The Sky at Night

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 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 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 discusses the most famous of all the constellations.

Patrick Moore talks about the forthcoming penumbral eclipse of the Moon, and Mercury the nearest planet to the Sun.

Tonight Patrick Moore is at the Hampstead Observatory. If weather conditions are suitable television cameras will bring live pictures of the moon's surface.

Patrick Moore talks about the largest planet, its family of moons, and its mysterious changing red spot.

Patrick Moore describes the life-cycle of a star and compares the Sun's history with that of Betelgeuse, the vast red giant now visible in Orion.

Patrick Moore describes the life-cycle of a star and compares the Sun's history with that of Betelgeuse, the vast red giant now visible in Orion.

Patrick Moore talks about the forthcoming partial eclipse of the Moon and about the planet Mercury, which is at its most visible period for some time.

Patrick Moore and Roger Griffin talk about these pairs of suns revolving round each other, and how they help astronomers to measure the masses of the stars.

Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Harlow Shapley, former Director of Harvard College Observatory and one of the world's leading astronomers, our island of stars in the Universe, of which the solar system forms a minute and insignificant part.

Patrick Moore talks about some of the lesser known bodies of the Solar System.

Patrick Moore talks about the Andromeda nebula, the most distant object in the heavens it is possible to see with the naked eye, and compares it with what is known of our own galaxy.

Patrick Moore talks about the remote and slow-moving planet which was discovered in 1781. Uranus is sixty-four times as large as the earth, and has 65,000 days in its year, which is eighty-four times as long as ours.

Patrick Moore explains how the atmosphere interferes with the astronomer's work. He discusses with Dr. Hugh Butler of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, how a satellite could be an astronomical observatory.

The new comet, Burnham's, is now moving steadily closer to the earth, and should be clearly seen in late April. It will then be in the Northern part of the sky not far from the Pole Star. Patrick Moore talks about this and other comets-where they come from, what they are, and how they move.

Patrick Moore talks about the centre of our galaxy, which is so obscured by clouds of dust, gas, and interstellar haze that only radio waves come through with evidence of what lies beyond.

Patrick Moore talks about the moons of other planets in the solar system. Some planets have more than one moon and they range in size from tiny globes, twelve miles across, to giants twice as heavy as the Moon.

Patrick Moore talks with W.M. Baxter, Secretary of the British Astronomical Association, about the mysterious dark areas, many thousands of miles across, on the sun's surface, known as sunspots. Besides discussing whether these affect the weather, they also consider the effect of solar flares on future manned space-travel. Particles emitted from these may turn out to be one of the worst hazards of all.

In this programme, postponed from February, Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. F. L. Jackson, of King's College Hospital Pathology Department, the results of certain experiments carried out specially on behalf of 'The Sky at Night'. In these experiments various living organisms have been subjected to the conditions of atmosphere and temperature which exist on Mars.

Following last month's programme on the possibility of life existing on Mars, Patrick Moore discusses whether very low forms of life may be found on the Moon, our nearest neighbour in space and the one most likely to be first reached by man. He also shows viewers the newly published Russian Atlas of the back of the Moon, based on photographs taken by Lunik III.

As the Russian space probe approaches Venus, Patrick Moore discusses the little we know about this planet and what sort of world further exploration might reveal it to be.

Frank Hyde has built and operated his own radio telescope at Clacton in Essex. Patrick Moore discusses with him the contributions an amateur can make in this latest field of astronomy.

Patrick Moore discusses meteors and meteorites with Dr. M. H. Hey of the British Museum of Natural History, and the latest versions of the suggestion that some may contain organic compounds.

Patrick Moore discusses with Gilbert Fielder the age-old problem of what caused the craters on the moon, and whether the next Russian lunik may solve the problem.

Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. Francis Jackson bacteriologist of King's College Hospital reports that signs of past life have been found in meteorites They also report on the latest progress of the 'life on Mars' experiments inaugurated last year.

Pluto, on the boundary of the solar system, is the planet most remote from the earth. Patrick Moore discusses this strange small world whose mysteries have puzzled astronomers ever since its discovery in 1930.

The recent United States attempt to put millions of fine copper wires into orbit round the earth for communication purposes has aroused fierce objections from some astronomers. Patrick Moore discusses this controversial subject with Colin Ronan.

Is space empty? Astronomers used to think so, but nowadays it is believed there is matter spread out between the stars so that we look out through a sort of cosmic fog. Patrick Moore talks about what astronomers have learned by studying this matter.

Every year many people watch the midsummer sun rise over the avenue at Stonehenge. Patrick Moore discusses how much the ancient peoples knew of astronomy and how far the old Stone Circles of Britain were aligned astronomically.

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 Red Planet's satellites and considers whether they might be used as staging points for future manned exploration of Mars.

Patrick Moore and Howard Miles Director of the Artificial Satellite Section of the British Astronomical Association discuss the American space probe Mariner II and its remarkable new findings about the planet Venus.

Patrick Moore talks about the exploding star or nova in the constellation of Hercules which was recently discovered by an amateur astronomer in Sweden, and discusses the sequence of events which leads to these tremendous celestial catastrophes.

Patrick Moore discusses with Anthony Michaelis how over the years many writers' fantasies, like Bishop Godwin's voyage to the Moon of A.D. 1657, are now becoming reality, and whether other favourite theories of science fiction - anti-gravity, for instance - may in turn become fact.

American astronomers have just reported the discovery of a planet moving round a near star. It is now believed that similar planet families must be common in space. Patrick Moore discusses the latest theories about how planets come into being.

Patrick Moore talks about some of the strange celestial objects, like the planet Vulcan, which have been reported at times but do not in fact seem to exist.

Frank Hyde discusses with Patrick Moore the progress of his radio-astronomy station's observations in collaboration with Florida State University to try to determine whether the radio emissions from Jupiter originate there or are reflected from the sun.

The recent flight of Ranger VI came near to solving the age-old problem of the nature of the Moon's surface. Patrick Moore reports on the present situation and its significance to astronomers.

For ages man has used the stars to navigate by Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton some of the new problems of celestial navigation which the space traveller has to face.

The Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland is the oldest observatory still in use in the Commonwealth. Yet the work being done there on the structure of galaxies is in the forefront of contemporary research. Dr. E. M. Lindsay, the director, describes the Observatory's activities to Patrick Moore, as well as showing him round the eighteenth-century building and its historic possessions.

Patrick Moore reports on the New York International Symposium on the Structure of the Moon's Surface, at which he himself read one of the technical papers.

Patrick Moore discusses the atmospheres of the other planets in the solar system, how much is known of them, what more is likely to be found out about them in the near future, and whether one day man will be able to survive them.

The advantages, drawbacks, and achievements of using balloons to take astronomical instruments above the earth's atmosphere are discussed by Patrick Moore and Kenneth Fea of the Space Research Group, University College, London.

Patrick Moore discusses what information the photographs taken by Ranger 8 may give on the controversial question of the nature of the moon's surface.

Patrick Moore examines the ancient mythology of the stars and some of the ways in which they have been said to influence man's destiny on earth.

Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss how much useful observation can be done without using optical instruments.

Recent studies suggest that the day on Mercury may be two months long. Patrick Moore discusses how this affects our ideas of conditions on Mercury, and how its length of day compares with that of other planets.

Patrick Moore discusses with Frank Hyde whether the radio emissions from Jupiter, which have been puzzling many astronomers, can be related to the movements of Jupiter's moons.

On Christmas Eve the first meteorite to fall on British soil for many years exploded over the village of Barwell in Leicestershire. Patrick Moore discusses with experts and eye-witnesses its possible origin and nature.

The recent successful landing of the Russian space probe Luna-9 on the moon has brought nearer the possibility of a manned landing there. Patrick Moore discusses the latest information, and speculates about the future.

Is Astronomy a good basis for further education? Patrick Moore discusses with Professor A J. E. Ingram and Dr. R. C Maddison the Keele University practice of introducing all first-year students to astronomy, and the use they make of the University Observatory and telescopes.

On May 20 there will be a partial eclipse of the sun, visible from Great Britain. Patrick Moore talks about eclipses and explains what will be seen on that day.

Since Greenwich Observatory was founded in 1675 there have been eleven Astronomers Royal. Sir Richard Woolley, the present one, talks about the sometimes brilliant, sometimes eccentric characters of his predecessors. Introduced by Patrick Moore.

At present the most brilliant object in the evening sky is Jupiter, giant planet of the Solar System - an immense world with cloud belts, the fascinating Great Red Spot. and four bright moons. Even a small telescope will show details upon its yellowish gaseous surface. Patrick Moore talks about Jupiter, and the many problems that it presents to modern astronomers.

Well over a thousand artificial satellites are now in orbit round the earth, and some can be seen as bright lights crossing the stars. Patrick Moore talks to Desmond King-Hele, F.R.S. about the way amateur observers can sight and track satellites, and about the value of these observations to space research.

Patrick Moore and Dr. V. Barocas talk about the nebulae - clouds of gas of many kinds far out in space. In some of these, new stars are coming into existence.

Close-up photographs of prospective lunar landing-sites are rapidly increasing our knowledge of the moon's surface. But how strong is the evidence that the lunar craters were formed by the same kind of volcanic activity as Earth calderas? Patrick Moore puts this question to a geologist, Dr. G.J.H. McCall.

On the programme's tenth anniversary, Patrick Moore describes the enormous advances made in astronomical studies during the space-decade since April 1957. He shows highlights from past programmes, including the first photographs of the far side of the moon in 1959 and the solar eclipse tracked across Europe in 1961.

Since the American rocket Mariner IV went close to Mars to send back information, our ideas about the Red Planet have changed very much. Patrick Moore discusses these new ideas with Harold Ridley and in particular considers whether there can be any life on Mars.

The enthusiasm of astronomers makes them build observatories at their own homes. Tonight Patrick Moore looks at three home-built observatories, including his own, which he has successfully transferred to Northern Ireland. Not all are built for the same purposes.

Leap Year makes this a special month-but variations in earthly calendars are slight compared with those in other worlds. In tonight's programme, Patrick Moore talks about Uranus's 65,000-day year, Jupiter's 'year', twelve times as long as ours but with a 'day' of less than ten hours, and Venus's 'year', which seems shorter than its 'day'.

The Armagh Planetarium-the first big public planetarium to be built in Britain outside the London area-was opened to visitors on February 5. Its Director, Patrick Moore, shows viewers round and describes its principles and uses.

Patrick Moore discusses with Iain Nicolson the sooty clouds in space which hide some stars and themselves shine in the light from others.

Patrick Moore discusses with Michael Bentine the problems of manned flight beyond the Moon to the planets and stars. They examine the techniques devised in fiction and in fact to solve some of these problems.

In three weeks' time the asteroid Icarus, first seen in 1949, orbits close to the Earth. Patrick Moore talks to Dr. Vinicio Barocas about the nature and movements of the asteroids.

Man has just taken his first close look at the moon, and in a few months American spacecraft are expected to bring back samples of the moon's crust for analysis. At this turning point in lunar research, as the long history of earth-based observation gives way to first-hand experience, Patrick Moore sums up our present knowledge; Raymond Baxter discusses the significance of the new developments with Sir Bernard Lovell, Professor J.G. Davies, and Dr. J.H. Thomson at Jodrell Bank; and Patrick Moore describes the optical work done at the world's highest observatory, the Pic du Midi. Sequences in France made available by courtesy of the French Television Service

Without a telescope can you see the phases of Venus? The little star Alcor? The Great Nebula in Andromeda? Patrick Moore discusses what can or cannot be seen without telescopes and invites viewers to join in an experiment.

Jupiter is specially brilliant this month, but it is so remote that many of its mysteries are still unsolved. Patrick Moore discusses them with Terence Moseley Two bright planets are in the evening sky now. Venus is in the west, and at present two Russian spacecraft are on their way there. In this evening's The Sky at Night Patrick Moore gives the results of the investigation into whether anyone can see the crescent shape of Venus with the naked eye-which may help to clear up the mystery of the old references to 'the horned Venus.' Attention is then turned to the other brilliant planet, Jupiter—, the giant of the sun's family, with its belts, moons, and strange Red Spot. Patrick Moore is joined by Terence Moseley to discuss this remarkable world which is always changing; large enough to hold more than 1,000 earths, it is a fascinating object when seen through even a small telescope, if only because one never knows what to expect next!

Is it unlucky to see the new moon through glass? The moon has always been thought to have a powerful influence on the earth, causing not only tides but also good luck, bad luck, and even lunacy, according to its phases. Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton, Bert Foord, weatherman and Dr. J. T. Hutchinson, a psychiatrist the scientific truths and popular superstitions about the moon's effects on the earth.

Two American spacecraft will fly past the planet Mars this summer and send back information which may help to answer the long-debated question, 'Is there life on Mars?' Patrick Moore discusses the latest Martian experiments with a biologist, Keith Reid.

Unique scientific observations are made on the rare occasions when Venus 'transits' - or crosses - the sun. Tonight's programme marks the bicentenary of Captain Cook's voyage to the South Pacific to observe a transit - on June 3, 1769 - during which he claimed Australia for Britain on his way home. Patrick Moore talks to Cdr. Derek Howse, R.N. about Cook's voyage and to Dr. Vinicio Barocas about the first astronomer ever to observe a transit, in 1639 - a twenty-year-old Lancashire curate, the Rev. Jeremiah Horrocks

In January a comet will be visible in the northern sky, bright enough to be seen without a telescope. Patrick Moore talks about comets and their appearances with an observer, Keith Hindley, and about Sir Edmund Halley - discoverer of Halley's Comet - with Colin Ronan.

The constellation of Orion the Hunter is conspicuous in the southern sky. Patrick Moore talks about its many fascinating features, among them white giant stars, the old red giant Betelgeuse, and the gas-cloud where fresh stars are being formed.

In the year 1054 a new star, or Supernova, appeared. It was a star so brilliant that it rivalled Venus and was said to be visible in daylight. It was two years before it faded away. Modern astronomers now know that this was the explosion that produced the Crab Nebula. Tonight Patrick Moore talks to Dr Vinicio Barocas about the Crab Nebula and its mysteries.

The Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts brought back colour photographs which have given valuable information about the moon's surface and geology. Soon the Apollo 13 crew will be photographing the rugged uplands of the Fra Mauro crater. But there are special problems in taking photographs on the moon, and tonight Patrick Moore discusses these with H. J. P. Arnold.

On 9 May the tiny planet Mercury will be seen as a black dot in transit across the sun's disc. Because it orbits close to the sun, Mercury has always been difficult to observe, and astronomers can only guess at the nature of this planet. Patrick Moore explains how a spacecraft will fly past Mercury in 1973 and send back television pictures.

Patrick Moore examines the telescopes at Frank Acfield's back-garden observatory in Newcastle. Amateur astronomers - whether they have sophisticated equipment or simply use small telescopes or binoculars - can find out what is visible in the sky at night during the summer and where to find it.

Mars has now started to approach the Earth. Later in 1971 it will be as close to us as it can ever come. More Mariner spacecraft will be sent there, and Patrick Moore looks ahead to see what new information they are likely to bring us from this puzzling world.

Our view of the Universe is always out of date! We see the Moon as it was over a second ago, the Sun 81 minutes ago, and remote star systems as they used to be before the Earth was formed. Patrick Moore explains why we can never see the universe 'now.'

Patrick Moore and Dr Vinicio Barocas discuss this star and its strange companion, a body so dense that one thimbleful of its material would weigh a ton.

Patrick Moore discusses with Professor Samuel Tolansky a startling new theory about an 'invisible' star in the two-star system Epsilon Aurigae. Could this mysterious object be, not an ordinary star at all, but a 'collapsar' or collapsed star within a black hole moving through the galaxy?

Only two planets are known to have magnetic fields: the Earth itself, and Jupiter the huge cold outer planet full of mysteries which have puzzled astronomers for centuries. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Raymond Hide the significance of Jupiter's radio signals, and what we may learn from the probes which will fly past it in a few years' time.

The Russian Soyuz flights and America's planned launching of a manned Skylab in 1973 are steps towards the establishment by the 1980s of permanent observatories outside earth's atmosphere. As well as making observations of the sun, a purpose of the first Skylab is to solve the problem of enabling crews to work efficiently during long periods of weightlessness. Patrick Moore discusses this problem With Wing Cmdr. Tony Nicholson and explains how such observatories will help astronomers to see further into outer space.

The Great Bear is the most familiar and conspicuous star-pattern in the night sky all the year round: but it is not exactly what it seems. Patrick Moore explains that, although its seven stars look close together, some are further from each other than they are from Earth.

The first X-ray source far out in space was detected nine years ago. Since then, 100 more have been found. But what are they? Patrick Moore talks to Professor Peter Willmore and Dr Kenneth Pounds about a recent successful British experiment to track down one of these mysterious sources by using rockets.

Mars could have water and life. This is the astonishing information now coming back from the Mariner 9 orbiting probe. Patrick Moore discusses the evidence in the latest photographs with a geologist, Dr Peter Cattermole, and explains the significance of these revelations. Have you a question about astronomy you would like to ask Patrick Moore? In the next Sky at Night on 27 March he will answer as many as he can in the time available. Send your questions - on a postcard - to: The Sky at Night, [Address removed]. Sorry, Patrick Moore cannot reply to questions not included in the programme.

What is a neutron star? a quasar? a pulsar? a black hole in space? Patrick Moore answers your questions.

The Sky at Night with Patrick Moore started on 24 April 1957. In tonight's special edition, Patrick Moore looks back, with Commander Henry Hatfield, at the astonishing changes and advances in astronomical knowledge since 1957. He discusses recent developments in 'invisible astronomy' with Professor Anthony Hewish, whose team discovered the first pulsar, and with infra-red astronomer Professor Jim Ring. Finally, he looks forward to the discoveries we can expect in the next 15 years.

Patrick Moore explains why Planet X has been so difficult to detect, and what kind of place this dim, cold world at the limits of our solar system would be.

Patrick Moore looks forward to a year of spectacular astronomical events: the launching of the Sky-lab earth-orbiting laboratory in May; the longest eclipse of the century in June; the first dual-planet probe to Venus and Mercury in October; and the Copernicus quincentenary celebrations.

From his Selsey observatory, Patrick Moore illustrates what amateur astronomers can achieve, and shows the planet Saturn.

Patrick Moore talks about Sirius the Dog-Star, the brightest star in the sky and one of the nearest to us, and about its white dwarf companion Sirius B. (Patrick Moore's new opera Perseus discussed in Scan: Thurs 8.45 pm R4)

The longest solar eclipse of the century, lasting over seven minutes, will take place in Africa on 30 June. Patrick Moore talks about some of the exciting experiments which will be carried out by solar observers who will be in - or above - the Sahara during the eclipse.

Patrick Moore discusses with Gordon Taylor and Dr David Allen new ways of measuring objects in our solar system.

Ancient astronomers described Sirius the Dog-Star as red: but what colour is it today? A few weeks ago, Patrick Moore asked viewers to tell him what colour they see Sirius, and now he analyses the thousands of reports he received, and explains the significance of the colours of stars.

Patrick Moore talks about what is on view in the night sky now, and discusses with Gilbert Satter thwaite the important subject of positional astronomy - the exact measurements and movements of celestial objects.

Saturn is now very well placed in the evening sky, and a small telescope will show its ring system as well as some of the moons. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt examine the recent results showing that its largest satellite, Titan, has a thick atmosphere, and discuss the Saturn space-probe now being planned.

The Milky Way, made up of countless faint stars, can easily be seen in the evening sky this month. Tonight Patrick Moore describes this luminous band which stretches from one horizon to the other, and explains how it forms part of the huge Galaxy of stars in which we live. The latest news will also be given of Mariner 10, the space probe now nearing Mercury, which on 29 March should send back the first close-range pictures of the planet's surface.

How strong is the possibility of life existing in other worlds in our galaxy and elsewhere in the universe, and if it does, where is the nearest life likely to be and how could we communicate with it? Patrick Moore discusses this with Professor Carl Sagan , director of planetary studies at Cornell University in New York.

The Sun is the only star near enough for us to study in detail. Patrick Moore discusses with Dr Ron Maddison the mysterious cycles of activity which cause spots and vast looped prominences to appear on the sun's surface.

Patrick Moore describes the Red Giant star, Antares, in the constellation of Scorpio. It is now visible above the southern horizon; and although it looks like a dot, it is bigger than the orbit of the Earth round the Sun.

Patrick Moore talks about this most splendid of constellations.

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 describes this remarkable eclipsing binary and explains its importance.

Astronomy of the infra-red is now vitally important in studies of the planets, the stars and the universe as a whole. Patrick Moore talks about infra-red astronomy to Professor Jim Ring, of Imperial College.

This month the three outermost planets - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - are all on view, even though they are faint. Each has its own special points of interest; and Patrick Moore talks about these remote members of the Sun's family.

A strange force of X-rays from the sky has been discovered by instruments on board the British satellite Ariel-5. What is the object sending them out?

The planet Mars is brilliantly visible in the sky at the moment. It has always been regarded as the one planet beyond earth upon which life might exist, and in 1976 we could find out at last. Two American rockets, the Vikings, are now on their way to the Red Planet, and should land there next summer, transmitting information from the Martian surface. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt look forward to what the Viking probes may tell us.

Everyone has heard of the Pole Star - but how many people can find it, or know its importance? From his observatory at Selsey, Patrick Moore talks about this huge, remote sun which has served to guide navigators for so many centuries.

What is a Black Hole? Nobody can yet be sure; it may be the final state of a very massive star which has collapsed, surrounding itself with a ' forbidden zone' from which not even light can escape. Patrick Moore discusses these remarkable objects, which have become so important in modern astronomy, with lain Nicolson of Hatfield Polytechnic Observatory.

The rings, easily visible with a small telescope, are now better displayed than they will be for some years to come. Patrick Moore talks about Saturn and describes what the American spacecraft Pioneer 11 may tell us when it by-passes the ringed planet in 1979.

The Sun sends us its light and heat, but it has many other effects on the earth too. It raises tides; it produces the lovely Polar lights; it has long-term effects on plant growth - and its variations may even cause ice ages. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison of Keele University discuss some of these lesser-known effects of the Sun on the Earth.

Pulsars are among the most incredible objects known to man. They are composed of neutrons and are so dense that a pin's head of neutron star material would weigh as much as an ocean liner. Discovered as recently as the late 60s, neutron stars are of great and increasing interest to astronomers and valuable information on X-ray pulsars has been obtained from the instruments aboard the British satellite, Ariel 5. Patrick Moore talks about pulsars to Jocelyn Bell Burnell who was involved in their discovery.

Sirius is now at its best in the evening sky. It is one of our nearest stellar neighbours, and is much more luminous than the sun. It seems to flash all colours but is really a white star, it has a strange, super-dense White Dwarf companion. Patrick Moore and lain Nicolson discuss some of the questions associated with Sirius.

How big is the universe - and does it have a boundary? Distances on the astronomer's scale are very hard to appreciate. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison discuss them in this programme, and explain how to describe them in everyday terms.

First detailed photographs of Mercury, the innermost planet, were obtained by the American space-probe Mariner 10. Maps of Mercury have been drawn from these photographs by Arthur Cross and in this programme he joins Patrick Moore to explain how the maps were made and what they have told us.

In April 1957 The Sky at Night began. It could not have started at a better time; within months the Space Age opened, with the launch of Sputnik 1, and over the next few years astronomy saw some of the most spectacular advances of all time. Today, 20 years later, men have visited the moon; rockets have flown past the planets and even landed on some of them; new giant telescopes have probed further into the universe than Man has ever done before, and each year brings its new quota of discoveries. Every month, since April 1957, The Sky at Night has presented the changing scene. In this 20th anniversary programme Patrick Moore discusses the past and the future with some of Britain's leading figures in astronomy.

Sunspots are known to increase and decrease over an 11-year cycle. We have just passed through a period of minimum solar activity and the sun-spots should now be increasing, but are slow to do so. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddi son discuss the possible causes of this apparent irregularity. in the solar cycle, and talk about some of the other interesting features of the sun's surface.

For centuries the ringed planet Saturn has been regarded as unique. This year the startling discovery has been reported that Uranus also has a system of rings - though as yet they have not been seen directly. Patrick Moore discusses this new development with Gordon Taylor, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. who has made special studies of Uranus, and Dr Garry Hunt, who is closely involved with plans for Voyager, the unmanned space-craft due to bypass Uranus in the 1980s.

Good astronomical telescopes are very expensive today, but there are many objects in the night sky which can be viewed with binoculars. For example, during winter evenings the constellation of Orion is excellently placed, and it contains the lovely nebula which binoculars show quite clearly. Patrick Moore describes this and other features of the night sky, and gives advice on the types of binoculars which are most useful.

What is the most remote object ever visible with the naked eye? The answer is: the Great Spiral in Andromeda, which is a member of our Local Group of galaxies, but is still very remote - its light takes over two million years to reach us. The Local Group is now known to contain over 25 members, some of which are huge systems while others are dwarf galaxies. Patrick Moore talks about the Local Group to Heather Couper , lecturer at the Caird Planetarium, Greenwich.

The Viking space-probes have been operating on Mars for almost one Martian year (nearly two Earth years). We do not yet know whether life in any form exists there but many scientific discoveries have been made. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr Garry Hunt.

Ever since the days of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, science fiction and space exploration have been closely linked, and over the last 100 years science fiction has often become science fact. Patrick Moore talks to Arthur C. Clarke, the science fiction writer, who describes himself as an armchair astronaut, and Michael Bentine, best known as a humorist, but who is also a serious and dedicated scientist.

The asteroids or minor planets are among the most interesting of the junior members in the Solar System. Only one - Vesta - is ever visible without a telescope, but thousands are now known to exist; some swing near the Earth, and several close approaches have been recorded. In this programme Patrick Moore discusses the origin and nature of the asteroids, and Gordon Taylor, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, describes his ingenious method of measuring their sizes.

How is a star born? We believe that with our telescopes we can see where fresh stars are being created. In this programme Patrick Moore talks about stellar birth, how a star develops and how every star, including our sun, must eventually die.

In December, six American and two Russian space-craft reached Venus. With its dense atmosphere, its searing hot surface and its clouds of deadly sulphuric acid, this strange planet is overwhelmingly hostile; but it is of tremendous interest. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt talk about the findings of the space-ships, and discuss what will happen next in the exploration of Venus.

All astronomers know of the catalogue of star-clusters and nebulae compiled 200 years ago by Charles Messier ; and ' hunting the M objects' is a favourite amateur pastime. Tonight Patrick Moore describes Messier and some of the objects which he listed.

Most scientists believe that intelligent life is common in the Universe. But the creation of life requires special conditions, which could be much less frequent than is usually thought. Patrick Meore talks to Professor Sir Bernard Lovell who believes that life elsewhere, in the Universe is likely to be extremely rare.

Is space empty? Astronomers used to think so, but it is now known that there is a tremendous amount of material spread between the stars. Even complex molecules are found there. This discovery has had a great influence upon our ideas about the formation and life-stories of the stars. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr John Beckman, of Queen Mary College, talk about the developments which have taken place during the past five years.

When Voyager 1 flew past Jupiter in March of this year, it sent back results which surprised even the space-planners. The famous Red Spot was shown as a huge whirling storm, while one of the satellites, Io, a world larger than our Moon, has a brilliant red surface upon which active volcanoes can be seen. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss Voyager l's remarkably successful mission.

'Is it going to rain today?' 'Will it be a sunny weekend? ' The British are famous for discussing the weather. Its vagaries are part of our lives, and we all watch the forecasts. 1957 saw the start of the space age, and since then space probes have not only provided information about other planets in the solar system, but they have also studied the atmosphere and weather on Earth itself. Recently, more elaborate satellites have produced the clear pictures we see on television forecasts. Patrick Moore talks to Michael Fish about how these satellites in space have revolutionized weather forecasting.

How many people know the meaning of terms such as ' right ascension' and ' declination '? And what exactly is the celestial sphere? Mapping the sky presents problems different from those of mapping the earth. Patrick Moore talks about sky-maps, and how astronomers have worked out their own equivalent of latitude and longitude.

Saturn is generally regarded as the most beautiful object in the sky, but this year it has an unusual appearance. For the first time since 1966 the rings are edgewise-on to the Earth, and even large telescopes will show them as no more than a slender line of light. Paul Doherty, an enthusiastic observer of Saturn, joins Patrick Moore to talk about the interesting features of Saturn which can be seen when the rings are almost invisible.

Exactly 50 years ago, in 1930, the planet Pluto was discovered by a young research student named Clyde Tombaugh. Since that time Pluto has set puzzle after puzzle. It is smaller than expected; it has an unusual path: and it has a moon, Charon, which is one-third the size of itself. Today, at the age of 77, CLYDE TOMBAUGH is one of America's most respected astronomers. For this programme Patrick Moore flew to Arizona to meet Professor Tombaugh and to ask him what he now thought about the curious planet he discovered half a century ago.

On the summit of Mount Hopkins, in Arizona, is the world's most revolutionary observatory, containing the multiple mirror telescope. Instead of one great mirror, there are six all working together and controlled by a laser beam. Patrick Moore visits the observatory, and looks at this remarkable new telescope.

What lies at the centre of our galaxy? Are there masses of brilliant stars, or is there something even more significant, such as a Black Hole which is swallowing up any stars which move too close to it? Patrick Moore and Heather Couper explore this mystery.

The Solar Telescope ' Kitt Peak, in Arizona, is America's national observatory. One of its most important instruments is the ingeniously-designed telescope used for studying the sun. Patrick Moore visits Kitt Peak , to see this remarkable telescope and talk to the scientists who are carrying out research with it.

Palomar Patrick Moore visits Mount Palomar in South California to see the great 200-inch telescope, and talks to the scientists who use the largest working telescope in the world.

The Orion nebula is one of the most famous objects in the sky. It is visible with the naked eye as a hazy patch in Orion's sword; small telescopes show it well, but we now know that it is only part of a vast mass of gas and dust in which fresh stars are being born, Inside it are some remarkable objects whose nature is still uncertain. One of the astronomers who is carrying out research into these fascinating mysteries is Dr John Beckman, who talks to Patrick Moore about the latest news from this 'stellar birthplace'.

Patrick Moore tells the story of William Herschel, the obscure Hanoverian army bandsman whose discovery with a home-made telescope of the planet Uranus doubled the size of the known solar system. Herschel was hired to provide 'astronomical entertainment' for the British Royal Family and King George III gave him £4,000 to build the world's largest telescope in a garden at Slough.

What can be seen in the night sky this month? Patrick Moore describes the stars which are on view during April; he also shows the latest maps of Saturn's satellites drawn up from Voyager I pictures, and discusses the recent discovery of three galaxies so remote that their light takes about 10,000 million years to reach us.

In the crystal-clear atmosphere of La Palma in the Canary Islands the new Northern Hemisphere Observatory is being built. This observatory, a joint international project, is designed to study galaxies so remote that their light takes thousands of millions of years to reach us, leading us on to a real knowledge of the way in which the universe was born. One of the scientists involved is Professor F. Graham Smith , Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, who talks to Patrick Moore.

Neptune, the outermost of the giant planets, has been known for well over a century, but our knowledge of it is still meagre. With its gaseous surface, its quick rotation and its large satellite, Triton, it is of tremendous interest. Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss what is known about Neptune and what future researches may tell us when Voyager 2 passes this ' outermost giant' in 1989.

Yesterday evening there was a lunar eclipse. The moon passed fully into the earth's shadow from 7.15 until 8.35 pm and the eclipse should have been seen well from all over Britain and, weather permitting, from the special camera on top of Television Centre. Patrick Moore talks about eclipses, and describes some of the other features of the January night sky.

Venus has always been a planet of surprises, and very recently the Pioneer spacecraft orbiting the planet have provided some more. There is evidence of current active volcanoes, very similar to those on Earth, and it seems that in the distant past (when the Sun was cooler than at present) Venus may have sustained life, only for it to be destroyed as the Sun grew hotter, changing the 'Planet of Love' into an inferno. Patrick Moore discusses how our knowledge of Venus has changed in view of these exciting new discoveries.

Close to the brilliant star Capella, in the constellation of Auriga, there is a particularly interesting star, Epsilon Aurigae. We know it is made up of two stars, but we can only see one directly. The mysterious companion is invisible, but can be detected by infra-red. It may be the largest star known to science-or, just possibly, it might be what is known as a 'black hole'. This summer the companion is due to pass in front of the visible star, so that astronomers will be doing all they can to find out just what it really is. Patrick Moore talks to Heather Couper who has made a special study ef this strange object.

During evenings in April three bright planets-Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - are very conspicuous, with Venus still prominent in the east before dawn. Patrick Moore explains how these planets move, sometimes apparently ' looping the loop', and gives details of the latest Russian flights to Venus as well as describing the spring stars and constellations.

In this special programme to mark the 25th anniversary of The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore reports on what's happening at great observatories all over the world; he talks to space researchers and 'ground-based' astronomers, and his journey round the world took him from the top of Mauna Kea, at 14,000 feet above sea-level, to one mile down a goldmine in South Dakota. This is a report not only upon what has happened in the past, but also a look ahead to the future, with the Space Telescope and other developments undreamed of when the first Sky at Night was transmitted.

Astronomers in Australia have just discovered an object which may be the most remote and luminous known to man. It is a quasar, apparently 13,000 million light years from us. Yet some astronomers have their doubts and believe that there have been serious errors in interpretation. Patrick Moore talks about the quasar problem and sums up what we have so far found out about these remarkable objects.

The winter stars are more brilliant than those of any other season. Orion dominates the scene, together with his brilliant retinue. Two particularly interesting stars are visible; the Twins, Castor and Pollux - Pollux an orange giant and Castor a sort of stellar family, made up of no fewer than six sans. Patrick Moore talks about these unusual stars and gives the latest news about developments at the new observatory in La Palma and about the approach of Halley's Comet.

A week ago IRAS, the Infra-red Astronomical Satellite, was launched and is now moving round the Earth at a height of 560 miles. It will provide new information about objects ranging from super-giant stars, to the mysterious centre of our Galaxy. Patrick Moore talks about this exciting new project.

Mauna Kea, in the Hawaiian Islands, is almost 14,000 feet high. At its summit the air is thin and the skies are clear-which is why some of the world's largest telescopes have been set up there. Patrick Moore pays it a visit.

Patrick Moore talks about a strange pulsar to the Astronomer Royal, Professor Graham Smith.

A mile below the Black Hills of Dakota lies a huge tank of cleaning fluid deep inside a gold mine - the world's strangest observatory. It is designed to collect neutrinos sent out by the sun. But what do we really know about the sun? Some of our long-cherished theories seem to be wrong. Patrick Moore visits this unusual observatory and talks to Drs Raymond Davis and Keith Rowley about the results of their work.

The stars, many far bigger than our ' star the sun, are many millions of miles away and appear only as specks of light. Until recently it had been impossible to see any details of the stars. But thanks to a new technique called 'speckle interferometry' this can be done for the first time. Patrick Moore discusses the remarkable results with Professor Alec Boksenberg , Director of the The Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux.

Winter is perhaps the best time for star-gazing; the nights are long and dark. Also the winter constellations, led by Orion the Hunter, are brilliant. Patrick Moore talks about the winter Sky at Night and points out some objects which can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope.

British astronomy has always been in the forefront of research. This is still true today, though the largest optical telescopes have been moved to sites with better climates, such as La Palma and Hawaii. The organisation, together with the development and testing of new equipment, is still carried out largely at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Herstmonceux. In this programme Patrick Moore talks to Professor Alec Boksenberg , Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and other scientists about these important new developments, in which British astronomers are so deeply involved.

For the past few months Venus has been a brilliant object in the morning sky. Though we cannot see through its dense, unbreathable atmosphere, space probes have sent back remarkable pictures, and using infra-red techniques, the Anglo-Australian Observatory has taken pictures of the dark side. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Peter Cattermole of Sheffield University about this fascinating world.

The stars are suns; they have tremendously long lives, but they do not exist for ever. In this programme Patrick Moore and Heather Couper trace the stories of some typical stars which are easy to see with the naked eye or through a small telescope.

In February 1980 the Americans launched an important artificial satellite - Solar Max, designed to study the sun. After nine months it developed serious faults. Recently a daring rescue mission was mounted to capture and repair it. Patrick Moore describes this remarkable feat, and explains why Solar Max is so important.

Most astronomers believe that the universe began with a big bang, perhaps 15,000-million years ago, and that all the familiar elements have since been built up out of the original hydrogen by being 'cooked' inside stars which have long since exploded. Patrick Moore talks to Dr John Beckman of Queen Mary College about these early days of the universe, and how it has developed.

Patrick Moore looks at the new and quite unexpected developments in our understanding of Beta Pictoris and Van Biesbroeck 8-two very different stars, but both associated with faint companions.

The Anglo-Australian Telescope in New South Wales is one of the largest and best telescopes in the world. With it David Malin has been taking colour pictures of remote stars and star-systems which are not only the most beautiful ever taken but are of great scientific value. David Malin talks to Patrick Moore, explaining his methods, and shows his latest photographs.

Halley's Comet is now approaching the Sun and the Earth. Patrick Moore explains when and where to look for the comet, and describes the various investigations which are to be carried out both from the Earth and by space-craft.

The Infra-Red Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, operated for most of 1983 and provided important information about subjects ranging from the dusty tails of comets to star formation in remote galaxies. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Jim Emerson of Queen Mary College about these new results and their significance.

The moon is a world of mountains, craters, valleys, peaks and huge waterless seas. Of special interest are the cracklike features known as rills, which are unlike anything we find on earth. Patrick Moore talks about them to Dr Lionel Wilson of the University of Lancaster, who has been making a careful study of these remarkable lunar features.

During its voyage to Jupiter, the American Galileo probe will survey a small and interesting world, the asteroid Amphitrite - one of the swarm of minor planets moving round the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Patrick Moore talks about the Amphitrite encounter, and about the whole swarm of these little worlds which were once referred to by a German astronomer as 'vermin of the skies'.

How much is known about the sun? We know that it is a huge nuclear furnace that sends out electrified particles, which affect the tails of comets and much else. But there is still a great deal that isn't known. Patrick Moore gives the results of the latest research into the nature of the nearest star.

The Voyager 2 probe by-passed the planet Uranus on 24 January. Though discovered in 1781, not much had been found out about Uranus - in many ways a mysterious world, with a strange axial tilt and a system of dark rings. Patrick Moore is at the space headquarters in Pasadena for the encounter, and in this programme he is joined by the leading NASA experts to give the latest news and pictures of what Voyager 2 has to tell us about this mysterious green world.

Tonight's news from the comet comes as Europe's Giotto spacecraft plunges deep into the glowing dust and gases of its coma. At 47 miles per second, every grain of dust strikes like a bullet. Will Giotto be destroyed by that deadly hail, or will it win through, to send back the first pictures of the mysterious object at the heart of Halley's Comet? Horizon and The Sky at Night join forces, with Patrick Moore reporting from mission control at Darmstadt in West Germany, and James Burke at Greenwich, where Edmond Halley was Britain's second Astronomer Royal.

By spring evenings the brilliant winter constellations have vanished into the twilight, but there is still plenty to see. Patrick Moore talks about the spring constellations such as Leo and Virgo, and shows where to look for Halley's Comet before it disappears - not to return for 76 years.

When the planet Saturn was first examined telescopically in 1610, it was believed by Galileo to be a triple world. Patrick Moore shows what can be seen this month, while Saturn is best placed, with a small telescope.

Two months ago the Giotto spacecraft passed through the head of Halley's Comet. It sent back the only close-range pictures ever taken of a nucleus, and more information about comets than we ever knew before. The results of this remarkable mission are as exciting as they are unexpected. Patrick Moore gives the latest findings and talks to many of the scientists involved.

Can you take astronomical photographs with limited equipment? The surprising answer is yes. Though such pictures cannot rival those of professional astronomers or skilled, well-equipped amateurs, they are pleasing to the eye and may even be of some scientific value. Patrick Moore talks to Douglas Arnold about what can be achieved with very limited photographic equipment.

Studies of variable stars form a very important part of the work of modern amateur astronomers. In this programme, Patrick Moore describes how the amateurs work and also gives the latest news about the variable star R Coronae, which periodically veils itself behind clouds of soot.

On 24 February a supernova blazed out in the Large Cloud of Magellan, which is the brightest of the external star-systems though unfortunately too far south to be seen from Britain. The new supernova is the brightest to have been seen since 1604, and is of immense interest to astronomers. Patrick Moore and Dr Paul Murdin of the Royal Greenwich Observatory talk about the supernova, and what it may tell us about the life-stories of the stars.

The Sky at Night is now 30 years old; the first programme was transmitted on 24 April 1957, before the space age began. Much has happened in those three decades. Rockets have been to the planets, men have reached the moon, great new telescopes have been built, and electronic aids have to a large extent superseded photographic methods. It has been part of the role of The Sky at Night to keep viewers abreast of what has been happening, and to interest newcomers of all ages. This programme looks back over the years, showing again some of the highlights, and then looking ahead to the great new telescopes and the developments which may be expected in the future.

We depend upon our atmosphere, without it, no life on earth could have appeared. Other worlds, too, have atmospheres of various kinds, some of them dense and corrosive, others incredibly thin. Patrick Moore talks to Dr Garry Hunt about our neighbour worlds.

The Earth and the Moon travel together round the Sun, but the movements of the Moon itself are not so straightforward as might be thought. Patrick Moore and Dr Ron Maddison discuss the whole question of how the Moon moves, how it affects the tides, and why it is very slowly receding from the Earth, at the same time slowing down the Earth's rate of rotation.

At the start of 1987 The Sky at Night asked for amateur astronomical photographers to send in their pictures - either of objects in the sky, or of observatories and telescopes. In this programme Patrick Moore and Douglas Arnold show the best pictures sent in, and also take a look round the night sky as it appears in January.

During March, Venus and Jupiter are splendidly placed for observation in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about them, and explains what observers using small telescopes may expect to see on their surfaces.

Yerkes Observatory, at Williams Bay near Chicago, is a most unusual place. Its main telescope is not a reflector, but a refractor - the world's largest Old-fashioned though it may look, Yerkes is in the forefront of scientific research, as Patrick Moore explains when he goes there to talk to the director, Dr Al Harper, and members of the observatory's staff.

The sun is the nearest star; but how much is known about it? Less may be known than was thought a few decades ago; there are problems of the sunspots, the strange particles called neutrinos, and the recently discovered oscillations or quivering of the whole solar globe. Patrick Moore and lain Nicholson discuss these problems, and show photographs of last month's total solar eclipse.

Are quasars remote and super-luminous, or are they comparatively close to our galaxy? Dr Halton C. Arp , formerly of Mount Wilson Observatory, believes that they are not so remote as most people think, and he discusses these exciting and controversial ideas with Patrick Moore.

The first successful spacecraft to the planet Venus was sent up more than a quarter of a century ago. Since then most of the planets in the Solar System have been contacted. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt look back over the space-probe story, and describe the exciting developments to be expected during the next few years.

The winter sky is magnificent, with Orion dominant; this year there are also two of the brilliant planets, Jupiter and Mars. But there are puzzles to solve, too. For example, why was Sirius once described as a red star rather than a white one - and has Alcor, the companion to Mizar in the Great Bear, brightened since ancient times? Patrick Moore takes a look round the winner sky, and discusses some of these curious mysteries.

How many star systems or galaxies are there? It now seems that there are many more than has been believed - some of them so dim that they are barely visible, so that we are seeing only 'the tip of the iceberg'; others so compact, like crouching giants, that they have been mistaken for stars. Professor Michael Disney of Cardiff University, who has been deeply involved in this new research, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest results.

Pulsars are among the most bizarre objects in the universe. They are very small, amazingly dense and spinning round rapidly. Astronomers have been waiting to see whether the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, seen in 1987, will produce a pulsar. Reports from the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile indicate that this may well be the case, as Dr Paul Murdin discusses with Patrick Moore.

High in the Andes mountains of Chile lies one of the world's major observatories, La Silla, with its 15 telescopes. Conditions there are ideal - far better than anywhere in Europe. In this programme Patrick Moore visits La Silla , talks to the astronomers there, and even has what may be his last view of Halley's Comet.

The IUE or International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was launched in 1978. It had an estimated lifespan of three years, but it is still operating and has revolutionised our whole understanding of the stars. In this month's Sky at Night, Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Robert Wilson , who has been the prime mover in the IUE experiment.

New generation astronomical telescopes are entirely different from those of the past. They have different types of mountings; their main mirrors are made in a new way, and in some cases there are separate telescopes working in combination. Dr Ron Maddison talks about this new revolution in telescope making.

Tales of the Unexpected Astronomers, like other people, can be taken by surprise. Bright comets, new stars, outbreaks on planets, displays of aurora - none of these can be predicted; and in this programme Patrick Moore looks at some of these 'tales of the unexpected'.

The NTT, or New Technology Telescope, at La Silla in the Atacama Desert of Chile has now come into full operation. It is the most accurate, most modern telescope in the world, as Patrick Moore finds when he visits La Silla.

Brilliant comets have been rare over recent years, but Austin's Comet, now brightening as it moves into the northern part of the sky, may become really spectacular, with a bright head and a long tail. In this programme Patrick Moore is joined by Harold Ridley , one of Britain's leading observers of comets, to explain what, hopefully, is in store during the coming weeks.

Two of the zodiacal constellations - Leo (the lion) and Cancer (the crab) - are on view during evenings this month. Both contain interesting objects, including Praesepe or the 'beehive', one of the brightest of all star-clusters. Patrick Moore talks about them and gives the latest news on Austin's comet.

A Brown Dwarf is like a missing link - not quite a star and yet too big to be a planet. A team including Dr Mike Hawkins of Edinburgh's Royal Observatory may have located the first definite Brown Dwarf.

The William Herschel Telescope is the third largest astronomical telescope in the world and one of the most modern. Patrick Moore visits the observatory in the Canary Islands and talks to the astronomers who have been exploring the universe with this great new telescope.

Looking like a bright red star, Mars can be seen clearly in the south-west sky after dark. It has been studied since prehistoric times and many people believed there was life on the planet, yet the Viking spacecraft in the 1970s could find no trace. Patrick Moore explores the myths and legends surrounding Mars and takes a voyage over its surface.

Patrick Moore and Professor Andrew Lyne of Jodrell Bank investigate millisecond pulsars, the spinning remains of exploded stars.

Patrick Moore explains the new insight into Jupiter provided by the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft.

Cosmic rays are not rays at all, but high-speed particles from space which bombard the earth from all directions all the time. Patrick Moore is joined by one of the world's leading experts in this field: the Astronomer Royal, Professor Arnold Wolfendale.

Patrick Moore talks to comet expert Dr Donald Yeomans.

Dr Ian McHardy , of Southampton University, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest on BL Lacertae, the object found in the northern constellation of Lacerta, the Lizard.

Patrick Moore visits the world's most powerful telescope, the Keck reflector, now being constructed on top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

It is not necessary to have a large telescope in order to take a real interest in the night sky. Binoculars will show a great deal. Patrick Moore takes viewers on a "guided tour".

Patrick Moore finds out more about asteroids, the minor planets which are junior members of the Sun's family.

At the Anglo-Australian Observatory in New South Wales, Dr David Malin has developed new techniques for photographing the stars. With Patrick Moore.

An anniversary edition to celebrate the first transmission of The Sky at Night35 years ago. A newcomer to television then, Patrick Moore has continued to present the programme ever since. Tonight he reports on the influence the space age has had on people's understanding and knowledge of astronomy.

Professor Arnold Wolfendale, joins Patrick Moore to discuss the latest information received from the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite,

Patrick Moore surveys Orion the Hunter, and then Mars and Venus - two bright inner planets.

Patrick Moore visits the world's most powerful radio observatories and talks to the astronomers who make the radio pictures.

Patrick Moore discusses the latest findings on how the universe began.

Patrick Moore explains the significance of a new telescope jointly planned by Cambridge University and the Harvard Observatory at Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is being set up in Chile.

Patrick Moore explains that there is much for the amateur astronomer to see.

Dr Robin Catchpole of the Royal Greenwich Observatory joins Patrick Moore to talk about supernova - the most tremendous outbursts known in nature involving the destruction of a massive star - from which astronomers can learn a great deal.

Auriga is one of the most prominent of all the constellations of the northern sky. Patrick Moore explains what can be seen there.

Celestial names, discussed by Patrick Moore.

Patrick Moore and Drjohn Mason report on the American lunar probe Clementine.

Patrick Moore talks to astronomers carrying out research in Australia.

There will be a partial eclipse of the sun on 10 May and of the moon on 25 May. Patrick Moore and H.J.P. Arnold explain what should be visible.

Patrick Moore explains the role of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, 100 years after it was established.

New results from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal a fascinating and unexpected puzzle surrounding the age of the universe. Patrick Moore and Dr. Shaun Hughes of the Royal Greenwich Observatory discuss the implications.

Professor Iwan Williams of Queen Mary and Westfield College joins Patrick Moore to examine some recently discovered little worlds.

The planet Mars is now prominent in the evening sky, and a telescope can show its red dust deserts. Presented by Patrick Moore with Dr Peter Cattermole.

To mark his 500th appearance presenting the show, Patrick Moore gives an enthusiastic tour of the night sky. He surveys the planets Mars, Venus and Jupiter and marvels at dazzling constellations, star clusters and nebulae.

Dr Chris Kitchin of the University of Hertfordshire, joins Patrick Moore to discuss how stars are born.

For the first time in 15 years Saturn's rings are facing edgewise on to the Earth. Dr. Carl Murray joins Patrick Moore to explain exactly what is happening.

A tour of the winter night sky, with Patrick Moore.

A look at the material which lies between stars. With Patrick Moore.

Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Paul Murdin to discuss this year's new developments.

Comet Hyakutake should be visible in the evenings at the end of the month. With Patrick Moore.

Prof Michael Bode joins Patrick Moore to discuss novas.

How might the universe die? With Patrick Moore.

Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Glenn White of Queen Mary and Westfield College to examine the centre of the Galaxy, a mysterious region some 25-million light-years from earth.

Dr Jasper Wall of the Royal Greenwich Observatory joins Patrick Moore for a discussion of what quasars have to say about the universe.

The zodiacal light is a cone-shaped glow that rises from the horizon after sunset or before sunrise. Dr John James joins Patrick Moore to examine this phenomenon.

For the 40th anniversary of The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore is joined by some of the world's leading astronomers to trace the story of the telescope.

Dr John Mason talks to Patrick Moore about the interest in Hale-Bopp.

Planetary geologist Dr Peter Cattermole gives Patrick Moore the latest news on Nasa's Pathfinder.

Patrick Moore describes the family of moons belonging to the planet Saturn.

Leading astronomical photographer Dr David Malin joins Patrick Moore.

Patrick Moore describes the total eclipse of the sun that he witnessed in the Caribbean on 26 February.

Patrick Moore assesses new research about infra-red radiation in space.

Amateur astronomers can now undertake important research by using charge-coupled devices (CCDs) with a moderate-sized telescope. Patrick Moore assesses the value of CCDs with British Astronomical Association president Martin Mobberley.

Patrick Moore and DrJohn Mason discuss the possible existence of extra-solar planets.

Patrick Moore presents the latest news on attempts to pick up radio messages from other worlds, with Ian Morison, co-ordinator of SETI in the UK.

British Astronomical Association president Martin Mobberley describes the work of asteroid hunters to Patrick Moore.

A look at what happens when a star dies

Mars, now on view in the evening sky, is a world of craters, valleys, plains and huge volcanoes. The space probe Mars Global Surveyor is at present moving around the planet. Dr Peter Catterrnole , one of Nasa's principal scientific investigators, joins Patrick Moore to give the latest news.

Patrick Moore conducts a "tour" of the evening sky in summer, and takes a preliminary look at the total eclipse of the Sun, which is due on 11 August.

Many people will go to the West Country to see the total eclipse of the Sun on 11 August. Douglas Arnold joins Patrick Moore to explain how to photograph this once-in-a-lifetime event.

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.

As a new millennium begins we take a look at how our Earth and Moon came to be. Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Chris Kitchin to discuss how distant planets of other suns, ancient meteorites, and devastating collisions between worlds give us clues as to how the Earth and Moon grew from billions of dust grains, each too small to see.

On December 30 2000, the Cassini-Huygens space probe sailed past Jupiter, its last fly-by before arriving at Saturn and its moon, Titan, in 2004. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr John Zarnecki to discuss the latest news from this deep-space mission.

For the last two years, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor has been sending back exciting new pictures of the red planet. The spacecraft has now collected more information about Mars than all previous missions combined. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Peter Cattermole to discuss the latest views of our neighbouring planet and where to find Mars in the night sky as it approaches its opposition - a biannual opportunity to observe it at its best.

Could life exist elsewhere in our Solar System? This question has long been asked, but our understanding of our cosmic neighbourhood is constantly changing. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Monica Grady to discuss the latest views on how life originates, where it might exist, and what it might look like.

Patrick Moore visits one of the UK's newest and most exciting observatories, The Crendon Observatory, where Gordon Rogers demonstrates how he produces amazing deep-sky images of distant galaxies and nebulae.

The 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 with him a miniature spectrometer that is about to be tested in Antarctica and one day may find evidence of Martian life.

In the depths of space there are giant tornadoes of cold, dusty gas and galactic whirlpools containing thousands of millions of stars. Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Chris Kitchin to discuss how these helices of the heavens are formed and to predict the fate of our own spiral galaxy, the Milky Way, when it collides with the Andromeda galaxy in 3,000 million years time.

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, and its smaller companion, Ursa Minor, and shows that even in these simple constellations there are interesting objects such as double stars, nebulae and galaxies to be seen.

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 foot on the moon.

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, plants were thought to grow on Mars, and no rocket had escaped the gravitational pull of Earth. Since then, Man has walked on the Moon, sent robots to other worlds and probed far beyond the limits of our solar system towards the far reaches of the universe. For 45 years, The Sky at Night has charted science-fiction becoming science fact. In this special programme, Patrick Moore recalls the milestones that have changed our understanding of the Universe and our place within it.

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 telescope. They discuss the exciting new 6dF project, offering full hemisphere spectroscopic surveys for the first time, allowing us to better understand the complex movements of our galaxy.

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 eclipse.

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 before going to the moon. Now we are able to confirm many of these astronomical artistic interpretations. Patrick Moore talks to leading astro-artist David A Hardy about the importance of space art and its modern development.

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 elusive and mysterious substance. In this episode, Patrick Moore talks to Professor Carlos Frenk about the Universe's darkest secret.

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 life.

With three astronomical events that can all be witnessed from Britain, Patrick Moore previews the transit of Mercury, lunar eclipse and annular eclipse that can be seen from the North of Scotland at the end of May.

Patrick Moore reports from North Scotland on the last month's annular eclipse, lunar eclipse and transit of Mercury. Also, the Universe's largest explosions, gamma ray bursts.

The Universe has its own heavenly sounds, such as pulsars, panetary magnetospheres and solar winds. Patrick Moore explores the ancient link between the cosmos and music, with actor and musician Donald Francke and classical composer Dr Allan Chapman.

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 lead scientists at NASA about plans for the rovers, surprises ahead, and the long term future of Martian exploration.

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 different. Yet there is still no definite proof dark matter exists. Patrick Moore visits Europe's deepest mine, and meets the physicists mining at the frontier of astronomy.Also the latest news from Mars and more on the Kuiper Belt object Sedna.

From the galactic maternity wards of clouds and dust we call nebulae, stars emerge. Yet little is know about this cosmic 'birth' process. Patrick Moore discusses how stars are created.

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 observed five times ever, and in the past was used to calculate the astronomical unit.In this special programme, Patrick Moore previews the transit with advice on viewing and photographing the Sun, and explores the planet Venus and future missions.

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 and many moons including the mysterious Titan. Patrick Moore discusses this and Cassini's probe Huygens, which will be sent to Titan on Christmas Day.

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 Huygens surface science package (SSP), Professor John Zarnecki, about the first results from the probe.

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, far away home for comets. Patrick Moore debates the mysterious belts and the wandering strangers which escape from them. Also, the latest news from Mars, Saturn and the farthest regions of our Universe.

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 the weather. Clouds, rain and fog played havoc with the viewing, but at last the night sky was revealed in all its glory.

In its 15 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionised astronomy with it's amazing insight into our Universe. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Gerry Gilmore about its highs and lows.

Sun spots and solar flares release high energy particles and radiation that can damage satellites and telecommunications, as well as creating the beautiful aurora in the atmosphere. Patrick Moore talks to Scottish astronomer Professor John Brown about the lastest solar mission, Rhessi, which is observing these incredibly violent outbursts from our nearest star, the Sun.

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. With amazing precision, he sucessfully designed an impactor to hir the fast moving coment Tempel-1. Its success has revealed new information about our Solar System.

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 level, giving astronomers the best view of the Universe they can get. Chris Lintott looks around the telescopes, whilst Patrick Moore speaks to the British Scientists who use them for their research.

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 Sun passes over the coastal resort of Antalya. In the UK, the Moon only partially blocks the Sun, but Patrick Moore hopes to catch a glimpse of one of nature's great events.

British astronaut Piers Sellers on orbiting the Earth and the future of the manned space programme; NASA's upcoming Hubble rescue mission.

Celebrating the success of Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity; NASA's Phoenix mission; Lucie Green visits the ExoMars rover in Aberystwyth.

Chris shows us how to see Saturn with a small telescope, while Patrick finds out the latest from the Cassini mission currently orbiting the planet.

Celebrating 50 years of The Sky at Night, Patrick 'travelled' back to the show's first ever recording in 1957. The episode then jumped forward to 2057 where the 'virtual' Patrick talked to Dr Chris Lintott and Dr Brian May on Mars. Jon Culshaw's turn as a younger Patrick was uncanny as he recreated Patrick's first words on The Sky at Night.

The Sky at Night 50th birthday party. Patrick reflects on how astronomy has changed over the last half century, with amusing clips from the archives.

Patrick learns more about the exciting discovery of a planet that seems similar to Earth.

The Earth is bombarded by extra terrestrial material every day, but what is this cosmic debris? Sir Patrick Moore investigates comet tails, meteorites and asteroids and discovers the terrible consequences of a cosmic collision with the Earth. Also, the latest stunning images from Mars Express.

Star-gazing documentary series. Mercury is a world of extremes and enigmas - the closest one to the Sun. The spacecraft Messenger, which has just reached it after a four year journey, now offers enthralling pictures of its hidden side, which has never been seen before. Sir Patrick Moore looks at the latest images from this exciting mission, while Dr Chris Lintott looks forward to the lunar eclipse this month.

With a new era of lunar exploration dawning as more probes are launched to try to unlock the Moon's darkest secrets, Patrick Moore finds out about British ambitions to get there. Dr Chris Lintott travels to NASA to hear about plans to blast a crater in the lunar surface and and meets the astronauts who may be the next men on the Moon

It's the start of a new solar cycle, and the spacecraft Ulysses faces retirement, but solar missions Stereo and SOHO are still revealing our nearest star in a new light.

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 should return to. The gas giants Jupiter and Saturn are magnificent and mysterious worlds, surrounded by moons which still perplex the astronomers with their strange appearance and incredible diversity. Europa, Jupiter's moon, offers the best chance yet of finding life elsewhere in our solar system, while Saturn's moon Titan, with its complex organic chemical lakes and a shore line uncannily like Cornwall, is now believed to be like the primeval Earth.

Sir Patrick Moore charts the development of the telescope over four centuries and fasts forward to meet the astronaut who repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. Dr Chris Lintott visits some modern day astronomical leviathans.

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 created, whilst Sir Patrick Moore discusses how the sun calls the tune for what the Scots name the 'Merry Dancers'.

Saturn's mysterious moon Enceladus has startled astronomers with its amazing ice geysers, which spew out material into space. Sir Patrick Moore talks to the scientists who are trying to unlock the secrets of this tiny world. Dr Chris Lintott visits the Open University to find out the latest on our own Moon. He meets scientists from the Japanese Kaguya mission and the Indian Chandrayaan mission, with its British instrument CIXS.

Patrick Moore discusses what Herschel, Europe's biggest and most expensive space satellite, will do once it begins its infrared exploration of the universe. Dr Chris Lintott gets a rare chance to see the Herschel mirror, which at 3.5 metres will be the biggest astronomical mirror ever to be sent into space.

Every day, asteroids whiz past the Earth on their journey through space. Sir Patrick Moore discusses the chances of a close encounter with an asteroid, after telescopes recently got a unique view of an asteroid disintegrating in our atmosphere.

Containing trillions of stars, Andromeda is the largest galaxy in our neighbourhood. It is 2.5 million light years away, yet is still visible to the naked eye. Sir Patrick Moore and his guests unravel some of the mysteries in the star systems that surround us and look at the latest discoveries from our local galaxies.

January provides the perfect opportunity to observe stars, planets and galaxies. Sir Patrick Moore takes us on a tour of the winter sky, looking at twinkling 'variable stars' with Dr John Mason, and at planets and galaxies with Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel. Sir Patrick and Dr Chris Lintott also point out the best objects to observe if you've had a telescope for Christmas.

Mars is the brightest thing in the sky and is at its closest to Earth for the next four years. With NASA announcing that its Martian rover Spirit is to rove no more on the red planet, there is an interview with Prof Steve Squyres, the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, about the attempts to get it out of the sand dune which ensnared it in May 2009 and the agonising decision to stop the rescue.

Half a century ago, scientists were speculating about the possibility of planets outside our solar system. Since then over 400 such extra-solar planets have been discovered. Is there anything living on them and if so, is it intelligent? Sir Patrick Moore debates the question of life in the universe with today's planet hunters and astrobiologists, while at the Royal Society Dr Chris Lintott searches for evidence of alien life.

We can never see our nearest star at night, only by day. Looking at it directly will blind us - because our nearest star is the Sun. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor John Brown and by Dr Chris Davis. They take us on a tour of the Sun, Earth's primary source of energy and without which life would not exist. Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel demonstrate safe ways to look at the Sun from Sir Patrick's observatory in Sussex.

Saturn is one of the largest planets and the beautiful system of rings surrounding it makes it the most distinctive in the solar system. But how were the rings formed and what effect do Saturn's many moons have upon them? Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Michele Dougherty and Professor Carl Murray, while Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel demonstrate the best way to observe Saturn during May.

The many star-forming areas of our galaxy are obscured by interstellar dust, but Herschel, a new space telescope, can see these areas in infrared light. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Derek Ward-Thompson and Dr Chris North to examine the latest stunning images from Herschel.

The planets and moons of our solar system are covered in volcanoes, some billions of years old and seven times the height of Mount Everest. Sir Patrick Moore discovers the havoc that volcanoes can wreak on our own planet, as well as elsewhere in our solar system.

The great winter constellation of Orion is easily visible, with its ruby red star Betelgeuse and distinctive shape. It is also home to the Orion nebula, our nearest stellar nursery, where thousands of stars are being born. Sir Patrick Moore and the Sky at Night team take us on a tour of this magnificent constellation and its jewels.

Sir Patrick Moore celebrates the 700th episode of The Sky at Night at his home in Sussex, with the help of special guests Professor Brian Cox, impressionist and amateur astronomer Jon Culshaw and Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal. A stellar panel of astronomers gathers to answer vexing questions from the viewers, while Sir Patrick has a close encounter with his younger self.

Sir Patrick Moore joins an unlikely star party in the heart of London, where enthusiastic astronomers are cutting through the light pollution to see the planets and stars. Dr Chris Lintott also drops in on another star party - the 88th birthday celebrations for the nation's most famous astronomer.

In the atmosphere of Saturn there is a gigantic storm, which is bigger than Earth itself. This month Sir Patrick Moore looks at the ringed planet, which can be seen in our night sky now. He talks to Paul Abel and Dr Chris North about these violent eruptions in the atmospheres of other worlds. And Jon Culshaw, Dr Lucie Green and Pete Lawrence travel to north Norway in search of the aurora borealis.

The summer constellation of Cygnus will soon be flying overhead in our night sky. With its rich array of nebulae and star clusters, it is a delight for astronomers to look at in the warm summer evenings. Sir Patrick Moore looks at the yellow star Albireo with its superb azure blue companion, while Chris North goes in search of the Milky Way.

We now know there are other solar systems far away in space, but are they like ours and is there life on these strange worlds? Sir Patrick Moore goes on the quest for little green men.

Space telescopes such as Herschel and Spitzer are peering at the dusty, dark cosmos and with their infrared eyes they can see the cold parts of the sky where stars are being born. Sir Patrick Moore discusses why the infrared is full of hidden delights, whilst Dr Chris North talks to Dr Amy Mainzer about NASA's infrared WISE telescope.

A look at how amateur astronomers can help in the quest for knowledge of the cosmos.

Have you ever dreamed of travelling through space? Sir Patrick Moore takes us on an epic journey to the ends of our known universe, stopping en-route to take in the view. The team engage the warp drive and celebrate 55 years of The Sky at Night - at the speed of light.

The Sky at Night celebrates 55 years with the second of its special programmes. Sir Patrick picked out 55 objects in the April sky and asked viewers to take part in his Moore Marathon. He finds out how everyone got on, with help from the team.

A European mission called JUICE has been announced which will visit Jupiter and its fascinating moons Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. Sir Patrick Moore finds out why these icy moons may harbour conditions suitable for life, and also has the latest news from the Cassini mission, currently sending back astounding images from Saturn.

For more than half a century Sir Patrick Moore encouraged people to look up at the wonders of the night skies. Fittingly in this programme, recorded just before his death, he and his team offer advice to those who are discovering astronomy for the very first time. How should they set up their new telescopes and what should they seek out in the winter skies as they begin to share Sir Patrick's lifelong passion for the stars?

The team are at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, to see how the sun affects our planet.

There are amazing astronomical objects to see in the winter night sky, and Sir Patrick Moore chose a few of them for his last Moore Winter Marathon. To find out how everyone got on, Chris Lintott and Lucie Green travel to the Kielder observatory in Northumberland to enjoy some of the darkest skies in Britain. Jon Culshaw joins them to take part in Patrick's final challenge, and the rest of the team set up their telescopes to try to catch an asteroid which is about to whizz past the Earth, closer than any before.

Meteorites regularly hit Earth, although most go undetected. Occasionally a big meteorite collides with Earth and when it does, it can cause devastation. Lucie Green and Chris Lintott visit the Natural History Museum to look at its meteorite collection and discuss the recent Russian impact. Jon Culshaw goes on a meteorite hunt, while Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel give their beginners' guide on how to look at Saturn.

Saturn is in our evening skies, and in any telescope looks a stunner. Lucie Green and Chris Lintott investigate the storm that is still raging in the planet's atmosphere, with the latest news from Saturn's amazing moons Titan and Enceladus. Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel illustrate Saturn's 'opposition effect' and look at some globular clusters, whilst Chris North gets a preview of the new eye-in-the-sky camera, soon to be fitted onto the International Space Station, which will image Earth in incredible detail.

Stars are full of variety - they can be big or little, bright or dim. Our sun is right in the middle - Mr Average - but eventually it will grow old and become a red giant. Lucie Green and Chris Lintott discuss the lives of stars and what happens to them when they die.

The revamped team look at Jupiter's coloured bands and iconic 'eye', visible manifestations of a violent atmosphere that causes extraordinary weather.

The Sky at Night team listens to the sounds of the cosmos. Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott explore how sound can reveal extraordinary secrets about the universe - from orchestral tunes rippling on the surface of the sun and the crackle of Jupiter's atmosphere to the sound waves that reveal how the universe was formed. This is astronomy as you've never heard it before.

Mars captures the imagination like no other planet and currently our nearest neighbour is at its brightest for several years, so it's a perfect opportunity to explore a planet that is tantalisingly similar to our own. And in the past it may have been even more like Earth, an inviting and habitable place, a perfect environment for life to flourish. Geologist Iain Stewart investigates how we can read the story of Mars's extraordinary past from its rocks, Maggie Aderin-Pocock comes face to face with the latest Mars rover and Chris Lintott meets the man behind the discovery which the whole history of the universe now rests upon.

The universe is filled with spectacular objects, from gloriously-coloured nebulae to the swirling motion of a billion stars formed into a single galaxy. One force has created it all - gravity. The Sky at Night team steps away from the bright lights and travels to the Brecon Beacons AstroCamp to see how gravity shapes the universe, in all its spectacular glory. Maggie Aderin-Pocock asks why so much of the night sky is filled with spheres and why not all these spheres are what they seem. Chris Lintott finds out about the newest moon in the solar system that has just formed in Saturn's rings, and how it could shed light on how the planets formed billions of years ago. Plus, how to get great images of the night sky without using a telescope and what the shape of a galaxy tells you about its past.

The team looks at the cosmic impacts which have shaped the universe around us, from asteroids crashing into the surface of the moon to galaxies colliding with each other.

The team explore stargazing in the daytime, show how seasons change on other planets across the solar system and examine what makes the sun special.

The Milky Way, our galaxy, is a magnificent sight in the night sky, but we know surprisingly little about it for certain. What is its shape? How many stars does it actually contain? What lies at its centre? The Gaia space telescope will answer these questions, being armed with the most advanced camera to leave our planet, and it will allow us to see our galaxy as we've never seen it before. The Sky at Night visits the factory in Chelmsford that made the astonishing sensor at the heart of the mission.

From unexplained flashes in the night sky to flying saucers, this episode delves into the mysterious world of UFOs. How our drive to explain these bizarre phenomena, and desire to discover little green men, has in fact transformed our understanding of the universe.

For 25 years the Hubble Space Telescope has been showing us the cosmos as we've never seen it before. The team reveals the 'top five' greatest images Hubble has produced, images that have astounded us, transforming our understanding of the universe and our place in it.

The team explores our nearest neighbour Venus, discovering how it formed and how ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has revealed the secrets of its atmosphere. -- How can two such similar planets have become so different? One is the crucible of life, the other an inferno with a surface scorched by raining acid, yet both began as almost identical bodies. With Venus prominent in the sky in May, the team explores our nearest neighbour, discovering how it formed and how ESA's Venus Express spacecraft has revealed the secrets of its atmosphere.

With the exciting news that the Philae lander had woken up on comet 67P, Sky at Night reveals the latest results from the Rosetta comet landing. What have they learnt so far from Philae's onboard instruments? What do the stunning images from Rosetta tell us about the formation and structure of comets? And project scientist Matt Taylor shows how Rosetta is measuring the growing tail of the comet as it hurtles towards the sun.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott present the inside story of NASA's groundbreaking visit to Pluto. This is the first time any probe has visited the dwarf planet and Sky at Night has ringside seats, bringing you the entire story and expert insight into the latest images from the New Horizons probe. Sky at Night celebrates its 750th episode with the most exciting space event of 2015.

On January 20 2016, two American astronomers made an extraordinary claim - they had found evidence for a ninth planet in our solar system, a planet 20 times further out than Neptune which would take up to 20,000 years to orbit the sun. It is a discovery that could completely rewrite our understanding of our solar system and how it formed. As the world's biggest telescopes start scanning the skies searching for Planet 9, the Sky at Night team investigates. If Planet 9 exists, where is it and where did it come from? In California, Chris Lintott meets the astronomers whose study of the distant Kuiper Belt led them to predict the existence of the planet. And while some scientists are still sceptical, Maggie Aderin-Pocock discovers how our models of the formation of the solar system and the discovery of similar exoplanets around other stars all support the existence of Planet 9.

For 50 years we have been sending probes to gather close-up images of the other planets and moons of the solar system. The Sky at Night presents the five greatest images captured by those spacecraft. From a view of the surface of Mars, to live pictures of the sun and a unique picture of our own planet, these are the images that have transformed our perception of the solar system we live in.

Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock present a look at black holes, featuring an exclusive interview with Stephen Hawking. The physicist discusses how the recent detection of gravitational waves has added to scientific understanding of black holes, and may prove his own theories explaining how they can have properties that defy all known laws of physics. The programme looks at the latest understanding of black holes, featuring an interview with Stephen Hawking. Black holes are one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. They behave in a way that is contrary to laws of physics and one has never actually been seen. However, the recent detection of gravitational waves, as predicted by Einstein, proves that black holes exist and provides a way to investigate their remarkable behaviour and properties.

May 9 2016 sees one of the astronomical highlights of the year - a transit of Mercury across the sun, the best opportunity to observe this phenomenon until 2049. To mark the event, the Sky at Night attempts to explain the many mysteries of Mercury - a planet so bizarre that it is sometimes described as the 'problem child' of the solar system. Surface temperatures exceed 450 degrees but it also has patches of ice, its day is twice as long as its year, and it is a planet that appears to be shrinking.

Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock report on a plan to train as many telescopes as possible on the Whirlpool Galaxy. This star formation is 30 million light years from Earth and was discovered in 1773, its spiral shape believed to have been the inspiration for Van Gogh's painting Starry Starry Night. Optical and infra-red telescopes, radio observatories and ultraviolet and x-ray sensors will study the galaxy to learn more about a wave of intense star formation.

A look behind the scenes of Nasa's project to study Jupiter. As the spacecraft Juno enters Jupiter's orbit, the programme explores the dangers of the mission and what Nasa is hoping to discover about the giant planet - from the secrets of its formation to the source of the solar system's most powerful aurora.

All good travel guides need a map, and the team unveil the most detailed 3D map of the Milky Way ever produced. A map that reveals that there may be 50 per cent more stars in the galaxy than we previously thought. American astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson gives us a guided tour of the strangest stars we have ever observed, and we discover that the Milky Way may already be colliding with our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda.

The team travel to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands where they take control of some of the world's largest telescopes to view the most spectacular sights in the night sky.

When the first episode of The Sky at Night was transmitted in April 1957, it was still thought that Mars could be home to advanced life, the Space Age was yet to begin, and the Big Bang was just a controversial theory. So to celebrate its 60th anniversary, this special programme looks at how our knowledge of the universe has been transformed in the last six decades - from the exploration of the solar system to the detection of black holes and planets orbiting distant stars. Featuring contributions from Jim Al-Khalili, Dallas Campbell and Monica Grady and including special birthday messages from a host of stars, this is a celebration of an extraordinary age of discovery, and The Sky at Night's role in covering it.

This edition comes from the heart of one of the most influential - and surprising - organisations in the history of astronomy. Maggie and Chris have been granted rare access to the Vatican and its little-known observatory, the Specola Vaticana, perched on a hilltop 30km outside Rome. -- There they explore its rich history and contemporary cutting-edge science, going inside the Vatican walls to visit the Tower of the Winds, a secret antique sundial that revolutionised the length of the year; the remains of a nest of telescopes atop an old medieval church where the science of spectroscopy was born; and the modern labs, manned by priest scientists who study a range of contemporary astronomical problems, from meteorites to binary stars to the birth of the universe itself.

The team looks at the trans-Neptunian objects - a vast number of strange, dark, icy worlds - which played a crucial role in the evolution of our solar system.

In August, the most spectacular meteor shower of 2017 coincides with transmission: The Perseids! If it's clear, it'll be a great chance to see scores of bright shooting stars streaking across the night sky. As those shooting stars vaporise in the atmosphere, a small part of some of them will fall to earth as dust. This dust will contribute to a total of about 40,000 tonnes of space dust and debris that falls onto our planet every year. In this episode, Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock investigate this mysterious cosmic debris that comes from outer space.

The team reports on unnerving discoveries in the field of space science. Researchers estimate that 95 per cent of everything in the universe is "invisible", and while some of this number is made up of matter that just cannot be easily seen, the rest is thought to be comprised of nebulous concepts such as Dark Matter and Dark Energy. The team illustrates - as best they can - how the existence of these two hypothetical ideas - or lack thereof - could define the fate of the entire universe.

The team investigates an astronomical detective story. In October 2017, astronomers spotted the first ever object to visit our solar system from outer space. They called it 'Oumuamua. Its discovery set off a hurricane of press speculation and a major scientific investigation. The Sky at Night goes to Queen's University in Belfast, which has become the centre of scientific research on this cosmic visitor. When they first spotted it, all scientists knew was that it was small, it was travelling fast, and it came from outside our solar system. What did it look like? How had it formed? What was it made of? Where had it come from? To answer these questions, the team pieces together all the clues that scientists have extracted from the small amounts of data collected as 'Oumuamua flashed through the solar system.

Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock reveal the latest results from NASA's Curiosity and ESA's ExoMars TGO missions that are attempting to find signs of life on Mars. Andy Weir, author of The Martian, shares his thoughts on the possibility of a manned mission.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott examine the new information about the Milky Way recorded by the ESA's Gaia space telescope over the past three and a half years, including new data on how stars move over time and how the galaxy was originally formed.

Nasa's Juno spacecraft is currently making its 13th orbit of Jupiter on one of the most ambitious and risky space missions ever undertaken. The astonishing images it has captured are not just visually stunning, they also deliver spectacular scientific insight, revolutionising our ideas about Jupiter. Maggie Aderin-Pocock explores these stunning discoveries, from a new understanding of Jupiter's core and formation to revelations about how deep its raging storms penetrate the planet's mysterious interior.

Chris Lintott travels to the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Australia to find out how astronomers detected signals from the oldest stars in existence and what this discovery can reveal about the formation of the universe. In February 2018, news broke that astronomers had seen the cosmic dawn - the moment when stars first formed, flooding the universe with light. What's remarkable is that this incredible event was discovered by an instrument the size of a ping-pong table in a remote corner of Western Australia.

On 1 January 2019, Nasa's New Horizons probe notched up another historic first: the first ever Kuiper belt fly-by. Its target was 2014 MU69, a chunk of ice and rock about four billion miles (approximately 6.4 billion kilometres) from Earth, dubbed Ultima Thule, a Latin phrase meaning a distant, unknown region. It is the most distant fly-by in history, and it is believed the data New Horizons gathers will shed new light on the solar system's early days. Chris Lintott reports from the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland to bring the latest news and pictures from this extraordinary mission.

Ever since we discovered that distant galaxies are racing away from us, there has been a heated debate over just how fast the Universe is expanding. At the beginning of the 21st century, we thought we knew the answer. But now, two very different viewpoints have emerged. And they are dividing the scientific community. The Sky at Night meets leading astronomers and cosmologists on both sides of the debate. Which team has the right answer? Or could both teams be right? If so, we may need to rethink everything we think we know about the Universe.

Marsquake! This month's episode follows Insight, NASA’s latest mission to the Red Planet, as it goes in search of the secrets buried deep below Mars’s surface. By listening for tremors caused by Marsquakes and meteor strikes, scientists hope to reveal how the planet was formed, why its fate was so different from the Earth and whether the planet is dead or alive. The programme also says a heartfelt goodbye to Opportunity, the rover that explored the surface of Mars for more than 14 years until it was engulfed by a dust storm last year.

The team reveals how the first picture of a supermassive black hole was captured. The photograph of the hole at the heart of the M87 galaxy was released in April.

In the first of two programmes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings, the Sky at Night team take a look at the latest plans to return to the Moon. Recently, China, Israel and India have all sent major missions to the Moon. The Europeans and Americans are planning to build a space station in permanent orbit around the Moon. And NASA has just announced that they plan to land astronauts on the Moon’s surface within five years. It all suggests that we are on the verge of a new golden age in lunar exploration.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission to put a man on the moon, The Sky at Night looks back through the archives to tell the story of how the BBC reported the moonshot, with some very special guests. Scientist John Zarneki discusses the huge scientific and engineering challenge. The first British astronaut, Helen Sharman, reveals just how accurate the predictions and preparations for life in space were. And writer and broadcaster James Burke - who reported the whole amazing story at the time - explains why Nasa loved the BBC and how he gained access to the command module for an episode of Tomorrow’s World.

The Sky at Night team go back to basics to show you how to enjoy the night sky, wherever you are. It doesn’t matter if you live in a city or in the countryside, if you have a telescope, a pair of binoculars or just your eyes to look with. Pete explains why the night sky changes and joins a group of novice stargazers to talk about the best ways to introduce newcomers to the night. Chris ventures onto a roof in Oxford and marvels at the moon through binoculars, and Maggie goes back to her childhood telescope-making class to talk basic telescope essentials. Curious about the night sky but don’t know where to start? Want to know how to make the most of your new telescope? This is the programme for you!

The Sky at Night discovers how Esa's solar orbiter was built, and how it will protect itself against the sun's searing heat and investigate its mysteries.

The Sky at Night celebrates its 800th episode by showing how you can still explore space even when confined to your home by the coronavirus lockdown. Plus a new arrangement of the show's theme tune.

The Sky at Night team explore a changing world. Maggie Aderin-Pocock interviews astronaut Jessica Meir, who returned from 205 days on the International Space Station to a world she barely recognised. They also discuss Jessica’s experiments in micro-gravity, growing lettuce in space and the first all-female spacewalk. Chris Lintott meets the astronomer who recently announced the discovery of the closest black hole to Earth. Pete Lawrence photographs the dark side of Venus and Lucie Green investigates whether Elon Musk’s constellation of Starlink satellites are ruining the night sky.

The Sky at Night team explore the life and death of stars, including the dimming of Betelgeuse and the drawings that pre-date the telescope but which can predict solar activity.

Mars has fascinated us ever since we first looked up to the heavens. We have imagined alien civilisations, exotic life forms and even dreamed of travelling there ourselves. But after the first probes flew past the Red Planet, and with each subsequent mission that has orbited or landed on its surface, that vision has changed. We’ve come to realise that the planet is, most likely, dead. But that hasn’t dimmed our hopes for finding evidence of past life. And our desire to travel there and colonise the Red Planet still endures. From the very beginning of this exploration, the BBC has recorded our shifting perception of Mars. Since the Sky at Night started broadcasting in 1957, there have been over 50 episodes devoted to Mars and more than ten episodes of Horizon. This programme looks back at that coverage.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott look back at some of the biggest stories featured on the programme in 2020, with the help of special guests who have chosen their favourite moments. From the launch of Solar Orbiter to the discovery of phosphine on Venus, the team relive the astronomy highlights of a highly unusual year.

In February 2021, orbiters from China and the UAE settled into their positions above Mars, and Nasa’s Perseverance rover touched down on its surface. Maggie Aderin-Pocock reviews the astonishing footage the rover has already sent back, and talks with its legendary chief designer Adam Seltzer about the challenges of missions to the red planet.

The Gaia space telescope is not just helping scientists create the ultimate star map of the Milky Way. It is also showing our galaxy's past and how it will change in the future.

The Sky at Night team visit the companies spearheading the boom in Britain's space industry, a sector with an annual income of £16.4bn and which employs over 45,000 people.

Chris and Maggie dive into the archives to discover how the hunt for extra-terrestrial life in the universe has been reported by the BBC over six decades.

Juno, Nasa's mission to Jupiter, is still gathering data on the gas giant, a decade after it was launched.

The team explores light pollution and what might be done to mitigate its effects.

New scientific methods to discover exoplanets, and how the winter dakness in Antarctica helps here.

2022 marks the fiftieth year since an astronaut last stepped on the moon's surface. We look back at the legacy of the Apollo programme and forward to the future of lunar exploration. Maggie and Chris visit the Science Museum in London, where Maggie discovers from space curator Doug Millard that one of the museum's star attractions – Apollo 10's command module – nearly did not make it back to Earth.

Martin Rees is perhaps Britain’s most renowned cosmologist. Now, about to celebrate his eightieth birthday, Lord Rees talks to Chris Lintott about his career in science.

The British weather is often the enemy of stargazers up and down the country. A forecast of a couple of hours of cloud cover will disappoint even the most determined amateur astronomers. In this programme, the Sky at Night becomes the 'Sky at Day', providing an alternative range of spectacles to observe and activities to partake in, ideal when the nights are short and the stars are hiding behind the clouds.

On 12 July 2022, the Sky at Night joined the rest of the world to watch as the James Webb Space Telescope released its long-awaited first images. And it didn't disappoint. Stars and galaxies were revealed in such detail that they blew even the most experienced astronomers away. However, as spectacular as these images were, it was the data that they represented that really excited the scientists watching.

The Sky at Night team investigate the latest science used in the hunt for extraterrestrial life, including a major mission to Jupiter's icy moons.

The Sky at Night team explores the threat of an asteroid impact on earth and meets the space scientists who are developing methods of planetary defence that sound like the stuff of science fiction.

The Sky at Night team investigates the incredible science and engineering helping the UK to blast into space. We are now one of the biggest satellite building nations in the world, and the race is on to be the first company to successfully launch a rocket into orbit from British soil.

For July 2023, the team investigate the controversial world of alien communication. The search for life on other planets is one of the most fascinating subjects in science. But what is less reported is the work being done around the world to determine what happens next.

For August 2023, The Sky at Night team investigate the science of black holes and discover the incredible techniques being used to uncover their secrets, and even help us answer bigger questions about our universe. Chris meets Dr Becky Smethurst at the University of Oxford to learn how a black hole forms from the death of a star. He also investigates whether black holes deserve their menacing portrayal in popular culture. He describes what would happen if we got too close to the event horizon and how black holes might actually play a role in lighting up the universe. Maggie explores how scientists are trying to understand more about black holes by meeting Dr Tessa Baker, who works on LIGO. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory is one of the world’s largest physics experiments and is not your usual type of observatory; instead of looking - it listens. The next observation run has just started, and Maggie learns what they are hoping to find.

The Very Large Telescope has been responsible for some of the greatest astronomical breakthroughs. For September 2023, the team travels to the heart of the Atacama to explore one of the most advanced observatories in the world, a site at the forefront of astronomy.

The Sky at Night is back for a brand new series, and this month it is delving into Nasa’s OSIRIS-REx mission, which last year brought back a sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The team are finding out what it takes to analyse the tiny pieces of space rock, what they can tell us about how Earth became the planet it is today and may even tell us about the origins of life!

Total solar eclipses, like the one seen last month in North America, allow us to see details of the sun that can’t be seen at any other time. So, this month, The Sky at Night team looks at how scientists are creating eclipses on demand and discovering the secrets that can be revealed hidden in that starlight, including habitable planets like our own.

This month, The Sky at Night has a spooky twist. Across the universe, there are hidden objects that we can’t see, but astronomers and scientists still believe they’re out there. To find out how we know that these mysterious objects exist, the team are going ghost-hunting. Cosmic ghost-hunting.

In July 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope released its first images. They were visually stunning, and it was clear they provided more detail of stars, galaxies and planets than ever before. But for the scientists waiting on the data, this was just the beginning of their journey to discover what the new telescope would reveal. Since then, they have been working hard and publishing papers on all the data JWST has been sending back.

In this Sky at Night special, the team talk to Dr Nicola Fox, NASA’s head of science, whose life began in the UK. Presenter Chris Lintott chats to Nicky about her early years growing up in Hitchin in Hertfordshire and discovers how she fell in love with the stars.

The Sky at Night is embarking on a journey into the future as we explore how space will revolutionise life on Earth over the next 50 years. As humanity's reach extends into the cosmos, we face unprecedented challenges, from redefining what it means to be an astronaut to confronting our own space junk and dealing with the impact of life in space on our Earth-adapted bodies. With privileged early access to a groundbreaking new report from the Royal Society on humanity’s future in space, the Sky at Night team are on a mission to find our destiny among the stars – our place in space.

The team explore one of the biggest stories in space news, the ‘city killer’ asteroid 2024 YR4. How well did the planet respond to this potential natural disaster?

The Sky at Night team explore what the latest research is revealing about Mars. Could life once have thrived there? And will a return trip to our neighbouring planet ever be possible?

The team celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory, recreating history at a special dinner party, where they are joined by a glittering line-up of science communicators.

The team explore one of the newest areas of modern astronomy, the search for exoplanets, the distant worlds that orbit stars beyond our own solar system.

The team delve into the enigmatic world of pulsars and hear the inspiring story of their discoverer, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, direct from the subject herself.