor at the heart of the mission.
From unexplained flashes in the night sky to flying saucers, this episode delves into the mysterious world of UFOs. How our drive to explain these bizarre phenomena, and desire to discover little green men, has in fact transformed our understanding of the universe.
For 25 years the Hubble Space Telescope has been showing us the cosmos as we've never seen it before. The team reveals the 'top five' greatest images Hubble has produced, images that have astounded us, transforming our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
The team explores our nearest neighbour Venus, discovering how it formed and how ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has revealed the secrets of its atmosphere. -- How can two such similar planets have become so different? One is the crucible of life, the other an inferno with a surface scorched by raining acid, yet both began as almost identical bodies. With Venus prominent in the sky in May, the team explores our nearest neighbour, discovering how it formed and how ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has revealed the secrets of its atmosphere.
With the exciting news that the Philae lander had woken up on comet 67P, Sky at Night reveals the latest results from the Rosetta comet landing. What have they learnt so far from Philae's onboard instruments? What do the stunning images from Rosetta tell us about the formation and structure of comets? And project scientist Matt Taylor shows how Rosetta is measuring the growing tail of the comet as it hurtles towards the sun.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott present the inside story of NASA's groundbreaking visit to Pluto. This is the first time any probe has visited the dwarf planet and Sky at Night has ringside seats, bringing you the entire story and expert insight into the latest images from the New Horizons probe. Sky at Night celebrates its 750th episode with the most exciting space event of 2015.
The Sky at Night team look at cosmic explosions. They explore the beautiful but potentially deadly outbursts of our very own star - the sun - and the most violent and energetic events in the universe, gamma ray bursts.
The team looks at the dynamic nature of the universe, winding its timeline backwards and forwards to reveal how the night sky changes over time. We see how different the night sky looked in the past and how it will be transformed billions of years into the future as the stars migrate and galaxies collide. Broadcast from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the team explores the latest theories on solar system evolution - how the familiar layout of today's solar system was created by a gravitational dance between the giant planets that left scars we can still see today.
We think of volcanoes as some of the most powerful natural phenomena on earth - but they are nothing compared to the volcanoes we find elsewhere in the solar system. This month's Sky at Night reveals the weird and wonderful world of volcanism on other planets and moons - from the giant extinct volcanoes of Mars to the tantalising possibility of continuing eruptions on Venus, and from the vast sulphur plumes of Io to the mysterious cryovolcanoes of Enceladus.
As we close in on the discovery of the 2,000th planet outside our solar system, or exoplanet, the Sky at Night investigates the techniques that are revealing so much about these alien worlds. The programme asks if we are really any closer to finding another world like our own - a second Earth.
Astronomers have been fascinated by the idea of the Star of Bethlehem for centuries. Did it exist? And if so, what was it? The list of candidates includes some of the most exciting objects in the night sky - supernovae, comets, meteors and unusual alignments of the giant planets. In this surprising and entertaining Christmas special the Sky at Night team go in search of the potential causes of the Star of Bethlehem. The team explore the possibilities, investigating the nature of the phenomena and digging through the historical records including Babylonian clay tablets and ancient Chinese manuscripts, to reconstruct events in the night sky 2,000 years ago. Maggie Aderin-Pocock goes hunting for supernovae using the most powerful laser in Britain, and discovers that these mighty explosions caused by the death of stars can shine brighter than the moon in our sky. Chris Lintott reconstructs the night sky over Jerusalem at the time of Jesus's birth, discovering a once-in-a-millennium conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter that was first suggested as a cause of the star by the great astronomer Johannes Kepler in 1604. Armed with his telescope, Pete Lawrence searches out the features of the night sky we can observe today that may provide clues to the origin of the Star of Bethlehem. Professor Alan Fitzsimmons explains why the sudden appearance of a comet in the night sky has always been seen as an omen of great events on Earth. Dallas Campbell goes in search of the historical and archaeological records that can shed light on the identity of the star. Finding Babylonian tablets in the vaults of the British Museum and ancient Chinese texts that record all the unusual events in the night sky 2,000 years ago, including a bright new star that appeared for 70 days in the year 5BC.
On January 20 2016, two American astronomers made an extraordinary claim - they had found evidence for a ninth planet in our solar system, a planet 20 times further out than Neptune which would take up to 20,000 years to orbit the sun. It is a discovery that could completely rewrite our understanding of our solar system and how it formed. As the world's biggest telescopes start scanning the skies searching for Planet 9, the Sky at Night team investigates. If Planet 9 exists, where is it and where did it come from? In California, Chris Lintott meets the astronomers whose study of the distant Kuiper Belt led them to predict the existence of the planet. And while some scientists are still sceptical, Maggie Aderin-Pocock discovers how our models of the formation of the solar system and the discovery of similar exoplanets around other stars all support the existence of Planet 9.
For 50 years we have been sending probes to gather close-up images of the other planets and moons of the solar system. The Sky at Night presents the five greatest images captured by those spacecraft. From a view of the surface of Mars, to live pictures of the sun and a unique picture of our own planet, these are the images that have transformed our perception of the solar system we live in.
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock present a look at black holes, featuring an exclusive interview with Stephen Hawking. The physicist discusses how the recent detection of gravitational waves has added to scientific understanding of black holes, and may prove his own theories explaining how they can have properties that defy all known laws of physics. The programme looks at the latest understanding of black holes, featuring an interview with Stephen Hawking. Black holes are one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. They behave in a way that is contrary to laws of physics and one has never actually been seen. However, the recent detection of gravitational waves, as predicted by Einstein, proves that black holes exist and provides a way to investigate their remarkable behaviour and properties.
May 9 2016 sees one of the astronomical highlights of the year - a transit of Mercury across the sun, the best opportunity to observe this phenomenon until 2049. To mark the event, the Sky at Night attempts to explain the many mysteries of Mercury - a planet so bizarre that it is sometimes described as the 'problem child' of the solar system. Surface temperatures exceed 450 degrees but it also has patches of ice, its day is twice as long as its year, and it is a planet that appears to be shrinking.
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock report on a plan to train as many telescopes as possible on the Whirlpool Galaxy. This star formation is 30 million light years from Earth and was discovered in 1773, its spiral shape believed to have been the inspiration for Van Gogh's painting Starry Starry Night. Optical and infra-red telescopes, radio observatories and ultraviolet and x-ray sensors will study the galaxy to learn more about a wave of intense star formation.
A look behind the scenes of Nasa's project to study Jupiter. As the spacecraft Juno enters Jupiter's orbit, the programme explores the dangers of the mission and what Nasa is hoping to discover about the giant planet - from the secrets of its formation to the source of the solar system's most powerful aurora.
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock report on the recent discovery of a planet with similar qualities to Earth orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system. The programme examines what the environment of this world might be like and the logistics of building a spacecraft capable of travelling 4.23 light years to reach it.
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock report on the Rosetta spacecraft as it prepares to crash into the surface of comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This month the Sky at Night goes behind the scenes at the European Space Agency as the Rosetta mission reaches its dramatic conclusion and the spacecraft is crashed into the surface of comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. For nearly two years the Rosetta spacecraft has been in orbit around 67P - studying the comet at close range and returning the most extraordinary pictures. But now the the mission must come to an end and the project scientists have decided to have one final attempt at studying the comet at closer range than ever before. On September 30th the spacecraft - with all its instruments running - will be crashed into the surface of the comet. Its aim is to get the best ever view of the mysterious pits on the comet's surface. Pits whose walls are thought to have been undisturbed for over 4 billion years, since the formation of the solar system. Chris Lintott will be in mission control with the scientists as they watch the pictures come in from the spacecraft's dive towards the surface. And Maggie Aderin-Pocock will be investigating how the mission has transformed our understanding of comets and the birth of the solar system.
The Sky at Night team investigates the ongoing hunt for life on Mars. It is one of the great scientific questions of our time, but are we any closer to finding an answer? As well as uncovering the cause of the recent crash of the Schiaparelli lander, the team looks at the next missions designed to hunt for life on the red planet - from a rover designed to drill deep into the surface, to the orbiter sniffing for signs of methane in the atmosphere. Adam Rutherford joins the team to ask if we have been deliberately avoiding the most likely places to find life on Mars.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott present a look back at some of the biggest stories in space science of 2016, and see how these discoveries have developed since making the headlines. Featuring a look at new evidence of a ninth planet in the solar system, the Juno probe's study of Jupiter, and scientists searching for evidence of other planets capable of sustaining human life.
All good travel guides need a map, and the team unveil the most detailed 3D map of the Milky Way ever produced. A map that reveals that there may be 50 per cent more stars in the galaxy than we previously thought. American astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson gives us a guided tour of the strangest stars we have ever observed, and we discover that the Milky Way may already be colliding with our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda.
The team travel to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands where they take control of some of the world's largest telescopes to view the most spectacular sights in the night sky.
When the first episode of The Sky at Night was transmitted in April 1957, it was still thought that Mars could be home to advanced life, the Space Age was yet to begin, and the Big Bang was just a controversial theory. So to celebrate its 60th anniversary, this special programme looks at how our knowledge of the universe has been transformed in the last six decades - from the exploration of the solar system to the detection of black holes and planets orbiting distant stars. Featuring contributions from Jim Al-Khalili, Dallas Campbell and Monica Grady and including special birthday messages from a host of stars, this is a celebration of an extraordinary age of discovery, and The Sky at Night's role in covering it.
This edition comes from the heart of one of the most influential - and surprising - organisations in the history of astronomy. Maggie and Chris have been granted rare access to the Vatican and its little-known observatory, the Specola Vaticana, perched on a hilltop 30km outside Rome. -- There they explore its rich history and contemporary cutting-edge science, going inside the Vatican walls to visit the Tower of the Winds, a secret antique sundial that revolutionised the length of the year; the remains of a nest of telescopes atop an old medieval church where the science of spectroscopy was born; and the modern labs, manned by priest scientists who study a range of contemporary astronomical problems, from meteorites to binary stars to the birth of the universe itself.
The team looks at the trans-Neptunian objects - a vast number of strange, dark, icy worlds - which played a crucial role in the evolution of our solar system.
In August, the most spectacular meteor shower of 2017 coincides with transmission: The Perseids! If it's clear, it'll be a great chance to see scores of bright shooting stars streaking across the night sky. As those shooting stars vaporise in the atmosphere, a small part of some of them will fall to earth as dust. This dust will contribute to a total of about 40,000 tonnes of space dust and debris that falls onto our planet every year. In this episode, Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock investigate this mysterious cosmic debris that comes from outer space.
On 15 September 2017, the most successful space mission of all time will come to a dramatic and violent end as the Cassini probe is sent crashing into the planet Saturn. This one space probe has rewritten the rules of space exploration, repeatedly surprising scientists with its incredible and unexpected observations. It discovered lakes of pure methane on Saturn's moon Titan, mysterious weather systems on Saturn itself, and all the conditions for life on the moon Enceladus. It has exceeded every expectation of its original design brief, and its mission duration has been extended not once but four times. Its legacy for science and for space travel is unique. Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock explore four major ways in which space exploration of the future has been changed by the discoveries of the Cassini mission.
A look at the reasons behind renewed interest in sending manned missions to the moon, with plans by technology companies to build a permanent base on the satellite.
Observing events that occur in milliseconds, including the recently detected gravitational wave created by the collision of two neutron stars. Chris Lintott joins astronomers trying to detect a gamma ray burst in space, while Lucie Green discovers how similar phenomena can be found much closer to home. We're used to thinking that the universe operates on timescales of millions or even billions of years, where change happens with imperceptible slowness. But now we've discovered a whole catalogue of events that happen over much shorter times - seconds or even milliseconds. And these sudden, transient occurrences are among the most mysterious, powerful and destructive events in the universe. Observing them has raised exciting new questions about the way the universe works. This month The Sky at Night explores this world of transient phenomena. We hear more about the explosive event that created the recently detected gravitational wave - the collision of two neutron stars. And Chris spends 24 hours at the SWIFT space telescope base in Leicester in an attempt to detect a gamma ray burst - the most powerful and extreme short-term event known. Maggie goes to meet the team that are searching for the mysterious, barely understood transient phenomena called fast radio bursts. And Lucie Green reveals that some important short-term phenomena can occur much closer to home too. Astronomy used to be about staring up at the unchanging sky, so this search for transitory objects is truly revolutionary. It's time to enter the spectacular world of astronomy that takes place... in the blink of an eye...
The Sky at Night celebrates one of the most profound, moving and enjoyable activities there is - the ancient art of looking up, studying and marvelling at the night sky. The programme is based at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich - the spiritual home of British astronomy - and sets out to discover the many and varied ways we can all enjoy the majesty of the skies. Maggie Aderin-Pocock travels to Norway to see the northern lights, and discovers that we are in a golden age of aurora research as she learns what they tell us about the solar system. Chris Lintott learns the ancient art of navigating by the stars, whilst Pete Lawrence helps choose the right equipment to set yourself up as an amateur astronomer. This is your guide to observing and enjoying all the Wonders of the Night Sky.
The team reports on unnerving discoveries in the field of space science. Researchers estimate that 95 per cent of everything in the universe is "invisible", and while some of this number is made up of matter that just cannot be easily seen, the rest is thought to be comprised of nebulous concepts such as Dark Matter and Dark Energy. The team illustrates - as best they can - how the existence of these two hypothetical ideas - or lack thereof - could define the fate of the entire universe.
The team investigates an astronomical detective story. In October 2017, astronomers spotted the first ever object to visit our solar system from outer space. They called it 'Oumuamua. Its discovery set off a hurricane of press speculation and a major scientific investigation. The Sky at Night goes to Queen's University in Belfast, which has become the centre of scientific research on this cosmic visitor. When they first spotted it, all scientists knew was that it was small, it was travelling fast, and it came from outside our solar system. What did it look like? How had it formed? What was it made of? Where had it come from? To answer these questions, the team pieces together all the clues that scientists have extracted from the small amounts of data collected as 'Oumuamua flashed through the solar system.
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock reveal the latest results from NASA's Curiosity and ESA's ExoMars TGO missions that are attempting to find signs of life on Mars. Andy Weir, author of The Martian, shares his thoughts on the possibility of a manned mission.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott examine the new information about the Milky Way recorded by the ESA's Gaia space telescope over the past three and a half years, including new data on how stars move over time and how the galaxy was originally formed.
Nasa's Juno spacecraft is currently making its 13th orbit of Jupiter on one of the most ambitious and risky space missions ever undertaken. The astonishing images it has captured are not just visually stunning, they also deliver spectacular scientific insight, revolutionising our ideas about Jupiter. Maggie Aderin-Pocock explores these stunning discoveries, from a new understanding of Jupiter's core and formation to revelations about how deep its raging storms penetrate the planet's mysterious interior.
Chris Lintott travels to the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Australia to find out how astronomers detected signals from the oldest stars in existence and what this discovery can reveal about the formation of the universe. In February 2018, news broke that astronomers had seen the cosmic dawn - the moment when stars first formed, flooding the universe with light. What's remarkable is that this incredible event was discovered by an instrument the size of a ping-pong table in a remote corner of Western Australia.
One evening in early September 1859, a spectacular blood-red aurora borealis appeared across America. Earlier that same day, in a leafy garden in the UK, a gentleman astronomer had noted a 'white light flare' on the sun's surface. The two events were linked; it's now known that the flare caused the aurora. The flare was a particularly violent eruption from the sun's surface known as a CME, a coronal mass ejection. Back then, it was considered an astronomical curiosity. But when it happens again, it will be a different story. For the modern, technological world such a violent solar phenomenon could be devastating. This episode examines just how damaging a CME could be and how astronomers, using two new satellites that will travel closer to the sun than ever before, can better prepare us for its impact.
A look at two missions attempting one of the most difficult feats of space exploration - to collect a rock from another world. This episode checks in on the US and Japanese attempts to bring a piece of an asteroid back to Earth. The missions have taken decades of planning, but the results will be worth it. We find out how studying these space rocks can teach us about the origins of our solar system and may one day help save Earth from a catastrophic collision.
The future of Britain's space programme, examining plans for the first UK spaceport in Scotland and the development of a new rocket system. The programme also examines a revolutionary new form of micro-satellites, and the plans to potentially launch thousands of them worldwide. Plus, Tim Peake takes a look at the history of British space exploration.
A report on BepiColombo, a spacecraft sent on a seven-year journey to the heart of the solar system to study Mercury. The objective is to discover why the smallest planet in the solar system seems to be shrinking even further, how it survives orbiting so close to the sun, and how it was formed in the first place.
Chris Lintott visits an observatory aboard a jumbo jet, which carries an infra-red telescope able to observe space from the vantage point of 40,000 feet above sea level. Plus, a look at how planets form and why fewer newly formed stars are being recorded.
On 1 January 2019, Nasa's New Horizons probe notched up another historic first: the first ever Kuiper belt fly-by. Its target was 2014 MU69, a chunk of ice and rock about four billion miles (approximately 6.4 billion kilometres) from Earth, dubbed Ultima Thule, a Latin phrase meaning a distant, unknown region. It is the most distant fly-by in history, and it is believed the data New Horizons gathers will shed new light on the solar system's early days. Chris Lintott reports from the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland to bring the latest news and pictures from this extraordinary mission.
Ever since we discovered that distant galaxies are racing away from us, there has been a heated debate over just how fast the Universe is expanding. At the beginning of the 21st century, we thought we knew the answer. But now, two very different viewpoints have emerged. And they are dividing the scientific community. The Sky at Night meets leading astronomers and cosmologists on both sides of the debate. Which team has the right answer? Or could both teams be right? If so, we may need to rethink everything we think we know about the Universe.
Marsquake! This month's episode follows Insight, NASA’s latest mission to the Red Planet, as it goes in search of the secrets buried deep below Mars’s surface. By listening for tremors caused by Marsquakes and meteor strikes, scientists hope to reveal how the planet was formed, why its fate was so different from the Earth and whether the planet is dead or alive. The programme also says a heartfelt goodbye to Opportunity, the rover that explored the surface of Mars for more than 14 years until it was engulfed by a dust storm last year.
The team reveals how the first picture of a supermassive black hole was captured. The photograph of the hole at the heart of the M87 galaxy was released in April.
In the first of two programmes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings, the Sky at Night team take a look at the latest plans to return to the Moon. Recently, China, Israel and India have all sent major missions to the Moon. The Europeans and Americans are planning to build a space station in permanent orbit around the Moon. And NASA has just announced that they plan to land astronauts on the Moon’s surface within five years. It all suggests that we are on the verge of a new golden age in lunar exploration.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission to put a man on the moon, The Sky at Night looks back through the archives to tell the story of how the BBC reported the moonshot, with some very special guests. Scientist John Zarneki discusses the huge scientific and engineering challenge. The first British astronaut, Helen Sharman, reveals just how accurate the predictions and preparations for life in space were. And writer and broadcaster James Burke - who reported the whole amazing story at the time - explains why Nasa loved the BBC and how he gained access to the command module for an episode of Tomorrow’s World.
The programme goes behind the scenes as the European Space Agency selects its next mission, which will be launched in 2028, meeting British teams vying to have their ideas selected, including a revolutionary mission to a comet.
Astronomers have found more than 4,000 planets circling stars other than our own. What do we know about these alien worlds and how have we managed to detect them?
A one-hour special in which The Sky at Night team face a live studio audience to answer their questions about the mysteries and wonders of the universe.
The Rosetta mission to comet 67P was the first time a spacecraft landed on a comet's surface. What has this icy body taught us about the dawn of the solar system and the origins of life on earth?
Looking back on the major stories of the year - from the New Horizons mission to the most distant world we have ever visited to the release of the first-ever picture of a black hole. The team relive the highlights and uncover the latest developments.
The Sky at Night team go back to basics to show you how to enjoy the night sky, wherever you are. It doesn’t matter if you live in a city or in the countryside, if you have a telescope, a pair of binoculars or just your eyes to look with. Pete explains why the night sky changes and joins a group of novice stargazers to talk about the best ways to introduce newcomers to the night. Chris ventures onto a roof in Oxford and marvels at the moon through binoculars, and Maggie goes back to her childhood telescope-making class to talk basic telescope essentials. Curious about the night sky but don’t know where to start? Want to know how to make the most of your new telescope? This is the programme for you!
The Sky at Night discovers how Esa's solar orbiter was built, and how it will protect itself against the sun's searing heat and investigate its mysteries.
The Sky at Night celebrates its 800th episode by showing how you can still explore space even when confined to your home by the coronavirus lockdown. Plus a new arrangement of the show's theme tune.
The Sky at Night team explore a changing world. Maggie Aderin-Pocock interviews astronaut Jessica Meir, who returned from 205 days on the International Space Station to a world she barely recognised. They also discuss Jessica’s experiments in micro-gravity, growing lettuce in space and the first all-female spacewalk. Chris Lintott meets the astronomer who recently announced the discovery of the closest black hole to Earth. Pete Lawrence photographs the dark side of Venus and Lucie Green investigates whether Elon Musk’s constellation of Starlink satellites are ruining the night sky.
The Sky at Night team explore the life and death of stars, including the dimming of Betelgeuse and the drawings that pre-date the telescope but which can predict solar activity.
Mars has fascinated us ever since we first looked up to the heavens. We have imagined alien civilisations, exotic life forms and even dreamed of travelling there ourselves. But after the first probes flew past the Red Planet, and with each subsequent mission that has orbited or landed on its surface, that vision has changed. We’ve come to realise that the planet is, most likely, dead. But that hasn’t dimmed our hopes for finding evidence of past life. And our desire to travel there and colonise the Red Planet still endures. From the very beginning of this exploration, the BBC has recorded our shifting perception of Mars. Since the Sky at Night started broadcasting in 1957, there have been over 50 episodes devoted to Mars and more than ten episodes of Horizon. This programme looks back at that coverage.
The Sky at Night gains exclusive access to the team of scientists behind the recent discovery of possible signs of life on Venus. Recorded in secret before the news broke, the film reveals the story behind this extraordinary piece of scientific discovery.
The focus for this edition of The Sky at Night is on astronomical research that is beyond the scope of our eyes. We think of astronomy as something we do primarily using our sight. But we can now search the cosmos using radiation beyond the narrow band of visible light, beyond what we are able to see. We visit the UK’s foremost radio observatory, Jodrell Bank, and meet some remarkable, vision-impaired astronomers who are pioneering new techniques to carry out their research using their senses of hearing and touch.
Chris and Maggie report on the reaction to the dramatic announcement of the discovery of phosphine gas in the clouds of Venus, a gas that could be a sign of life. Venus remains an inhospitable and unlikely host. But if not Venus, where in the solar system is the best place to look for alien life? Chris and Maggie investigate the latest missions to Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Away from the search for life, Pete previews the best meteor showers of the year.
The Sky at Night looks back at the last ten years of astronomy and ponders the most significant milestones and revelations. With the help of six distinguished astronomers, Chris and Maggie consider the state of astronomy in 2020 and wonder what new, exciting discoveries await us across the rest of the decade, as a host of new ground and space telescopes come online. Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees is among the guests to walk along the Astronomical Wall of Discovery in this one-hour special.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott look back at some of the biggest stories featured on the programme in 2020, with the help of special guests who have chosen their favourite moments. From the launch of Solar Orbiter to the discovery of phosphine on Venus, the team relive the astronomy highlights of a highly unusual year.
In February 2021, orbiters from China and the UAE settled into their positions above Mars, and Nasa’s Perseverance rover touched down on its surface. Maggie Aderin-Pocock reviews the astonishing footage the rover has already sent back, and talks with its legendary chief designer Adam Seltzer about the challenges of missions to the red planet.
The Gaia space telescope is not just helping scientists create the ultimate star map of the Milky Way. It is also showing our galaxy's past and how it will change in the future.
The Sky at Night team visit the companies spearheading the boom in Britain's space industry, a sector with an annual income of £16.4bn and which employs over 45,000 people.
Chris and Maggie dive into the archives to discover how the hunt for extra-terrestrial life in the universe has been reported by the BBC over six decades.
Juno, Nasa's mission to Jupiter, is still gathering data on the gas giant, a decade after it was launched.
A special ‘Question Time’ edition of the programme. Planetary scientist Carly Howett and cosmologist Hiranya Peiris join the team to answer questions from viewers covering all things astronomical
Sir Patrick Moore (1923-2012) began presenting The Sky at Night in April 1957. Airing a new episode every month, the show continues to explore our solar system and beyond. It is the longest running science show on TV. Many famous people have appeared on The Sky at Night, among them: Harlow Shapley, Carl Sagan and Jocelyn Bell-Burnell. Many astronauts have also appeared, including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Recordings of most of the early episodes no longer exist.
Chris and Maggie look back at some of the stories they have covered in 2021 in the Sky at Night’s big review of the year.
The team explores light pollution and what might be done to mitigate its effects.
New scientific methods to discover exoplanets, and how the winter dakness in Antarctica helps here.
2022 marks the fiftieth year since an astronaut last stepped on the moon's surface. We look back at the legacy of the Apollo programme and forward to the future of lunar exploration. Maggie and Chris visit the Science Museum in London, where Maggie discovers from space curator Doug Millard that one of the museum's star attractions – Apollo 10's command module – nearly did not make it back to Earth.
Martin Rees is perhaps Britain’s most renowned cosmologist. Now, about to celebrate his eightieth birthday, Lord Rees talks to Chris Lintott about his career in science.
The British weather is often the enemy of stargazers up and down the country. A forecast of a couple of hours of cloud cover will disappoint even the most determined amateur astronomers. In this programme, the Sky at Night becomes the 'Sky at Day', providing an alternative range of spectacles to observe and activities to partake in, ideal when the nights are short and the stars are hiding behind the clouds.
On 12 July 2022, the Sky at Night joined the rest of the world to watch as the James Webb Space Telescope released its long-awaited first images. And it didn't disappoint. Stars and galaxies were revealed in such detail that they blew even the most experienced astronomers away. However, as spectacular as these images were, it was the data that they represented that really excited the scientists watching.
For centuries, humans have been drawing what they see in the night sky through telescopes. But there is something about a photograph that can make you feel you are right there, up close to the moon, planet, star or galaxy you are looking at. Having the light from those distance objects, fixed in an image, has meant scientists can analyse and understand the beautiful universe around us. So, this month, the Sky at Night is looking at the wonderful world of astrophotography.
A special ‘Question Time’ edition of the programme, recorded at The Venue in De Montford University, Leicester, as part of the British Science Association’s annual science festival. Chris, Maggie and Pete are joined on stage by planetary scientist Dr Suzie Imber and astronomer Professor Nial Tanvir to answer questions from viewers, covering all things astronomical – from the size of the universe to the possible nature of alien life.
The Sky at Night in the Multiverse of Mystery is a magical journey into the far-flung ideas at the very edge of scientific knowledge, exploring the concepts that today seem like science fiction but may one day become science fact. Delving into the archive at the Royal Society, we look at the dreamers who first considered the possibility of travelling to the moon and black holes long before they could be proven to exist. From there, the team explore some ideas and theories that today could be dismissed as fanciful thinking.
The Sky at Night team investigate the latest science used in the hunt for extraterrestrial life, including a major mission to Jupiter's icy moons.
The Sky at Night team explores the threat of an asteroid impact on earth and meets the space scientists who are developing methods of planetary defence that sound like the stuff of science fiction.
The Sky at Night team investigates the incredible science and engineering helping the UK to blast into space. We are now one of the biggest satellite building nations in the world, and the race is on to be the first company to successfully launch a rocket into orbit from British soil.
For July 2023, the team investigate the controversial world of alien communication. The search for life on other planets is one of the most fascinating subjects in science. But what is less reported is the work being done around the world to determine what happens next.
For August 2023, The Sky at Night team investigate the science of black holes and discover the incredible techniques being used to uncover their secrets, and even help us answer bigger questions about our universe. Chris meets Dr Becky Smethurst at the University of Oxford to learn how a black hole forms from the death of a star. He also investigates whether black holes deserve their menacing portrayal in popular culture. He describes what would happen if we got too close to the event horizon and how black holes might actually play a role in lighting up the universe. Maggie explores how scientists are trying to understand more about black holes by meeting Dr Tessa Baker, who works on LIGO. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory is one of the world’s largest physics experiments and is not your usual type of observatory; instead of looking - it listens. The next observation run has just started, and Maggie learns what they are hoping to find.
The Very Large Telescope has been responsible for some of the greatest astronomical breakthroughs. For September 2023, the team travels to the heart of the Atacama to explore one of the most advanced observatories in the world, a site at the forefront of astronomy.
A special Question Time edition of the programme, recorded at the University of Exeter as part of the British Science Association’s Science Festival.
In a special episode to mark the end of another season, The Sky at Night teams up with Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage to talk all things amateur astronomy.
The Sky at Night is back for a brand new series, and this month it is delving into Nasa’s OSIRIS-REx mission, which last year brought back a sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The team are finding out what it takes to analyse the tiny pieces of space rock, what they can tell us about how Earth became the planet it is today and may even tell us about the origins of life!
Total solar eclipses, like the one seen last month in North America, allow us to see details of the sun that can’t be seen at any other time. So, this month, The Sky at Night team looks at how scientists are creating eclipses on demand and discovering the secrets that can be revealed hidden in that starlight, including habitable planets like our own.
This month, The Sky at Night has a spooky twist. Across the universe, there are hidden objects that we can’t see, but astronomers and scientists still believe they’re out there. To find out how we know that these mysterious objects exist, the team are going ghost-hunting. Cosmic ghost-hunting.
In July 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope released its first images. They were visually stunning, and it was clear they provided more detail of stars, galaxies and planets than ever before. But for the scientists waiting on the data, this was just the beginning of their journey to discover what the new telescope would reveal. Since then, they have been working hard and publishing papers on all the data JWST has been sending back.
In this Sky at Night special, the team talk to Dr Nicola Fox, NASA’s head of science, whose life began in the UK. Presenter Chris Lintott chats to Nicky about her early years growing up in Hitchin in Hertfordshire and discovers how she fell in love with the stars.
The Sky at Night is embarking on a journey into the future as we explore how space will revolutionise life on Earth over the next 50 years. As humanity's reach extends into the cosmos, we face unprecedented challenges, from redefining what it means to be an astronaut to confronting our own space junk and dealing with the impact of life in space on our Earth-adapted bodies. With privileged early access to a groundbreaking new report from the Royal Society on humanity’s future in space, the Sky at Night team are on a mission to find our destiny among the stars – our place in space.
Get ready for The Sky at Night’s annual Question Time Special, where viewers get the opportunity to ask the questions they have always wanted answered about our universe. Join host Dallas Campbell as he leads a panel of experts through a range of fascinating topics.
This month, The Sky at Night teams up with BBC Ideas to discover the secrets of archaeology and astronomy and to reflect on our ancestral skies. Throughout history and across the world, humanity has looked up and marvelled at the night sky. From ancient civilizations who were guided by the sun, moon and stars, to modern astronomers uncovering the universe's history, we have always found deep meaning in our dark skies. But is modern civilisation putting this important link at risk?
The team explore one of the biggest stories in space news, the ‘city killer’ asteroid 2024 YR4. How well did the planet respond to this potential natural disaster?
The Sky at Night team explore what the latest research is revealing about Mars. Could life once have thrived there? And will a return trip to our neighbouring planet ever be possible?
To celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory, The Sky at Night is recreating history. In the times of the early Astronomers Royal, scientists would gather at spectacular dinner parties at Flamsteed House in Greenwich to share ideas and discuss the universe. In 2025, 350 years on from the first ground stones being laid, we come together once again to discover how the work at the Royal Observatory defined the prime meridian, fundamentally changing our world and blasting technology and communications forward into the global economy we know today.
The team explore one of the newest areas of modern astronomy, the search for exoplanets, the distant worlds that orbit stars beyond our own solar system.
The team delve into the enigmatic world of pulsars and hear the inspiring story of their discoverer, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, direct from the subject herself.
A look back at a special programme marking the 25th anniversary of The Sky at Night. Patrick Moore reports on what is happening at great observatories all over the world.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
