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The Sky at Night Season 32 Episodes
Season 32 Episode Guide
13 Episodes 1988 - 1988
Episode 1
The Winter Sky
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. Patrick Moore and Douglas Arnold show the best pictures sent in.
Episode 2
The Brilliant Planets
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.
Episode 3
Yerkes Observatory
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. Yerkes is in the forefront of scientific research, as Patrick Moore explains.
Episode 4
The Awakening Sun
The sun is the nearest star; but how much is known about it? Less may be known than was thought; there are problems of the sunspots, the strange particles called neutrinos, and the recently discovered oscillations of the whole solar globe.
Episode 5
Quasers, Red Shifts and Controversy
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.
Episode 6
Planets Revisited
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.
Episode 7
The Summer Sky
Patrick Moore invites you to join him on a 'tour' of the summer sky, and talks about some of the variable stars, which, unlike our Sun, brighten and fade over short periods.
Episode 8
Cosmic Fireworks
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.
Episode 9
Watch This Space
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.
Episode 10
Mars in Close-Up
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.
Episode 11
Observing the Autumn Sky
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.
Episode 12
Radio Stars
Some stars send out radio waves, though generally they are less powerful than other kinds of radio sources in the sky. These genuine radio stars are discussed by Patrick Moore and Dr. Alan Wright.
Episode 13
Close Encounters
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.