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- Patrick Moore talks to the world's leading comet experts about the fallout from NASA's impactor probe, Deep Impact, to the comet 9P/Tempel-1. Chris Lintott reports from the Palomar Observatory.
- Dr Chris Lintott advises on how best to see Saturn, whilst Sir Patrick Moore finds out the latest from the Cassini mission which is currently orbiting Saturn.
- Patrick Moore takes 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 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.
- Patrick Moore tells the story of the "race" to discover Neptune, 150 years ago.
- Chris Lintott visits the Johnson Space Centre to talk to the Commander of Apollo 17, Eugene Cernan about his memories of being the last man on the Moon in 1972.
- Sir Patrick Moore talks about the latest news from Messenger, the spacecraft over Mercury. Dr. Chris Lintott looks at the legacy of the last moon mission, Apollo 17.
- 18th anniversary edition exploring the 3 outermost planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
- Patrick Moore discusses the possibility of life on other planets with Professor Monica Gardy and Professor Simon Conway Morris. Chris Lintott spends a night meteor-watching.
- Patrick Moore commemorates the show's 50th anniversary by traveling back in time to the filming of the first episode in April 1957, then goes forward to 2057 to witness the 100th anniversary.
- A new probe is being launched towards Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Patrick Moore charts its progress.
- The Sky at Night team investigate the science of black holes and discover the incredible techniques being used to uncover their secrets.
- What are the criteria for deciding which missions make it into space? The Sky at Night meets the British teams vying to have their ideas selected for the European Space Agency's next F-class mission.
- Companies who are spearheading the boom in Britain's space industry are visited by The Sky at Night.
- We know that distant galaxies are racing away from us. But just how fast is the Universe expanding? Scientists are yet to agree on an answer.
- The team explore the history of the telescope and how developments in the power of lenses have increased our understanding of our place in the cosmos.
- In the 600th edition of The Sky at Night, Sir Patrick Moore interviews Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, who talks about the cosmos, black holes, dark matter and explains the new theories for the future of the Universe and its origin.
- Patrick Moore talks to Dr. Duncan Steel about the threat of near earth objects.
- Patrick Moore describes the different types of variable stars, and discusses with John S. Glashy the vital role of amateur observers.
- Patrick Moore and guests look at the results of last week's eclipse, aided by pictures from a variety of observing sites.
- In the year Mars will be at its closest to Earth, Patrick Moore talks to Sir Arthur C Clarke about terraforming and manned exploration, and to Beagle 2's creator, Professor Colin Pillinger.
- Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott look at the constellation of Pegasus and the Andromeda galaxy, find out about extrasolar planets and the project superWASP or wide angle search for extrasolar planets.
- In this historic interview Patrick Moore talks to Professor Stephen Hawking about his cosmological theories and finds out how our Universe started.
- British-born astronaut Piers Sellers talks to Patrick Moore about life orbiting Earth and the future of the manned space programme. Chris Lintott talks about the space station and previews NASA's upcoming rescue mission to Hubble telescope
- Comets and asteroids have been witnessed in our skies for millennia, but only now can we see these tiny, mysterious worlds up close. What will the next one bring us?
- Insight - NASA's latest mission to Mars - goes in search of the secrets below its surface to reveal how the planet was formed and why it is so different from the Earth.
- A behind-the-scenes encounter with the scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope, which captured the first-ever picture of a super-massive black hole.
- Moore interviews a number of people who have made significant input to astronomy over the last 50 years since the show started.
- In 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first astronaut to set foot on the moon. Fifty years on, are we on the verge of a new golden age in lunar exploration?
- A look back through the archives showing how, with special assistance from Nasa, the BBC reported the Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar expedition to put a man on the moon.
- Patrick Moore 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 of Uranus.
- Astronomers have found more than 4,000 planets circling stars other than our own. What do we know about these alien worlds and how have we managed to detect them?
- A one-hour special in which The Sky at Night team face a live studio audience to answer their questions about the mysteries and wonders of the universe.
- Mars is almost as close as it can get to Earth and better placed than it will be for many years. Patrick Moore throws a Mars party in his back garden to enjoy the exceptional views of the red planet.
- Patrick Moore celebrates the success of the Martian rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Chris Lintott reports from NASA's jet propulsion lab about the Phoenix mission.
- Dr Chris Lintott finds out how British technology is leading the way in satellite science, while Sir Patrick Moore investigates the threat from space debris that astronauts face in space.
- The 29th July 1969 witnessed one of the greatest triumphs in human exploration when man stepped on the moon. Forty years on, Sir Patrick Moore and his guests reminisce and celebrate the enormous achievements of the entire Apollo programme.
- Patrick Moore and Jupiter experts John Rogers and David Rothery examine the huge scar in the planet's gas cloud caused by the impact of a large, mysterious object.
- Following the Hubble telescope's overhaul, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott examine its latest findings and the data from the Spitzer and Chandra telescopes.
- Discussion of the photography of the Comet Arend Roland with William A. Granger.
- The discovery of the Gardien group and confirmed access to planet in the stars.
- 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 talks about the life history of a star.
- Patrick Moore explains what it would mean to astronomers if a successful attempt were made to reach the moon.
- Patrick Moore talks about old and new telescopes with A. H. Degenhardt, and shows some of the things which the new telescopes can reveal-for instance, about the Andromeda Galaxy, whose light takes nearly two million years to reach us.
- Our galaxy, globular clusters and the possibility of life on other planets
- Mars is better seen now than it will be for next 10 years. Patrick Moore discusses the chances of life on Mars.
- Patrick Moore and Dr. Gilbert Fielder discuss the recent report by a Russian astronomer of an eruption on the Moon, and what it reveals about the Moon's origin and its current state.
- A change to the scheduled programme. Discussion of the latest Russian Rocket success (Lunik 1) and lunar volcanoes with H. Percy Wilkins and George Hole.
- 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 discuss how pairs of suns revolving around each other help astronomers to measure the mass of stars.
- Patrick Moore discusses with Harlow Shapley the shape of our galaxy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
- Patrick Moore talks about some of the lesser known bodies of the Solar System.
- Patrick Moore discusses with F. L. Jackson, F.R.A.S., the theory that the planet Venus is covered with a shallow ocean, which might possibly contain single-celled creatures of a primeval type.
- Patrick Moore discusses with Colin Ronan the Northern Lights and other similar natural phenomena.
- Patrick Moore talks about the planet Saturn, which may now be seen low in the south, looking like a fairly bright yellowish star. With its rings of satellites and its retinue of moons, it is one of the loveliest objects in the whole sky.
- Patrick Moore introduces George Alcock who recently discovered two new planets. He also speaks about the eclipse of the sun which is visible here next Friday.
- Patrick Moore and Colin Ronan discuss the far side of the Moon and the Russian Lunik III and the possible information it has brought back.
- Patrick Moore talks about double stars.
- Patrick Moore gives an astronomer's view of the Star of Bethlehem which is described in Chapter 2 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
- The Rosetta mission to comet 67P was the first time a spacecraft landed on a comet's surface. What has this icy body taught us about the dawn of the solar system and the origins of life on earth?
- Looking back on the major stories of 2019, from the New Horizons mission to the most distant world to the release of the first-ever picture of a black hole. The team relive the highlights and uncover the latest developments.
- The Sky at Night team go back to basics to show you how to enjoy the night sky, wherever you are.
- The programme 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 programme 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.
- Patrick Moore talks to Dr John Beckman about quasars
- Tribute to Sir Bernard Lovell, recently retired as Director of the Radio Astronomy Observatory, Jodrell Bank. In this programme he talks to Patrick Moore about the radio telescope at Jodrell Bank.
- Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss the results of Voyager 1's successful mission to Jupiter, the Great Red Spot and Jupiter's satellites.
- Sir Patrick Moore talks to Sir Bernard Lovell about the possibility of life on other planets.
- Patrick Moore interviews Dr Carl Sagan, astronomer and exobiologist, on the possibility of life forms on other planets.
- Patrick Moore speaks to Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong and discusses infra-red astronomy, which is used to detect invisible starlight, with Professor James Ring. Dr Michael Selby, Stephen Owen and Mark Doomer demo an infra-red experiment.
- 'I believe 1969 may turn out the most famous year in all history.' So says Patrick Moore who, this afternoon, surveys the space highlights and astronomical achievements of 1969.
- Patrick Moore discusses the evidence both for and against the possibility of finding life on the moon.
- Maggie Aderin-Pocock speaks to astronaut Jessica Meir and asks her what it was like to take part in the first all-female spacewalk with Christina Koch.
- A report on the discovery that most of the universe is missing, as scientists currently estimate that 95 per cent of everything in the universe is invisible.
- The team investigates the first ever object to visit our solar system from outer space - 'Oumuamua. Its discovery set off a hurricane of press speculation.
- Is Mars a dead planet? Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott reveal the latest results from Nasa's missions to find whether there is life on Mars.
- The Sky at Night takes to the air on board the largest airborne observatory in the world - a specially modified jumbo jet, flying out of California.
- Celebrating one of the most profound, moving and enjoyable activities there is - the ancient art of looking up, studying and marvelling at the night sky.
- Chris Lintott investigates the strange dimming of Betelgeuse, while Maggie Aderin-Pocock reports on the recent discovery of the biggest and brightest supernova ever observed.
- The Sky at Night revisits the BBC's archive in a programme dedicated to our ongoing fascination with the planet Mars.
- Exclusive interviews with the scientists behind the recent discovery of possible signs of life on Venus. Recorded in secret before the news was announced. The story behind this extraordinary piece of scientific discovery is revealed.
- The Sky at Night team discovers the new techniques being pioneered by vision-impaired astronomers to see the universe, using their senses of hearing and touch.
- The team discuss with six well known astronomers the events in astronomy of the past decade and the challenges ahead in the next decade.
- The reactions to the discovery of potential signs of life on Venus. Some say Venus remains an inhospitable and unlikely host. The latest missions to Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn are looked into as better alternatives.
- Looking into how our galaxy's past and future is being revealed by scientists with the help of the Gaia space telescope.
- Maggie Aderin-Pocock reviews the astonishing footage returned from Mars by Nasa's Perseverance rover, and Chris Lintott reveals the incredible story behind the discovery of the Winchcombe Meteorite.
- Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott look back at some of the biggest stories featured on the programme in 2020.
- A dust cloud more massive than the size of the Earth is on a doomed course, as it careers towards the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Chris Lintott talks to the astronomer royal about this cataclysmic encounter.
- Winter is nigh, and with longer nights, it's the ideal time to get outside and enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Sir Patrick Moore is joined by Chris Lintott and Pete Lawrence, in search for the best that the winter skies have to offer.
- From the galactic maternity wards of clouds and dust we call nebulae, stars emerge. Yet little is known about this cosmic 'birth' process. Patrick Moore discusses how stars are created.
- Sir Patrick Moore and Dr Chris Lintott meet the crew of Atlantis to talk about the future of spaceflight and the legacy of the Space Shuttle.
- Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott are joined by Dr. Richard Parker, one of the team of UK astronomers who have discovered the brightest and most massive star so far.
- In July 2009 a large object crashed into Jupiter and in May 2010 its southern equatorial belt disappeared. Patrick Moore and guests discuss the latest events.
- Patrick Moore, Mike Bode and Tim O'Brien discuss light echoes - reflections of light from distant objects. Chris Lintott helps to construct a new radio telescope.
- Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is a rich source of galaxies, double and variable stars. Sir Patrick Moore and his astronomical team give an intimate guide to one of the skies' most recognisable constellations.
- The Earth is bombarded by extra terrestrial material every day, but what is this cosmic debris? Patrick Moore investigates comet tails, meteorites and asteroids and discovers the terrible consequences of a cosmic collision with the Earth.
- In his garden, Patrick Moore is joined by Dr Brian May and Jon Culshaw to watch the cosmic firework display known as the Perseid meteor shower.
- A special 'Question Time' edition of the programme, recorded at the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford, as part of the British Science Association's annual science festival.
- Patrick Moore introduces this episode which reports on the build up to, coverage of and results from the final phase of NASA's LCROSS lunar probe project. Coverage from the California USA and Selsea, UK.
- The team reveal how important it is to investigate our solar system's outer planets close up and why opportunities to do so only come around every so often.
- Featuring an interview with Prof Steve Squyres, investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, about the attempts to rescue the ensnared rover, Spirit.
- This autumn Pluto reaches its closest point to the sun, and Patrick Moore takes the opportunity to sum up what is known about this curious little world.
- We have discovered over 400 extra-solar planets. But is there anything living on them and if so, is it intelligent? Patrick Moore debates the question of life in the universe.
- 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.
- The Sky at Night looks at Nasa's ongoing mission to Jupiter. A decade since launch, Juno is still gathering remarkable data on the gas giant.
- Chris and Maggie look back at some of the stories they have covered in 2021 in the Sky at Night's big review of the year.
- Patrick Moore is joined by Professor Michele Dougherty and Professor Carl Murray to discuss Saturn and its rings system. Pete Lawrence shows how to observe it in May.
- Patrick Moore is joined by Professor John Brown and Dr. Chris Davis for a tour of the Sun, Earth's primary source of energy, without which life would not exist.
- Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Professor Chris Lintott visit the Van Gogh Immersive Experience to seek inspiration in one of the world's most famous works of art, Starry Night.
- Sir Patrick Moore celebrates the 700th episode of The Sky at Night at his home in Sussex, with the help of guests Brian Cox, Jon Culshaw and the Astronomer Royal.
- The Sky at Night team report on the new scientific methods being used to detect exoplanets and how the winter darkness of Antarctica is critical to their success.
- Sir Patrick Moore looks ahead two billion years to the time our own Milky Way collides with Andromeda, which will rip apart the fabric of both galaxies.
- 2022 marks the fiftieth year since an astronaut last set foot on the moon. The Sky at Night team looks back at the legacy of the Apollo programme and forward to the future of lunar exploration.
- 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 Sky at Night team reveal how stargazers can overcome the cloudy British weather by pointing their telescopes at the sky when it's still light.
- We have seen the surface of Titan, 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.
- The Sky at Night team meets the scientists in the UK researching the astonishing new data returned by the James Webb Space Telescope.
- The Sky at Night turns its focus to the wonderful world of astrophotography, including a look at the new technology being built for the Very Large Telescope.
- Coverage of the last transit of Venus until December 2117. Includes the first ever tweeting of transit data.
- A special "Question Time" edition, with an expert panel answering questions from viewers on all things astronomical
- Titan is Saturn's largest moon. A new mission, Cassini, is to be launched to it in a few years' time. Patrick Moore is joined by Dr. John Zarnecki of the University of Kent to discuss Titan and the plans for landing there.
- The Sky at Night team explore concepts that today seem like science fiction but which one day may become science fact.
- The NASA rover, Curiosity, landed on Mars in August. Sir Patrick Moore discusses what Curiosity will be doing, as well as what to see in the September night sky.
- Patrick Moore talks about his recent visit to Russia and some of the principal observatories there.
- 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'.
- Patrick 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.
- It is now over 50 years since Einstein astounded the worlds scientists with his revolutionary theories of Relativity. Patrick discusses with Professor Samuel Tolansky the application of Einstein's theories to astronomy.
- Patrick talks to some of the world's leading astronomers, who are attending an international conference at Brighton, about the spectacular growth in of our knowledge of the universe - and also about the huge problems still to be solved.
- Mars is at its closest to earth since 1956. American and Russian probes are on their way to map it and send back scientific data. Patrick discusses the ambitious Viking mission, now in planning to land a space craft on the planet in 1975.
- Three spacecraft should reach the red planet this month, the Russian Mars 2 and Mars 3 and the American Mariner 9. Patrick Moore shows the latest photographs from Mariner, and discusses these with Arthur Cross.
- 400 years ago this month, the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe saw a brilliant new star blaze overhead near the 'W' of Cassiopeia. This was a supernova, one of only 3 in recorded history. Patrick talks about these dramatic stellar explosions.
- British observers back from the longest solar eclipse of the century tell Patrick Moore about the results of their experiments.
- Until the invention of modern techniques, a ship at sea could only find her position by the sun and stars. On board ship, Patrick and Cmdr Henry Hatfield, RN, discuss the navigational origins of astronomy, and show how seamen use the sun.
- Six years ago, in July 1969, men landed on the moon. At a major international conference held in London last month, experts from all over the world met to discuss the results of their work on the material obtained by the Apollo missions.
- Jupiter's four largest moons - the Galilean satellites - are among the most interesting members of the Solar System. Patrick Moore talks about these planet-sized satellites with Dr. Garry Hunt , who is involved in all the space missions.
- How did the Universe come into being? This is one of the most important and most puzzling problems facing mankind. Recently we have some new information from the depths of space, which may shed some light on the whole question.
- We have just seen the brightest nova, or exploding star, for many years - Nova Cygni , which blazed out in the constellation of the Swan and became very bright. Patrick Moore talks about this strange and dramatic newcomer.
- In the wake of a 1975 Russian space probe to Venus which sent back pictures of the planet's surface that surprised astronomers, Patrick Moore discusses the questions that were raised by the landings with Dr Garry Hunt.
- Is Earth the only inhabited world, or is our civilisation one of many? Patrick Moore looks at some of the stars which could be the centres of planetary systems, and speculates as to which of them could support life.
- 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 investigates this mystery.
- The rings, easily visible with a small telescope, are now better displayed than they will be for some years to come. Patrick talks about Saturn and describes what the spacecraft Pioneer 11 may tell us when it by-passes the planet in 1979.
- Patrick Moore and Dr. Ron Maddison of Keele University discuss some of these lesser-known effects of the Sun on the Earth.
- Patrick Moore talks about pulsars to Jocelyn Bell Burnell who was involved in their discovery.
- To give the latest news about Viking and the search for life on Mars, Patrick Moore is again joined by Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr. Garry Hunt.
- Patrick Moore discusses the results of this historic mission with two leading experts Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr. Garry Hunt.
- With the naked eye one can see 12 million, million, million miles. Patrick Moore talks about these tremendous stretches of space and time in relation to our present efforts to explore the Solar System.
- Both Vikings have not only landed successfully but have sent back information which is as exciting as it is unexpected. Now that the first results have been studied, we are able to give a realistic picture of Mars.
- This winter Venus is a brilliant object in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about this strange planet, and describes the latest studies which confirm that Venus has a heavily cratered surface.
- Sirius is now at its best in the evening sky. It is one of our nearest stellar neighbours, and is much more luminous than the sun. 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, were obtained by the space-probe Mariner 10. Maps of Mercury have been drawn from these photographs by Arthur Cross and he joins Patrick to explain how the maps were made and what they have told us.
- 1957–TV EpisodeEvery 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.
- An important new telescope has been completed. It is to be set up in Hawaii, and it is not an ordinary telescope; it is designed to study infra-red radiation from space, which cannot be seen directly but is all-important in modern science.
- Recently astronomers have found a new object in Cygnus - a star surrounded by a highly luminous disc from which planets may be in the process of formation. Patrick shows where to look for Cygnus, and describes objects on view there.
- Patrick Moore discusses the Voyager projects with Dr. Garry Hunt of University College London, who has been involved in the planning of the missions.
- How many people in Britain have seen the Southern Cross? It never rises over Europe, but it is familiar to those who live in the Southern Hemisphere. The stars of the south are indeed of special interest, and Patrick talks about them.
- Patrick Moore talks about the reflecting powers of the planets and what they can tell us with Dr. Peter Cattermole of Sheffield University.
- Patrick talks to Arthur C. Clarke, sci-fi writer, who describes himself as an armchair astronaut, and The Sky at Night welcomes the return of Michael Bentine, best known as a humorist, but who is also a serious and dedicated scientist.
- Good astronomical telescopes are very expensive today, but there are many objects in the night sky which can be viewed with binoculars. Patrick gives advice on the types of binoculars which are most useful.
- Patrick Moore talks about the Local Group of galaxies with Heather Couper, lecturer at the Caird Planetarium, Greenwich.
- The Viking space-probes have been operating on Mars for nearly 2 years. We don't yet know whether life in any form exists there but many scientific discoveries have been made. Patrick talks to Professor Geoffrey Eglinton and Dr Garry Hunt
- The asteroids or minor planets are among the most interesting of the junior members in the Solar System. 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. Patrick Moore talks about stellar birth, how a star develops and how every star, including our sun, must eventually die.
- Far from being exceptional, our earth is an ordinary planet moving around an ordinary star. From space it looks like a coloured globe. Patrick and Dr. Ron Maddison discuss the earth from an extra-terrestrial astronomer's point of view.
- Patrick Moore discusses the evidence, and speculates upon the possibility that our planetary system may extend much farther than is generally believed.
- Patrick Moore discusses gamma ray research with Dr. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, who worked on the discovery of pulsars.
- The moon has long been regarded as a dead world; but is this completely true? Astronomers have described faint coloured patches and local 'fogs', which are sometimes thought to be gases seeping through from below the ground.
- Patrick Moore talks to Sir Fred Hoyle and Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe about their book, "Lifecloud", which puts forward the theory that life originated in interstellar space.
- Patrick Moore talks to Dr. Simon Mitton about supernovae and their role in the manufacture of the heavy elements from which worlds such as our own Earth are made.
- In December, six American and two Russian space-craft reached Venus. 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.
- 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. Patrick and Dr. John Beckman, talk about the developments which have taken place.
- Patrick Moore and Michael Fish discuss how weather satellites revolutionised forecasting. They also talk to Mervyn Hardman of the Meteorological Office and Geoff Monk of the R.S.R.E.
- Voyager 2, the latest Jupiter probe, made its rendezvous with the Giant Planet on 9 July. Patrick Moore and Dr. Garry Hunt give the latest news from Voyager 2.
- Patrick Moore talks about the Zodiac, what it meant to the old astrologers and how it is regarded by astronomers today.
- Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt discuss the American probe Pioneer II's attempt at surveying Saturn and its rings from close range.
- The colour of a star - red, yellow or white - shows their different temperatures and, by using spectroscopes, it is possible to find out which materials exist there.
- Patrick Moore and Michael Bentine discuss UFOs - fact or fantasy? What are the unidentified flying objects which have been so much in the news in recent years?
- Patrick Moore talks about sky maps, and explains how astronomers have worked out their own equivalent of latitude and longitude.
- Patrick Moore visits Kitt Peak National Observatory and meets Dr Geoffrey Burbidge, its director.
- In December 1978 America's Pioneer Venus I reached its target. Since then it has been orbiting Venus, and mapping the planet's surface by means of radar. Dr. Garry Hunt joins Patrick Moore to describe the new findings.
- In Arizona there is a vast hole in the desert, almost a mile across and 600 feet deep, known as Meteor Crater. It was blasted out in prehistoric times by a huge iron meteorite, and is the most perfectly preserved impact area known on Earth
- Patrick Moore discusses the by-pass of Voyager 1, and Saturn and its satellites, with the American scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena who are responsible for the mission.
- Several times during the year meteor showers occur. One, known as the Quadrantid shower, will be at its maximum on 3 January and could provide an impressive display of cosmic fire-works. Patrick talks about this interesting phenomenon.
- Patrick Moore talks to three astronomers about their recent discoveries and he explains how light and dark nebulae are the same objects lit differently.
- 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.
- 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,
- 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.
- Patrick Moore and Dr. Garry Hunt discuss what is known about Neptune and what future researches may tell us when Voyager 2 passes this ' outermost giant' in 1989.
- What are the chances of the Earth being hit by an asteroid? Statistically the danger is slight, but by not nil. In America the NASA authorities have announced plans for destroying any approaching asteroid with a nuclear missile.
- During summer evenings many interesting constellations are on view. Patrick Moore surveys the evening sky during the summer, and points out some double stars which may be seen with any small telescope.
- Patrick Moore talks to John Mason , who led an expedition to France to study the Perseids, and also looks forward to the return of Halley's Comet, which also is associated with meteor showers.
- On 25 August the American spacecraft Voyager 2 made its pass of Saturn, and told us more about the unexpectedly complicated ring-system, the surface of the Planet, and the puzzling family of satellites.
- Patrick Moore explores various theories about what the Star of Bethlehem actually was. He considers suggestions such as nearby planets, comets and meteors.
- Patrick Moore talks about lunar eclipses, looking in particular at the eclipse of 6 January 1982, and describes features in the January night sky.
- Patrick Moore discusses how astronomers' knowledge of Venus had changed and developed following a series of new discoveries by various different space probes.
- 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'.
- Astronomers in Australia have just discovered an object which may be the most remote and luminous known. Its a quasar, about 13 billion light years from us. Yet some astronomers believe that there have been serious errors in interpretation
- La Palma, in the Canary Isles, is a picturesque place. It is also ideal as a site for large telescopes, and it is here that a major observatory is being established. Patrick Moore reports from La Palma giving the latest news of the site.
- Is there a new planet in the solar system? Many astronomers believe that there is a massive body beyond Neptune, the outermost of the main planets now known: it could be a planet, but it might also be a dark star or a black hole.
- Siding Spring Mountain in New South Wales is the site of one of the world's most sophisticated observatories. All the southern sky is available for study, and the AAT, or Anglo-Australian Telescope, has been used to make major discoveries.
- Patrick Moore and Dr John Beckman of Queen Mary College talk about the mysteries of spiral galaxies, and how the massive, powerful stars inside the arms affect the whole course of the history of our own galaxy and other systems.
- Can comets have collided with the earth? According to a new theory by Dr. Clube and Dr. Napier from the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, collisions can happen, and it was one such event which wiped out the dinosaurs over 60 million years ago.
- Less than four years after Neil Armstrong made his 'one small step ...', Commander Eugene Cernan became the last man on the moon. Now, ten years later, Eugene Cernan relives his experiences of that epic 13-day trip, and talks to Patrick.
- A week ago IRAS, the Infra-red Astronomical Satellite, was launched and is now orbiting the Earth. It will provide new information about objects ranging from super-giant stars, to the mysterious centre of our Galaxy.
- 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?
- Patrick Moore discusses phenomena such as the Ring Nebula that are visible in autumn night sky.
- In 1917 astronomy entered a new era. The 100-inch reflecting telescope on Mount Wilson in California was completed. It was far more powerful than any existing telescope, and soon led to the discovery that we live in an expanding universe.
- IRAS, the infra-red astronomical satellite, is proving to be one of the most successful of all space missions. Already it has carried out an all-sky survey in infra-red, discovering hundreds of thousands of new infra-red sources.
- Patrick Moore and the astronomer Heather Couper discuss the key points in the life of a star. They talk in detail about stars' births inside massive clouds of dust and gas.
- Most astronomers believe that the universe began with a big bang, perhaps 15 billion years ago, and that all the elements have since been built up out of the original hydrogen by being 'cooked' inside stars which have long since exploded.
- 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.
- How do you find your way around the sky? It is not difficult; the constellation patterns are easy enough to make out. Patrick Moore conducts what may be called a guided tour, of the summer night sky.
- The science of astronomy is thousands of years old. Yet only in the last few decades have astronomers made discoveries that have proved the old theories wrong. Patrick tells the stories of these old theories.
- Having travelled to a conference in the USA to summarize what information is known about the planet Mercury, Patrick Moore returns to explain what he has learned.
- Astronomers in Australia have just announced the discovery of the most remote object known to science, a quasar. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Sir Francis Graham Smith , the Astronomer Royal, about this remarkable discovery.
- The unique object known to astronomers at SS433 looks at first sight like a dim star, but has proved to be as bizarre as anything known. Patrick Moore talks about SS433 with Dr. David Clark , co-discoverer of its extraordinary nature.
- Jupiter's four large satellites are known as the Galileans. In this programme Patrick Moore talks about the Galileans, and what we have learned about them from the space-missions.
- Patrick Moore talks about Supernova 1987a, a star that exploded in the Large Magellanic Cloud in 1987, with his guest Dr Paul Murdin.
- Special programme to mark the 30th anniversary of The Sky at Night. Patrick Moore presents a look back over the years, selecting some of the best footage from old programmes.
- We need our atmosphere, without it, no life on earth could have appeared. Other worlds, have atmospheres of various kinds, some of them dense and corrosive, others incredibly thin. Patrick 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.
- A new telescope is operating at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, at 13,796 feet above sea level. It is the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, a sort of radio telescope designed to study regions of the universe where stars are being born.
- Is there a tenth planet? New evidence seems to indicate that there is in fact an extra member of the solar system, moving far beyond the paths of the most distant planets now known, Pluto and Neptune. Patrick Moore investigates.
- Sir Patrick Moore reports on work at Jodrell Bank, the United Kingdom's foremost radio telescope.
- Do you want to own an astronomical telescope? If so, you must take great care before purchasing. Patrick Moore offers advice to would-be buyers, and warns of some of the pitfalls.
- What are the exact positions of the stars in the sky? How do they move, and how far away are they? These are the problems which will be studied from Hipparcos, an artificial satellite due to be launched in 1988.
- Are quasars remote and super-luminous, or are they comparatively close to our galaxy? Dr. Halton C. Arp , believes that they are not so remote as most people think, and he discusses these exciting and controversial ideas with Patrick.
- August is the best month of the year for meteors; go outdoors on a dark, clear night between now and 17 August and you should see several members of the Perseid meteor stream as they plunge to their fiery death in the Earth's upper air.
- How 'empty' is space? Astronomers used to think that there was no material between the stars, or between the galaxies; they now know that there is a great deal. Patrick talks about interstellar material with Professor Alec Boksenberg.
- Two Russian space probes are on their way to Mars. Patrick Moore discusses the fascinating red world with Dr Peter Cattermole of the University of Sheffield.
- How do you record an astronomical observation? What details should be noted? And what are the important 'dos' and 'don'ts'. Patrick Moore talks to Paul Doherty about these points and also discusses features of the night sky in October.
- There are some asteroids which pass close to the Earth. Patrick Moore talks about these 'close-approach' asteroids to the American astronomer Eleanor Helin , who has discovered many of them.
- The winter sky is magnificent, with Orion dominant and Jupiter and Mars visible. Patrick Moore takes a look round the winter sky and discusses some curious mysteries.
- Pulsars are among the most bizarre objects in the universe. Astronomers have been waiting to see whether the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, seen in 1987, will produce a pulsar. Dr. Paul Murdin discusses with Patrick Moore.