The Sky at Night - 1984 (1984)

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Isaac Newton Telescope at the new observatory at La Palma, in the Canary Islands, is now ready for use. Patrick Moore has been there taking part in one of the first sets of observations, together with Dr Paul Murdin , who is in charge of the telescope. During the observations it was possible to obtain the first colour video picture of an object well beyond the Solar System: the Ring Nebula in Lyra.

Interest is growing as Halley s Comet continues to draw in toward the sun. Already there have been trial runs in observing the much fainter Crommelin's Comet, and of course several space-probes will be launched towards Halley, to rendezvous with the comet in March 1986. Patrick Moore discusses these developments with Dr John Davies of Newcastle University, and explains what British observers may be able to see.

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is one of the most remarkable bodies in the solar system. With its dense orange clouds and its nitrogen atmosphere it may have a deep ocean made up of methane, with cliffs of solid methane and a steady drip of methane rain. Patrick Moore talks about what is known about this extraordinary 'Earth in deep freeze'.

Do other solar systems exist? Information from the infra-red astronomical satellite, IRAS, indicates that they may well do so. Many stars - some of them similar to our sun - have been found to be associated with what may be planet-forming material. In this programme Patrick Moore gives the latest result, and speculates as to their significance.

What is only 100 years old? What were the French finally forced to accept? And why do King Charles II, Sir Isaac Newton, Captain Cook, Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovel, the Great Western Railway and an American called Charles Dowd share a vital part in an institution of which we in Britain can be justly proud? Patrick Moore takes an affectionate look at the stories behind the centenary of Greenwich Mean Time; asks why it incurred the wrath of the law and discovers why astronauts and space men - like mere earthlings - would be lost without Greenwich Mean Time.

There is a tremendous amount of material spread thinly between the stars. If a star happens to pass into a cloud of denser gas and dust, it will illuminate it to produce a reflection nebula. In this programme Patrick Moore talks to Dr Paul Murdin , who is in charge of the British telescopes at the new observatory in the Canary Islands, and shows some of the latest spectacular pictures of these strange clouds in space.

Most people can recognise the major constellations such as Orion the celestial hunter, Hercules, Perseus, the Great Bear and others. But more constellations have been proposed from time to time, and there have even been attempts to make radical reforms, such as replacing the Zodiacal groups with the 12 Apostles. Patrick Moore looks back at the old star maps and tells the stories of some of the groups which have long since passed into history.