The Sky at Night Season 8 Episodes

Episode 1

The Ghosts of the Universe

20 mins

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.

Episode 2

Signals from Jupiter

Frank Hyde discusses with Patrick the progress of his radio-astronomy 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.

Episode 3

Rock or Dust?

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.

Episode 4

Space Navigation

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.

Episode 5

Ancient and Modern

The Director of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, one of the Commonwealth's oldest working observatories, shows Patrick Moore round the historic building and describes the Observatory's activities.

Episode 6

Moon Gathering

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.

Episode 7

Midsummer Sense

The accurate astronomical alignment of Stonehenge, notorious on Midsummer Day, contrasts with ancient Egyptian theories that the sun and planets revolved round the earth. Patrick and Henry Brinton discuss the historical theories.

Episode 8

Quasars

Quasi stellar objects, quasars for short, is the description given to a recently discovered and puzzling new kind of body in the universe. Patrick discusses with Colin Ronan these very remote and powerful sources of radio emissions.

Episode 9

Red Giant, Yellow Planet, Blue Sun

Commenting on reported changes in the yellow colouring of the planet Saturn, Patrick Moore discusses the colours a telescope reveals in the night sky.

Episode 10

Explosion in Space

The minor planet Vesta is now visible in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about the swarm of dwarf worlds in the solar system which may be the remains of an old planet which met with disaster.

Episode 11

Planet Earth

Patrick Moore and Kenneth Fea of the University of London Observatory consider how the earth would appear to an astronomical observer in a satellite.

Episode 12

Meteor Shower

Any moment now there may be a spectacular display of meteors. Patrick Moore and Harold Ridley discuss the Leonid meteor stream and why its brilliant display is intermittent.

Episode 13

How Old is the Earth?

Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss the current scientific evidence as to when the earth came into existence as a separate body in the solar system.