The Sky at Night S33E06 · Telescopes for the 90s

Overview

New generation astronomical telescopes are entirely different from those of the past. They have different types of mountings; their main mirrors are made in a new way, and in some cases there are separate telescopes working in combination. Dr Ron Maddison talks about this new revolution in telescope making.

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. Mysteries of the Winter Sky1989-01-15The winter sky is magnificent, with Orion dominant; this year there are also two of the brilliant planets, Jupiter and Mars. But there are puzzles to solve, too. For example, why w
2. 2 2. Icebergs and Crouching Giants1989-02-12How many star systems or galaxies are there? It now seems that there are many more than has been believed - some of them so dim that they are barely visible, so that we are seeing
3. 3 3. Cosmic Lighthouse1989-03-12Pulsars are among the most bizarre objects in the universe. They are very small, amazingly dense and spinning round rapidly. Astronomers have been waiting to see whether the supern
4. 4 4. Observing from La Silla1989-04-09High in the Andes mountains of Chile lies one of the world's major observatories, La Silla, with its 15 telescopes. Conditions there are ideal - far better than anywhere in Europe
5. 5 5. Exploring the Ultraviolet Sky1989-05-13The IUE or International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite was launched in 1978. It had an estimated lifespan of three years, but it is still operating and has revolutionised our whol
6. 6 6. Telescopes for the 90s1989-06-04New generation astronomical telescopes are entirely different from those of the past. They have different types of mountings; their main mirrors are made in a new way, and in some
7. 7 7. The Curious Little World of Pluto1989-07-02Pluto is the smallest of the planets, and also one of the most puzzling. It is so far from the sun that it takes almost 248 years to complete one orbit; it is made up of a mixture
8. 8 8. Eclipse of the Moon1989-07-30The eclipse of the Moon, due on the early morning of 17 August, will be well seen from all over Britain (clouds permitting). It is a fascinating spectacle; slowly the Earth's shado
9. 9 9. Observing from the Atacama1989-08-20The Atacama Desert of Chile is an exceptionally good site for astronomers; three major observatories have been set up there. One (La Silla) was the subject of a Sky at Night progra
10. 10 10. Neptune - Voyager's Last Planet1989-09-10Voyager 2, launched in 1977, has already passed by the giant planets Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus, all of which have provided plenty of surprises. Voyager has now passed Neptune, sen
11. 11 11. The Making of an Astronomer1989-10-15Do you want to become a professional astronomer? If so, you will need a proper qualification. One of the leading courses for would-be professional astronomers is at Birmingham Univ
12. 12 12. The Bull in the Sky1989-11-12Patrick Moore talks about Taurus the Bull, one of the most interesting objects in the winter night sky. It contains one brilliant star, two beautiful star clusters (one of which, t
13. 13 13. Voyager's Grand Tour1989-12-10In 1977 Voyager 2, the most ambitious of all space-craft, was launched toward the outer planets. Since then it has surveyed Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in turn, and has sen