The Sky at Night S49E09 · The Search for Life

Overview

The search for life elsewhere in our Universe has long been the Holy Grail for astronomers. Planets around distant stars have recently been discovered and we now realise that solar systems like our own could be widespread. So is life on Earth unique? With missions to Mars, Saturn's moon Titan and Jupiter's moon Europa, we could be nearing an answer. No definitive traces of life have been found elsewhere, but astronomers are probing ever deeper on our nearest planetary neighbours and across our Universe for the signitures of life. Patrick Moore discusses the issue with Professor Monica Gardy and Professor Simon Conway Morris.Chris Lintott spends a night meteor-watching with Dr John Mason, Martin Mobberly and Martin Andrews. Every year the Earth passes through dusty tail remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle. These enter Earth's atmosphere-forming meteor showers called the perseids, this year they are at their maximum in mid-August.

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. Lord of the Rings2005-01-03The American and European spacecraft Cassini has been at Saturn now for six months. It has sent back fabulous images of the planet, its complex rings and many moons including the m
2. 2 2. Unveiling Titan2005-02-07We have seen the surface of Titan, Saturn's moon and one of the most mysterious solar system bodies. Patrick Moore talks to the lead scientist of the Huygens surface science packag
3. 3 3. Strangers in the Night2005-03-07Comets are thought to come from the Kuiper Belt beyond Pluto and the Oort Cloud at the very edge of our solar system. Little is known about this dark, far away home for comets. Pat
4. 4 4. Star Party2005-04-04For the first time ever, Sir Patrick Moore has hosted a star party at his house in Selsey. Over two nights, amateur astronomers played lottery with the weather. Clouds, rain and fo
5. 5 5. Eye on the Universe2005-05-02In its 15 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionised astronomy with it's amazing insight into our Universe. Patrick Moore talks to Professor Gerry Gilmore about its highs
6. 6 6. The Shocking Sun2005-06-06Sun spots and solar flares release high energy particles and radiation that can damage satellites and telecommunications, as well as creating the beautiful aurora in the atmosphere
7. 7 7. Deep Impact2005-07-04NASA are sending a probe into the comet 9P/ Tempel-1, early on the morning of 4 July 2005. This is a unique event, from which they hope to find out how comets are made. Are they ba
8. 8 8. Fallout From Deep Impact2005-07-10On 4 July NASA hopes to send an impactor into the comet 9P/Tempel-1. Patrick Moore talks to the world's leading comet experts about the fallout from this destructive act. Chris Lin
9. 9 9. The Search for Life2005-08-06The search for life elsewhere in our Universe has long been the Holy Grail for astronomers. Planets around distant stars have recently been discovered and we now realise that solar
10. 10 10. A Journey through Space and Time2005-08-06Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein and Orville Wright are among the people Patrick Moore has met. He looks back on five decades of space exploration and the programme that has covered
11. 11 11. Mapping The Universe2005-09-04Man is scanning the night sky and counting stars, galaxies and other solar bodies. Patrick Moore discusses two of the most comprehensive surveys - 2dF and the Sloan Digital Sky Sur
12. 12 12. The Planets2005-10-02Its been an incredible year for the planets, with amazing discoveries and startling new insights into our Solar System. Earlier this month, astronomers from around the World conver
13. 13 13. Mars and the Ring of Fire2005-11-07Mars is almost as close as it can get to Earth and better placed than it will be for many years. Patrick Moore throws a Mars party in his back garden to enjoy the exceptional views
14. 14 14. Celestial Zoo2005-12-04Our Sun is an ordinary star, but the celestial zoo contains stars as small as the Earth and others which are tens of thousands of times brighter. Patrick Moore takes a census and c