The Sky at Night - 1988

At the start of 1987 The Sky at Night asked for amateur astronomical photographers to send in their pictures - either of objects in the sky, or of observatories and telescopes. In this programme Patrick Moore and Douglas Arnold show the best pictures sent in, and also take a look round the night sky as it appears in January.

During March, Venus and Jupiter are splendidly placed for observation in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about them, and explains what observers using small telescopes may expect to see on their surfaces.

Yerkes Observatory, at Williams Bay near Chicago, is a most unusual place. Its main telescope is not a reflector, but a refractor - the world's largest Old-fashioned though it may look, Yerkes is in the forefront of scientific research, as Patrick Moore explains when he goes there to talk to the director, Dr Al Harper, and members of the observatory's staff.

The sun is the nearest star; but how much is known about it? Less may be known than was thought a few decades ago; there are problems of the sunspots, the strange particles called neutrinos, and the recently discovered oscillations or quivering of the whole solar globe. Patrick Moore and lain Nicholson discuss these problems, and show photographs of last month's total solar eclipse.

Are quasars remote and super-luminous, or are they comparatively close to our galaxy? Dr Halton C. Arp , formerly of Mount Wilson Observatory, believes that they are not so remote as most people think, and he discusses these exciting and controversial ideas with Patrick Moore.

The first successful spacecraft to the planet Venus was sent up more than a quarter of a century ago. Since then most of the planets in the Solar System have been contacted. In this programme Patrick Moore and Dr Garry Hunt look back over the space-probe story, and describe the exciting developments to be expected during the next few years.

Can you identify the main star groups? It is by no means difficult - and once you have found your way around, there are many fascinating objects to be seen. Patrick Moore invites you to join him on a 'tour' of the summer sky, and talks about some of the variable stars, which, unlike our Sun, brighten and fade over short periods.

Would you like to see a shooting star? August is the best month of the year for meteors; go outdoors on a dark, clear night between now and 17 August and you should see several members of the Perseid meteor stream as they plunge to their fiery death in the Earth's upper air. With Dr John Mason, Patrick Moore talks about this annual display of cosmic fireworks.

How 'empty' is space? Astronomers used to think that there was no material between the stars, or between the galaxies; they now know that there is a great deal. Patrick Moore talks about interstellar material to Professor Alec Boksenberg, Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

Two Russian space probes are on their way to Mars. Patrick Moore discusses the fascinating red world with Dr Peter Cattermole of the University of Sheffield.

How do you record an astronomical observation? What details should be noted? And what are the important 'dos' and 'don'ts'! Patrick Moore talks to Paul Doherty about these points and also discusses the brilliant planet Jupiter and other features of the night sky in October.

Some stars send out radio waves, though generally they are less powerful than other kinds of radio sources in the sky. These genuine radio stars are discussed by Patrick Moore and Dr Alan Wright , who was also present at the opening of the great new Australia Telescope - the most powerful radio astronomy installation in the world.

There are some asteroids which pass close to the Earth! Patrick Moore talks about these 'close-approach' asteroids to the American astronomer Eleanor Helin , who has discovered many of them.