Patrick Moore tells you what to look for in the night sky during the coming month. The first of a regular monthly series.
Patrick Moore shows what to look for in the night sky during the coming month.
Patrick Moore shows what to look for in the night sky during the coming month.
Patrick Moore shows what to look for in the night sky during the coming month and discusses telescopes with Henry Wildey.
Patrick Moore shows what to look for in the sky during the coming month and talks to Clive Hare, the boy who first saw the New Comet in England.
Patrick Moore shows what to look for in the sky during the coming month and talks about the Sun to Colin Ronan, F.R.A.S.
Patrick Moore shows what to look for in the sky during the coming month and gives, with Reginald Edds and A. H. Degenhardt, a preview of Britain's fir...
Patrick Moore shows you the wonders of the winter sky during the coming month.
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. Roger Jennison of Jodrell Bank how radio astronomy is increasing our knowledge of the Universe.
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 su...
Patrick Moore talks about the largest planet, its family of moons, and its mysterious changing red spot.
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,...
Patrick Moore talks to America's foremost astronomer, Dr. Harlow Shapley, about his theories on the size and scale of the universe.
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...
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 ...
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Harlow Shapley, former Director of Harvard College Observatory and one of the world's leading astronomers, our island ...
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 s...
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 sa...
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...
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 s...
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 ...
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...
Patrick Moore explains how the atmosphere interferes with the astronomer's work. He discusses with Dr. Hugh Butler of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh...
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 o...
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 thro...
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...
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 ...
Patrick Moore talks to Sir Harold Spencer Jones F.R.S. The former Astronomer Royal about measuring distances which are literally astronomical. The gr...
Soon the Russians and Americans should be able to land instruments on the surface of the moon. Patrick Moore discusses with Gilbert Fielder, the Dire...
Patrick Moore describes how the modern spectroscope has enabled astronomers to find out what different stars are made of and how bright they actually ...
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...
Patrick Moore talks with W.M. Baxter, Secretary of the British Astronomical Association, about the mysterious dark areas, many thousands of miles acro...
In this programme, postponed from February, Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. F. L. Jackson, of King's College Hospital Pathology Department, the resul...
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 t...
As the Russian space probe approaches Venus, Patrick Moore discusses the little we know about this planet and what sort of world further exploration m...
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 ...
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 ...
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 a...
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. H. E. Butler how artificial satellites outside the earth's atmosphere can help astronomers, and what further discover...
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 sear...
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 bes...
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 ...
Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. Francis Jackson bacteriologist of King's College Hospital reports that signs of past life have been found in meteorit...
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...
The recent United States attempt to put millions of fine copper wires into orbit round the earth for communication purposes has aroused fierce objecti...
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 s...
Every year many people watch the midsummer sun rise over the avenue at Stonehenge. Patrick Moore discusses how much the ancient peoples knew of astron...
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, ...
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 di...
The first interplanetary rockets could carry with them bacteria from earth which might contaminate other planets. Returning spacemen might bring back ...
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 'wi...
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 ...
This year is the bicentenary of the death of James Bradley, third Astronomer Royal. Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss his work and observations, ...
1963 promises to be an exciting year for astronomy and space exploration. Patrick Moore forecasts some of the possible highlights.
A Russian astronomer has suggested that the two moons of Mars might be artificial space stations. Patrick Moore discusses the peculiarities of the Re...
Patrick Moore and Howard Miles Director of the Artificial Satellite Section of the British Astronomical Association discuss the American space probe M...
Patrick Moore talks about the exploding star or nova in the constellation of Hercules which was recently discovered by an amateur astronomer in Sweden...
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 n...
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 co...
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 tw...
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 reali...
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 ...
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 ...
Frank Hyde discusses with Patrick Moore the progress of his radio-astronomy station's observations in collaboration with Florida State University to t...
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 sit...
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 s...
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 ...
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 pa...
The accurate astronomical alignment of Stonehenge, notorious on Midsummer Day, contrasts with ancient Egyptian theories that the sun and planets revol...
Quasi stellar objects, quasars for short, is the description given to a recently discovered and puzzling new kind of body in the universe. Patrick Mo...
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 rem...
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 syste...
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...
The advantages, drawbacks, and achievements of using balloons to take astronomical instruments above the earth's atmosphere are discussed by Patrick M...
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, an...
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. The...
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...
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 ...
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...
Recent Russian studies have suggested that there may be another major planet in the solar system. Patrick Moore discusses the evidence for the existe...
Patrick Moore discusses with Frank Hyde whether the radio emissions from Jupiter, which have been puzzling many astronomers, can be related to the mov...
On Christmas Eve the first meteorite to fall on British soil for many years exploded over the village of Barwell in Leicestershire. Patrick Moore disc...
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 Moo...
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 pra...
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 o...
Since Greenwich Observatory was founded in 1675 there have been eleven Astronomers Royal. Sir Richard Woolley, the present one, talks about the somet...
Patrick Moore discusses with Barbara Middlehurst of the University of Arizona Observatory and lunar observer Peter Sartory a new theory of how the eff...
Sundials were one of the earliest instruments used to study the earth's movements. Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton, and with Sir Alan Herbe...
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 i...
Saturn is the lovely Ringed Planet - but this year the rings are not properly visible. Patrick Moore explains this unusual appearance of Saturn, and w...
The Leonid shooting-stars may make a really brilliant display this month. Patrick Moore and N. B. Ridley talk about this interesting meteor shower, an...
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 wor...
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 fascinat...
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 ...
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 ex...
Close-up photographs of prospective lunar landing-sites are rapidly increasing our knowledge of the moon's surface. But how strong is the evidence tha...
On the programme's tenth anniversary, Patrick Moore describes the enormous advances made in astronomical studies during the space-decade since April 1...
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 Moor...
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. Patr...
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 v...
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 ...
Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss the increasing study of non-visible radiations from space which is dramatically widening our knowledge of the un...
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. Arn...
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 i...
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 th...
The enthusiasm of astronomers makes them build observatories at their own homes. Tonight Patrick Moore looks at three home-built observatories, inclu...
Leap Year makes this a special month-but variations in earthly calendars are slight compared with those in other worlds. In tonight's programme, Patr...
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 Direc...
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 devis...
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 ...
Sunspots, or 'storms' on the sun's surface, appear in maximum numbers about every eleven years; and large numbers are expected this year. Patrick Moo...
Strange, quickly vibrating radio sources have been discovered far out in space. These pulsating stars or 'pulsars' are one of the most exciting discov...
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...
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...
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 sig...
Radio-astronomers at Jodrell Bank are carrying out a series of remarkable experiments to measure the distance from earth of 'pulsars'-the mysterious r...
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...
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 bu...
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 fo...
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...
Jupiter is specially brilliant this month, but it is so remote that many of its mysteries are still unsolved. Patrick Moore discusses them with Teren...
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 bu...
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 th...
Unique scientific observations are made on the rare occasions when Venus 'transits' - or crosses - the sun. Tonight's programme marks the bicentenary ...
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...
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, b...
It is now over fifty years since Einstein astounded the worlds scientists with his revolutionary theories of Relativity. Patrick Moore discusses with ...
Most stars remain unchanging over huge periods of time; but some continually vary in brightness. Only long observation can reveal their secrets, and m...
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 ...
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 orb...
'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 astron...
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 appea...
The constellation of Orion the Hunter is conspicuous in the southern sky. Patrick Moore talks about its many fascinating features, among them white gi...
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 ...
The Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts brought back colour photographs which have given valuable information about the moon's surface and geology. Soon the A...
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...
Patrick Moore examines the telescopes at Frank Acfield's back-garden observatory in Newcastle. Amateur astronomers - whether they have sophisticated e...
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 star...
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 t...
Patrick Moore talks to some of the world's leading astronomers, who are attending an international conference at Brighton, about the spectacular growt...
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 ...
Spacecraft have already been to the nearest planets, Mars and Venus. Within the next 10 years other probes will explore much further, heading inward t...
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 c...
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. Patri...
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, a...
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 u...
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 to...
Patrick Moore discusses with Professor Samuel Tolansky a startling new theory about an 'invisible' star in the two-star system Epsilon Aurigae. Could...
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 astr...
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 obs...
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 observ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The mathematician and astronomer Johann Kepler was born in 1571. Tonight Patrick Moore discusses with Colin Ronan the importance of Kepler's discoveri...
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 pho...
A historic telescope recently returned from Herstmonceux to its original home on the roof of the old Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Patrick Moore talke...
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 Mo...
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 ...
Mars could have water and life. This is the astonishing information now coming back from the Mariner 9 orbiting probe. Patrick Moore discusses the ev...
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, a...
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 wou...
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 o...
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 w...
The Great Spiral in Andromeda is one of the most spectacular objects known to astronomers. Patrick Moore describes our nearest galactic neighbour and...
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. Patr...
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 s...
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 ...
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 su...
Patrick Moore looks forward to a year of spectacular astronomical events: the launching of the Sky-lab earth-orbiting laboratory in May; the longest e...
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 ...
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 exc...
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 ...
British observers back from the longest solar eclipse of the century tell Patrick Moore about the results of their experiments. These astronomers went...
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...
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...
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 ea...
Patrick Moore visits the volcanic crater at Mount Teide in Tenerife, and discusses with Dr Ron Maddison the characteristics of Martian volcanoes, comp...
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 t...
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 ...
Patrick Moore talks about what is on view in the night sky now, and discusses with Gilbert Satter thwaite the important subject of positional astronom...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 c...
Patrick Moore describes the Red Giant star, Antares, in the constellation of Scorpio. It is now visible above the southern horizon; and although it lo...
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. Tonigh...
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 't...
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 o...
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 Ro...
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 Gree...
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-...
Patrick Moore discusses plans for the new Northern Hemisphere laboratory with Dr Graham Smith , director-designate of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
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 de...
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...
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 i...
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...
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 th...
Jupiter's four largest moons - the Galilean satellites - are among the most interesting members of the Solar System. They were discovered by Galileo i...
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 informati...
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 ve...
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 s...
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 planetar...
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 exis...
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 abo...
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 ' forbid...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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, se...
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 mi...
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 tha...
For many centuries Greenwich Observatory was the world's leading astronomical establishment, and it marks the 'zero for longitude', dividing the world...
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 ...
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 c...
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 a...
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 Madd...
First detailed photographs of Mercury, the innermost planet, were obtained by the American space-probe Mariner 10. Maps of Mercury have been drawn fro...
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, an...
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 sh...
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 ...
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 de...
Cygnus, the Swan, is one of the most beautiful of the constellations, and it contains some spectacular objects, including the very luminous Deneb - a ...
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 ...
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 Southe...
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 a...
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. The...
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...
Good astronomical telescopes are very expensive today, but there are many objects in the night sky which can be viewed with binoculars. For example, d...
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 ...
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 ...
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 scienc...
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 ...
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 st...
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...
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 s...
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 b...
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 ...
The moon has long been regarded as a dead world; but is this completely true? Astronomers have described faint coloured patches and local ' fogs', whi...
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 ...
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...
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 ou...
In December, six American and two Russian space-craft reached Venus. With its dense atmosphere, its searing hot surface and its clouds of deadly sulph...
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 favou...
Most scientists believe that intelligent life is common in the Universe. But the creation of life requires special conditions, which could be much les...
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...
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...
'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, a...
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 predecesso...
Voyager 2, the latest Jupiter probe, made its rendezvous with the Giant Planet on 9 July. Following the outstanding success of its predecessor, Voyage...
Aries, the ram ... Taurus, the bull ... Gemini, the twins ... These are three of the constellations of the Zodiac, the belt stretching round the sky i...
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 wh...
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 s...
Not all stars are alike: some are red, some yellow and some white. These different colours show their different temperatures, and by using spectroscop...
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 rece...
How many people know the meaning of terms such as ' right ascension' and ' declination '? And what exactly is the celestial sphere? Mapping the sky pr...
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 r...
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 ...
On the summit of Mount Hopkins, in Arizona, is the world's most revolutionary observatory, containing the multiple mirror telescope. Instead of one gr...
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...
The Solar Telescope ' Kitt Peak, in Arizona, is America's national observatory. One of its most important instruments is the ingeniously-designed tele...
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 ...
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 rad...
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 prehisto...
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 til...
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 unusu...
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 bac...
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 Qua...
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 wo...
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 sho...
Patrick Moore tells the story of William Herschel, the obscure Hanoverian army bandsman whose discovery with a home-made telescope of the planet Uranu...
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 Satu...
In the crystal-clear atmosphere of La Palma in the Canary Islands the new Northern Hemisphere Observatory is being built. This observatory, a joint in...
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...
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 nea...
During summer evenings many interesting constellations are on view. There are also some spectacular double stars, most of them are binary systems in w...
Meteors, or shooting stars, space debris shed by comets travelling round the sun, can produce brilliant displays and the Perseids, seen each year betw...
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 o...
Three weeks ago Professor Sir Bernard Lovell retired as Director of the radio astronomy observatory at Jodrell Bank, where the 250-foot 'dish' opened ...
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 s...
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 explod...
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 se...
Venus has always been a planet of surprises, and very recently the Pioneer spacecraft orbiting the planet have provided some more. There is evidence o...
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 ...
During evenings in April three bright planets-Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - are very conspicuous, with Venus still prominent in the east before dawn. Pat...
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 ...
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 mill...
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 bei...
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...
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 st...
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 Be...
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 hap...
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 whe...
The winter stars are more brilliant than those of any other season. Orion dominates the scene, together with his brilliant retinue. Two particularly i...
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 in...
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...
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 ...
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 imp...
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 par...
First identified 20 years ago, quasars are probably the most dramatic objects in the universe. Though small compared with galaxies, they are extremely...
Vega has been known to astronomers for centuries. At least, astronomers thought they knew most things about this brilliant blue star. But Vega has bee...
IRAS, the Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite, continues on its triumphant way. and has now discovered a remarkable 20 million mile dust-tail associated ...
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 tha...
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 s...
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 ...
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....
British astronomy has always been in the forefront of research. This is still true today, though the largest optical telescopes have been moved to sit...
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 p...
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 st...
In February 1980 the Americans launched an important artificial satellite - Solar Max, designed to study the sun. After nine months it developed serio...
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...
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 i...
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'...
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 ma...
Do other solar systems exist? Information from the infra-red astronomical satellite, IRAS, indicates that they may well do so. Many stars - some of th...
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 C...
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 illum...
Most people can recognise the major constellations such as Orion the celestial hunter, Hercules, Perseus, the Great Bear and others. But more constell...
Patrick Moore looks at the new and quite unexpected developments in our understanding of Beta Pictoris and Van Biesbroeck 8-two very different stars, ...
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 ...
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 invest...
The Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, operated for most of 1983 and provided important information about subjects ranging from the dusty tails o...
The moon is a world of mountains, craters, valleys, peaks and huge waterless seas. Of special interest are the cracklike features known as rills, whic...
During its voyage to Jupiter, the American Galileo probe will survey a small and interesting world, the asteroid Amphitrite - one of the swarm of mino...
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...
Infra-red radiation, often termed 'heat', is an important part of the total range of wavelengths now being studied by astronomers. Striking results h...
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 se...
Many amateur astronomers have large telescopes but Ron Arbour 's observatory, near Winchester, is exceptional; his 16-inch reflector is computer contr...
How large is the universe? Astronomers measure the distances of very remote objects by using spectroscopes, but today there are some doubts as to whet...
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...
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 theori...
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 ...
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 my...
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, ev...
By spring evenings the brilliant winter constellations have vanished into the twilight, but there is still plenty to see. Patrick Moore talks about t...
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 see...
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, a...
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 Scorp...
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 co...
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 ...
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 ...
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 fe...
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 mater...
Jupiter is now prominently visible in the evening sky. Any telescope will show it together with its four large satellites, known as the Galileans beca...
Can you take astronomical photographs with limited equipment? The surprising answer is yes. Though such pictures cannot rival those of professional as...
Studies of variable stars form a very important part of the work of modern amateur astronomers. In this programme, Patrick Moore describes how the ama...
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...
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 thr...
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 de...
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 Moo...
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 te...
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 M...
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 ...
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 kind...
Thirty years after its completion, the most famous radio telescope in the world - the 250 foot 'dish' at Jodrell Bank - was officially renamed The Lov...
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 ...
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 H...
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 obs...
During March, Venus and Jupiter are splendidly placed for observation in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about them, and explains what observers...
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 large...
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,...
Are quasars remote and super-luminous, or are they comparatively close to our galaxy? Dr Halton C. Arp , formerly of Mount Wilson Observatory, believe...
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 Syst...
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...
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 ...
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 g...
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 She...
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 Pau...
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 d...
There are some asteroids which pass close to the Earth! Patrick Moore talks about these 'close-approach' asteroids to the American astronomer Eleanor ...
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 ...
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 v...
Pulsars are among the most bizarre objects in the universe. They are very small, amazingly dense and spinning round rapidly. Astronomers have been wai...
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 ...
The IUE or International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was launched in 1978. It had an estimated lifespan of three years, but it is still operating a...
New generation astronomical telescopes are entirely different from those of the past. They have different types of mountings; their main mirrors are m...
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 orbi...
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 spect...
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 su...
Voyager 2, launched in 1977, has already passed by the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, all of which have provided plenty of surprises. Voyag...
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 ast...
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 ...
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 an...
Tales of the Unexpected Astronomers, like other people, can be taken by surprise. Bright comets, new stars, outbreaks on planets, displays of aurora -...
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 moder...
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 reall...
Two of the zodiacal constellations - Leo (the lion) and Cancer (the crab) - are on view during evenings this month. Both contain interesting objects, ...
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 Observat...
The William Herschel Telescope is the third largest astronomical telescope in the world and one of the most modern. Patrick Moore visits the observato...
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 g...
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 t...
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 man...
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...
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 t...
rofessor Michael Rowan-Robinson of Queen Mary and Westfield College discusses developments in the study of the Great Wall and the Great Attractor with...
Radiations of very short wavelength from space cannot reach the Earth because they are blocked by the atmosphere, but they are of increasing importanc...
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...
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...
Dr Ian McHardy , of Southampton University, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest on BL Lacertae, the object found in the northern constellation of L...
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. H...
Patrick Moore visits Baikonur, the site from which all the important Soviet space missions have been launched and until recently out of bounds to west...
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...
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...
Although the Hubble Space Telescope is sometimes regarded as a failure, it is making significant discoveries. Patrick Moore finds out about the early ...
Patrick Moore reports on the remarkable discovery of planet moving around a neutron star. He is joined by the astronomers Professor Andrew Lyne, Setna...
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 tak...
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...
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 Sk...
The Giotto spacecraft encountered Halley's Comet in 1986 and escaped. The same craft recently made close-range studies of the comet Grigg-Skellerup. P...
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 Digg...
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, Massachus...
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 invo...
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 belie...
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 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.
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 ...
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 M...
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 ...
Professor Richard Ellis of Cambridge University joins Patrick Moore in a programme focusing on gravitational lenses.
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. Shau...
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 Cattermol...
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 Ju...
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 happ...
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 h...
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 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.
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 c...
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-...
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...
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 abo...
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...
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 assesse...
Patrick Moore and DrJohn Mason discuss the possible existence of extra-solar planets.
Dr Russell Cannon, former Director of the Anglo-Australian Observatory, joins Patrick Moore to discuss the results of the UK Schmidt Telescope in New ...
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 sta...
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 y...
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...
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.
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 mo...
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 photogr...
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 Augu...
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.
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 subj...
In the previous programme, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott discussed some of the often unfamiliar terms used by astronomers. They concentrated upon te...
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 th...
Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Alan Penny of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory to discuss Project Darwin, designed to explore the possibility of "othe...
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 dist...
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. Patr...
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 mo...
Could life exist elsewhere in our Solar System? This question has long been asked, but our understanding of our cosmic neighbourhood is constantly cha...
Patrick Moore visits one of the UK's newest and most exciting observatories, The Crendon Observatory, where Gordon Rogers demonstrates how he produces...
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 ...
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 ...
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 t...
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...
In the second of two programmes on cosmology, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott look at the latest theories on inflation, dark energy and the accelerati...
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 ...
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 kno...
The search for life on Mars continues with ever more space-probes examining the red planet. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr David Wynn-Williams who has ...
In the depths of space there are giant tornadoes of cold, dusty gas and galactic whirlpools containing thousands of millions of stars. Patrick Moore i...
Perhaps the most familiar constellation in the night sky is Ursa Major: The Great Bear. In this programme, Patrick Moore tells the story of the bear, ...
Patrick Moore is joined by Douglas Arnold to dispel suggestions that the Apollo Moon landings were fake, and convince us that 12 men have indeed set f...
When the Space Age began with the launch of Sputnik in 1957, our view of the universe was very different. The far side of the Moon was still unseen, p...
Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Fred Watson from the Anglo-Australian Observatory to view some of the wonderful images taken by the UK Schmidt te...
In this historic interview Patrick Moore talks to Professor Stephen Hawking about his cosmological theories and finds out how our Universe started.
Patrick Moore visits Britain's newest planetarium at Chichester, where the wonders of the cosmos can be observed night and day. Dr John Mason shows hi...
Long-running astronomy programme. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Duncan Steel about the threat of near earth objects.
Britain's foremost radio astronomy observatory at Jodrell Bank celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. Patrick Moore remembers its unique discoveri...
Photographing the night sky and capturing astronomical events is skilful, challenging, and requires lots of patience. Patrick Moore talks to John Flet...
In the second of this two-part special from Jodrell Bank, the Sky at Night explores the future of radio astronomy. Over the past 50 years radio astron...
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 ...
Patrick Moore heats up when he discusses our nearest star, the Sun, with guest Iain Nicolson. There is also a report from Australia about the recent e...
Artists for the past 100 years have visualised and drawn how they imagine our Solar System and Universe look. NASA scientists used lunar art work befo...
We don't know what it is, we can't see it and yet staggeringly it makes up 90% of our Universe. For astrophysicists, dark matter has proved to be an e...
Patrick Moore talks to Professor Colin Pillinger about the British lander craft Beagle 2, which will be sent to Mars in May to search for signs of lif...
With three astronomical events that can all be witnessed from Britain, Patrick Moore previews the transit of Mercury, lunar eclipse and annular eclips...
Patrick Moore reports from North Scotland on the last month's annular eclipse, lunar eclipse and transit of Mercury. Also, the Universe's largest expl...
Patrick Moore looks at how probes and satellites that are sent into space might find answers to questions about the Universe. He interviews Dr Helen W...
This is the year of the Red Planet, when Mars will be at its closest to Earth. Withthree probes on their way to Mars, due to land Christmas Day onward...
Professor Carlos Frenk talks to Patrick Moore about the evolution of galaxies from the cosmic dark ages to the current day. Also featuring the latest ...
In a new era of space discovery, Europe sends its first rocket to the Moon. With a revolutionary ion engine and pioneering instruments, scientists hop...
A month after the spacecraft Galileo plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere, ending one of the most successful missions of all time, Patrick Moore discusse...
Long-running astronomy programme. Patrick Moore discusses the unpredictability of comets with astronomer Dr Mark Kidger.
The Universe has its own heavenly sounds, such as pulsars, panetary magnetospheres and solar winds. Patrick Moore explores the ancient link between th...
Patrick Moore talks about the latest news from the NASA Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and the European spacecraft Mars Express. He also talks to...
Patrick Moore talks to Professor David Southwood about Europe's space missions. Plus, the latest from Mars with Chris Lintott.
Scientists are searching for the elusive dark matter 1300 meters below ground. Without it, galaxies would fly apart and the Universe would be very dif...
From the galactic maternity wards of clouds and dust we call nebulae, stars emerge. Yet little is know about this cosmic 'birth' process. Patrick Moor...
On the morning of the 8 June 2004, the planet Venus passes in front of the Sun, a once in a lifetime event. This rare occurrence has only been observe...
After a seven year journey the European and American spacecraft Cassini finally reaches Saturn. In the first of this two part special, Patrick Moore r...
After just a month orbiting Saturn, the spacecraft Cassini has sent back stunning images and amazing results. Patrick Moore unveils the mysterious gas...
Responding to signals from space, new robotic telescopes are able to observe the first flashes of the Universe's most devasting explosions. Chris Lint...
Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott give a monthly guide to the night sky. They look at the constellation of Pegasus and the Andromeda galaxy. There's als...
Planetary nebulae are beautiful to look at whether through a back garden telescope or as a Hubble picture. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Nye Evans ...
In this special, Patrick Moore finds out about how the world's largest telescope in Chile is unlocking the secrets to our Universe. Chris Lintott trav...
The American and European spacecraft Cassini has been at Saturn now for six months. It has sent back fabulous images of the planet, its complex rings ...
We have seen the surface of Titan, Saturn's moon and one of the most mysterious solar system bodies. Patrick Moore talks to the lead scientist of the ...
Comets are thought to come from the Kuiper Belt beyond Pluto and the Oort Cloud at the very edge of our solar system. Little is known about this dark,...
For the first time ever, Sir Patrick Moore has hosted a star party at his house in Selsey. Over two nights, amateur astronomers played lottery with th...
In its 15 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionised astronomy with it's amazing insight into our Universe. Patrick Moore talks to Professor...
Sun spots and solar flares release high energy particles and radiation that can damage satellites and telecommunications, as well as creating the beau...
NASA are sending a probe into the comet 9P/ Tempel-1, early on the morning of 4 July 2005. This is a unique event, from which they hope to find out ho...
On 4 July NASA hopes to send an impactor into the comet 9P/Tempel-1. Patrick Moore talks to the world's leading comet experts about the fallout from t...
The search for life elsewhere in our Universe has long been the Holy Grail for astronomers. Planets around distant stars have recently been discovered...
Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein and Orville Wright are among the people Patrick Moore has met. He looks back on five decades of space exploration and ...
Man is scanning the night sky and counting stars, galaxies and other solar bodies. Patrick Moore discusses two of the most comprehensive surveys - 2dF...
Its been an incredible year for the planets, with amazing discoveries and startling new insights into our Solar System. Earlier this month, astronomer...
Mars is almost as close as it can get to Earth and better placed than it will be for many years. Patrick Moore throws a Mars party in his back garden ...
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. Patr...
In and exclusive interview for The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore talks to Mike A'Hearn, the NASA scientist behind the spectacular Deep Impact mission. W...
The volcanic mountain of Mauna Kea in Hawaii is home to some of the world's best astronomical obvervatories. At 14,000 feet, it's well above cloud lev...
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.
A total eclipse of the Sun is a magnificent event. On 29 March 2006, Chris Lintott hopes to experience a Turkish delight, as a total eclipse of the Su...
Look into the night sky and even with the naked eye you can pick out our nearest galactic neighbour, Andromeda, just one of the billions of systems wh...
The biggest and most powerful explosions in the Universe are gamma ray bursts. With the launch of the spacecraft Swift, scientists now realise these e...
Out of chas came order, as from the dust and gas of the very early Solar System emerged the gas giants. Four billion years ago our solar system looked...
Britain is going back to Mars onboard the European ExoMars mission. UK scientists have a key role designing and building many of the instruments, incl...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
The Earth is bombarded by extra terrestrial material every day, but what is this cosmic debris? Sir Patrick Moore investigates comet tails, meteorites...
Star-gazing documentary series. Mercury is a world of extremes and enigmas - the closest one to the Sun. The spacecraft Messenger, which has just reac...
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 Bri...
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 s...
Astronomy. Sir Patrick Moore celebrates the 666th edition of the programme by asking cosmologists exactly how much we know about the Universe.
As NASA, along with the European Space Agency, plan a return mission to either Jupiter or Saturn, two prominent astronomers discuss which planet we sh...
The NASA mission Phoenix has been on Mars a month and already there are images of the frozen ice caps, never before seen from a spacecraft on the Mart...
The Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona promises a revolutionary way to look at the night sky. The light from its two eight-and-a-half metre mirrors ...
Sir Patrick Moore looks at the results of the Galaxy Zoo project, a website which sorts the galaxies of the Universe into spirals and ellipticals, whi...
Sir Patrick Moore hosts an autumn equinox party in his garden and talks to Dr John Mason about what to look for in the night sky at this time of year.
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 monstro...
Patrick Moore wonders if there is life beyond Earth, while Chris Lintott spends the night with the giant Keck Telescope and meets alien hunter Dr Jill...
Sir Patrick Moore charts the development of the telescope over four centuries and fasts forward to meet the astronaut who repaired the Hubble Space Te...
In an edition focusing on the aurora borealis, Chris Lintott travels to a radar facility in northern Norway to discover how these magical lights are c...
Saturn's mysterious moon Enceladus has startled astronomers with its amazing ice geysers, which spew out material into space. Sir Patrick Moore talks ...
Patrick Moore discusses what Herschel, Europe's biggest and most expensive space satellite, will do once it begins its infrared exploration of the uni...
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...
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 n...
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 29th July 1969 witnessed one of the greatest triumphs in human exploration when man stepped on the moon. Forty years on, Sir Patrick Moore and his...
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 too...
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 ...
Following the Hubble space telescope's overhaul, Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott examine its latest findings and the data from NASA's other telesc...
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 Pa...
For centuries, astronomers, writers and philosophers have speculated about life on the planet Mars, but we have learned more about our near neighbour ...
Winter is approaching, and with longer nights, it is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Sir Patrick Moore is join...
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 t...
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 t...
Half a century ago, scientists were speculating about the possibility of planets outside our solar system. Since then over 400 such extra-solar planet...
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...
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 many star-forming areas of our galaxy are obscured by interstellar dust, but Herschel, a new space telescope, can see these areas in infrared ligh...
The Space Shuttle Atlantis has returned from its final flight to the International Space Station. With the shuttle fleet soon to be decommissioned, Si...
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, disa...
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 h...
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, celestia...
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 ...
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 Patric...
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 nebul...
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, impress...
Sir Patrick Moore joins an unlikely star party in the heart of London, where enthusiastic astronomers are cutting through the light pollution to see t...
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, whi...
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 fo...
Sir Patrick Moore visits the South Downs Planetarium and discovers how the stars appeared to the ancient Egyptians, whilst Pete Lawrence explains what...
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 un...
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...
Two of the great autumn constellations of Andromeda and Pegasus will soon be gracing our night skies. The maiden Andromeda, chained to her rock, await...
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 ...
The outer limits of the solar system are a dark, cold and mysterious place, which only the Voyager spacecraft have visited. Sir Patrick Moore discusse...
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 ...
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 sk...
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 ...
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 t...
A European mission called JUICE has been announced which will visit Jupiter and its fascinating moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. Sir Patrick Moore...
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 ...
Up and down the country amateur astronomers are out in their back-garden observatories looking at stars, galaxies and nebulae. The team visits some as...
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 ambit...
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 ...
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 i...
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 a...
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 j...
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. T...
Meteorites regularly hit Earth, although most go undetected. Occasionally a big meteorite collides with Earth and when it does, it can cause devastati...
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 ...
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 an...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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. Vi...
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...
Astronomers always get excited about comets and in December they are looking forward to something rather special. The snappily-named Comet C/2012 S1 I...
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 a...
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 opport...
The universe is filled with spectacular objects, from gloriously-coloured nebulae to the swirling motion of a billion stars formed into a single galax...
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 collid...
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...
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 reco...
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 spa...
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 b...
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 ...
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 biz...
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 ...
The team explores our nearest neighbour Venus, discovering how it formed and how ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has revealed the secrets of its atmosp...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 se...
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 th...
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 re...
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 incl...
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...
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 f...
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock present a look at black holes, featuring an exclusive interview with Stephen Hawking. The physicist discusses h...
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 ...
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 mil...
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 ...
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock report on the recent discovery of a planet with similar qualities to Earth orbiting Proxima Centauri, the neare...
Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock report on the Rosetta spacecraft as it prepares to crash into the surface of comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ...
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 t...
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...
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 5...
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 spe...
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...
This edition comes from the heart of one of the most influential - and surprising - organisations in the history of astronomy. Maggie and Chris have b...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
Observing events that occur in milliseconds, including the recently detected gravitational wave created by the collision of two neutron stars. Chris L...
The Sky at Night celebrates one of the most profound, moving and enjoyable activities there is - the ancient art of looking up, studying and marvellin...
The team reports on unnerving discoveries in the field of space science. Researchers estimate that 95 per cent of everything in the universe is "invis...
The team investigates an astronomical detective story. In October 2017, astronomers spotted the first ever object to visit our solar system from outer...
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 sign...
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 ...
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 astoni...
Chris Lintott travels to the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Australia to find out how astronomers detected signals from the oldest stars in ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 progra...
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...
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 fe...
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 o...
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. A...
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...
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 releas...
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 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 o...
The programme goes behind the scenes as the European Space Agency selects its next mission, which will be launched in 2028, meeting British teams vyin...
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 ...
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 univers...
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 s...
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 fir...
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 co...
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 myster...
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. ...
The Sky at Night team explore a changing world. Maggie Aderin-Pocock interviews astronaut Jessica Meir, who returned from 205 days on the Internationa...
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 ...
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 trave...
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 b...
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...
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 s...
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 disti...
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...
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. ...
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...
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 emplo...
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 deca...
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 ...
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 sol...
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 ...
Martin Rees is perhaps Britain’s most renowned cosmologist. Now, about to celebrate his eightieth birthday, Lord Rees talks to Chris Lintott about his...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
A special ‘Question Time’ edition of the programme, recorded at The Venue in De Montford University, Leicester, as part of the British Science Associa...
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 co...
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 defenc...
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 ...
For July 2023, the team investigate the controversial world of alien communication. The search for life on other planets is one of the most fascinatin...
For August 2023, The Sky at Night team investigate the science of black holes and discover the incredible techniques being used to uncover their secre...
The Very Large Telescope has been responsible for some of the greatest astronomical breakthroughs. For September 2023, the team travels to the heart o...
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 a...
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 fr...
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...
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...
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 sta...
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 Ni...
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 humanit...
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...
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. Thro...
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 natu...
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 neig...
The team celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory, recreating history at a special dinner party, where they are joined by a glittering...
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 syst...
The team delve into the enigmatic world of pulsars and hear the inspiring story of their discoverer, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, direct from the subjec...
The team explores one of the greatest discoveries of modern astronomy - that our universe is expanding - and the new questions it raises about how the...
Three, two, one, lift off! This edition launches into the extraordinary - and extraterrestrial - world of astronaut training, discovering what it trul...
Do aliens exist, and can we talk to them? What does a black hole sound like? Does the universe look like a doughnut? In a spectacular season finale, T...
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,...
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 planets have fascinated us for millennia, but over the past 60 years our understanding of them has been transformed. Using The Sky at Night archiv...
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 billi...
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 ve...
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...
A celebration of 50 years of The Sky at Night, featuring classic archive and celebrity interviews from fans of the show, including Jonathan Ross, Myle...
