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 (11)
1. The Ghosts of the Universe
Aired 10 January 1964
Patrick Moore talks about some of the strange celestial objects, like the planet Vulcan, which have been reported at times but do not in fact seem to exist.
2. Signals from Jupiter
Aired 7 February 1964
Frank Hyde discusses with Patrick Moore the progress of his radio-astronomy station's observations in collaboration with Florida State University to try to determine whether the radio emissions from Jupiter originate there or are reflected from the sun.
3. Rock or Dust?
Aired 6 March 1964
The recent flight of Ranger VI came near to solving the age-old problem of the nature of the Moon's surface. Patrick Moore reports on the present situation and its significance to astronomers.
4. Space Navigation
Aired 3 April 1964
For ages man has used the stars to navigate by Patrick Moore discusses with Henry Brinton some of the new problems of celestial navigation which the space traveller has to face.
5. Ancient and Modern
Aired 1 May 1964
The Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland is the oldest observatory still in use in the Commonwealth. Yet the work being done there on the structure of galaxies is in the forefront of contemporary research. Dr. E. M. Lindsay, the director, describes the Observatory's activities to Patrick Moore, as well as showing him round the eighteenth-century building and its historic possessions.
6. Moon Gathering
Aired 5 June 1964
Patrick Moore reports on the New York International Symposium on the Structure of the Moon's Surface, at which he himself read one of the technical papers.
7. Midsummer Sense
Aired 26 June 1964
The accurate astronomical alignment of Stonehenge, notorious on Midsummer Day, contrasts with ancient Egyptian theories that the sun and planets revolved round the earth. Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss the historical theories, some odd, some prescient, which have tried to explain the universe.
8. Quasars
Aired 24 July 1964
Quasi stellar objects, quasars for short, is the description given to a recently discovered and puzzling new kind of body in the universe. Patrick Moore discusses with Colin Ronan these very remote and powerful sources of radio emissions.
9. Red Giant, Yellow Planet, Blue Sun
Aired 21 August 1964
Commenting on reported changes in the yellow colouring of the planet Saturn, Patrick Moore discusses the colours a telescope reveals in the night sky.
10. Explosion in Space
Aired 18 September 1964
The minor planet Vesta is now visible in the evening sky. Patrick Moore talks about the swarm of dwarf worlds in the solar system which may be the remains of an old planet which met with disaster.
11. How Old is the Earth?
Aired 11 December 1964
Patrick Moore and Henry Brinton discuss the current scientific evidence as to when the earth came into existence as a separate body in the solar system.