The Sky at Night S30E13 · The Galilean Moons

Overview

Jupiter is now prominently visible in the evening sky. Any telescope will show it together with its four large satellites, known as the Galileans because they were studied in 1610 by Galileo with his first telescope. They are not alike; two are icy and cratered, one smooth as a billiard ball, and one brilliant red, with violently active volcanoes. Patrick Moore talks about the Galileans, and what we have learned about them from space missions.

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Episodes

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3. 3 3. Halley's Comet: The Encounter1986-03-13Tonight's news from the comet comes as Europe's Giotto spacecraft plunges deep into the glowing dust and gases of its coma. At 47 miles per second, every grain of dust strikes like
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10. 10 10. The Furthest Depths of the Universe1986-09-14Astronomers in Australia have just announced the discovery of the most remote object known to science. It is a quasar - an object whose nature is not known with certainty but which
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12. 12 12. Cosmic Lawn Sprinkler1986-11-10The 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. Jets of material spreading out from it are
13. 13 13. The Galilean Moons1986-12-21Jupiter is now prominently visible in the evening sky. Any telescope will show it together with its four large satellites, known as the Galileans because they were studied in 1610