About this season
Your monthly journey through the fascinating world of space and astronomy with the latest thinking on what's out there in space and what you can see in the night sky.
Episodes (8)
1. Asteroid Strike?
Aired 14 April 2025 • 30 min
The team explore one of the biggest stories in space news, the ‘city killer’ asteroid 2024 YR4. How well did the planet respond to this potential natural disaster?
2. Secrets of the Red Planet
Aired 12 May 2025 • 30 min
The Sky at Night team explore what the latest research is revealing about Mars. Could life once have thrived there? And will a return trip to our neighbouring planet ever be possible?
3. Greenwich: A Journey through Space and Time
Aired 9 June 2025 • 29 min
The team celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory, recreating history at a special dinner party, where they are joined by a glittering line-up of science communicators.
4. Exoplanets - Strange New Worlds
Aired 14 July 2025
The team explore one of the newest areas of modern astronomy, the search for exoplanets, the distant worlds that orbit stars beyond our own solar system.
5. Queen of Pulsars
Aired 15 August 2025
The team delve into the enigmatic world of pulsars and hear the inspiring story of their discoverer, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, direct from the subject herself.
6. The Expanding Universe
Aired 8 September 2025 • 29 min
The team explores one of the greatest discoveries of modern astronomy - that our universe is expanding - and the new questions it raises about how the cosmos works. In the 1920s, astronomers studying galaxies realised they were moving away from us, with the most distant ones receding the fastest. The conclusion was revolutionary: space itself was stretching, and the universe was expanding in every direction. But once this discovery was made, a new challenge emerged – how fast is the universe expanding, and what could that tell us about its age, size and ultimate fate?
7. Brits in Space
Aired 13 October 2025 • 29 min
Three, two, one, lift off! This edition launches into the extraordinary - and extraterrestrial - world of astronaut training, discovering what it truly takes to become a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. As Europe looks to play a more prominent role in space exploration, we shine a spotlight on the candidates who are pushing boundaries and preparing to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland amongst the stars.
8. Space Mysteries: The Sky at Night Meets Curious Cases
Aired 10 November 2025 • 29 min
Do aliens exist, and can we talk to them? What does a black hole sound like? Does the universe look like a doughnut? In a spectacular season finale, The Sky at Night teams up with hit podcast Curious Cases to answer your burning space mysteries, from the strange sounds of the cosmos to the furthest edges of the observable universe. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, presenters Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain bring their signature wit and curiosity as they quiz our stellar panel of experts - Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Chris Lintott and George Dransfield. Expect lively debate, surprising revelations, and moments of pure astronomical awe as they explore the weird and wonderful corners of space science.