The Sky at Night S58E10 · Rosetta: A Sky at Night Special

Overview

It is one of the most extraordinary space adventures in a generation - to land a spacecraft on a comet. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft has been hurtling through space for over 10 years, tracking down a comet called 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Now it is about to do something that has never been attempted before and land a spacecraft on the comet's surface. This special episode of The Sky at Night puts the viewer right at the heart of the action, witnessing events as they happened from inside mission control. It reveals the latest images, explores the first groundbreaking science coming back from the comet and asks the astonishing questions that make this mission so captivating. Could Earth's water have come from comets? How do comets survive for so long? Could they have triggered the start of life on Earth? The journey has been fraught with risk and at every stage the comet seems to surprise, but if the mission succeeds it will be a momentous day in the history of space exploration.

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. Jupiter: Weather and Moons2014-02-09The revamped team look at Jupiter's coloured bands and iconic 'eye', visible manifestations of a violent atmosphere that causes extraordinary weather.
2. 2 2. Sounds of the Universe2014-03-09The Sky at Night team listens to the sounds of the cosmos. Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Chris Lintott explore how sound can reveal extraordinary secrets about the universe - from orche
3. 3 3. Mysterious Mars2014-04-13Mars captures the imagination like no other planet and currently our nearest neighbour is at its brightest for several years, so it's a perfect opportunity to explore a planet that
4. 4 4. How Gravity Shapes the Universe2014-05-11The universe is filled with spectacular objects, from gloriously-coloured nebulae to the swirling motion of a billion stars formed into a single galaxy. One force has created it al
5. 5 5. Impacts2014-06-08The team looks at the cosmic impacts which have shaped the universe around us, from asteroids crashing into the surface of the moon to galaxies colliding with each other.
6. 6 6. The Brightest Star2014-07-13The team explore stargazing in the daytime, show how seasons change on other planets across the solar system and examine what makes the sun special.
7. 7 7. How to Catch a Comet2014-08-10The team goes behind the scenes at mission control for the critical point of the most ambitious space project of the decade. The European Space Agency's Rosetta probe finally catch
8. 8 8. The Hunt for ET2014-09-14Are we alone? Geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford seeks to define what life is and Maggie Aderin-Pocock explores our chances of finding it in the universe.
9. 9 9. Ice Giants2014-10-12The vast frozen worlds of Uranus and Neptune are the most enigmatic and mysterious planets in the solar system. From the most powerful winds ever recorded to their exotic atmospher
10. 10 10. Rosetta: A Sky at Night Special2014-11-16It is one of the most extraordinary space adventures in a generation - to land a spacecraft on a comet. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft has been hurtling thro
11. 11 11. The Pillars of Creation2014-12-14Perhaps no object in the night sky conjures up a greater sense of awe and wonder than a nebula. These vast clouds of dust and gases are stupendously beautiful, but they aren't just