The Sky at Night S29E03 · The Year of the Comet

Overview

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.

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. Worlds Apart?1985-01-13Patrick 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
2. 2 2. Colours of the Stars1985-02-10The 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 s
3. 3 3. The Year of the Comet1985-03-10Halley'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 carri
4. 4 4. The Sky in Infra-Red1985-03-31The 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
5. 5 5. Moon Rills1985-05-05The 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
6. 6 6. Little Worlds1985-06-02During 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
7. 7 7. Summer Sky1985-06-30How 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, expl
8. 8 8. Infra-Red at Siding Spring1985-07-28Infra-red radiation, often termed 'heat', is an important part of the total range of wavelengths now being studied by astronomers. Striking results have been obtained at the Sidin
9. 9 9. Mizar1985-08-19Mizar, the second star in the 'handle' of the Plough, has a faint companion, Alcor, easily visible with the naked eye. Use a telescope and Mizar is seen to be double; and the brigh
10. 10 10. The Computerised Amateur1985-09-08Many amateur astronomers have large telescopes but Ron Arbour 's observatory, near Winchester, is exceptional; his 16-inch reflector is computer controlled and is programmed to hun
11. 11 11. Red Shift - or Red Herring?1985-10-14How large is the universe? Astronomers measure the distances of very remote objects by using spectroscopes, but today there are some doubts as to whether the measurements are relia
12. 12 12. The Comet Returns1985-11-12Halley's Comet is now back and can be seen with binoculars, and should be visible with the naked eye next month. Patrick Moore talks to Douglas Arnold (photographing the comet); B
13. 13 13. How Wrong We Were1985-12-15The 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. Venus has no water -