The Sky at Night - Season 17 / Year 1973
Season 17 / Year 1973
Network
DatesJan 8, 1973 - Dec 28, 1973
Episodes
Year 1973Episode 130 min
1973 - An Exciting Year
Patrick Moore looks forward to a year of spectacular astronomical events: the launching of the Sky-lab earth-orbiting laboratory in May; the longest eclipse of the century in June; the first dual-planet probe to Venus and Mercury in October; and the Copernicus quincentenary celebrations.
Jan 8, 1973
Year 1973Episode 230 min
Practical Work In The Observatory
From his Selsey observatory, Patrick Moore illustrates what amateur astronomers can achieve, and shows the planet Saturn.
Feb 7, 1973
Year 1973Episode 330 min
Sirius - The Brightest Star
Patrick Moore talks about Sirius the Dog-Star, the brightest star in the sky and one of the nearest to us, and about its white dwarf companion Sirius B.
(Patrick Moore's new opera Perseus discussed in Scan: Thurs 8.45 pm R4)
Mar 19, 1973
Year 1973Episode 430 min
The Eclipse Of The Century
The longest solar eclipse of the century, lasting over seven minutes, will take place in Africa on 30 June. Patrick Moore talks about some of the exciting experiments which will be carried out by solar observers who will be in - or above - the Sahara during the eclipse.
Apr 2, 1973
Year 1973Episode 530 min
How Big Are The Planets?
Patrick Moore discusses with Gordon Taylor and Dr David Allen new ways of measuring objects in our solar system.
Apr 30, 1973
Year 1973Episode 630 min
The Colours Of The Stars
Ancient astronomers described Sirius the Dog-Star as red: but what colour is it today? A few weeks ago, Patrick Moore asked viewers to tell him what colour they see Sirius, and now he analyses the thousands of reports he received, and explains the significance of the colours of stars.
Jun 4, 1973
Year 1973Episode 730 min
The African Eclipse
British observers back from the longest solar eclipse of the century tell Patrick Moore about the results of their experiments. These astronomers went to see totality from widely different viewpoints - Dr John Beckman from Concorde, Dr R. J. Speer from a rocket site in West Africa, Barrie Jones from the shore of Lake Rudolf, and observers from ships at sea and the Sahara desert.
Jul 11, 1973
Year 1973Episode 830 min
Navigational Astronomy
Until the invention of modern techniques like radar and satellite-guidance, a ship at sea could only find her position by sun and stars. On board ship, Patrick Moore and Cmdr Henry Hatfield, RN, discuss the navigational origins of astronomy, and show how seamen use the sun.
Aug 1, 1973
Year 1973Episode 930 min
Venus - A Cratered World
Venus has always been a mysterious planet - shrouded in its dense, fiercely hot atmosphere, in which life as we know it could never exist. Astronomers have just announced a startling discovery: using radar and the latest computer techniques, they have detected vast, shallow craters on the surface of Venus. Patrick Moore shows these exciting pictures and explains their significance.
Aug 29, 1973
Year 1973Episode 1030 min
The Moon Illusion
How big do you see the full moon? Near the horizon, it appears larger than when it is high in the sky - but this is not due to magnification by the earth's atmosphere. Patrick Moore discusses this with Professor Richard Gregory
Sep 18, 1973
Year 1973Episode 1130 min
The Volcanoes Of Mars
Patrick Moore visits the volcanic crater at Mount Teide in Tenerife, and discusses with Dr Ron Maddison the characteristics of Martian volcanoes, compared with those on the earth and moon.
Oct 17, 1973
Year 1973Episode 1230 min
When Mercury Crosses The Sun
On the morning of 10 November the planet Mercury will pass in transit across the face of the Sun. Patrick Moore tells observers what they can expect to see, and he looks forward to the launching in 1974 of an American spacecraft which will fly past Mercury and send back the first close-up pictures.
Nov 7, 1973
Year 1973Episode 1330 min
Jupiter
This month for the first time a space probe passes close to one of the giants of the solar system - the planet Jupiter. The American craft Pioneer 10 has penetrated further into the solar system than any probe has ever done before. Patrick Moore brings you the latest news of the mission and discusses the implications of the results with Dr Garry Hunt , a planetary meteorologist.
Dec 12, 1973
Year 1973Episode 1430 min
Kohoutek's Comet
Dec 28, 1973
Recently Updated Shows
Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Brilliant Minds
Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, Brilliant Minds follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier - the human mind - while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills offers a glimpse inside the world of luxurious wealth and pampered privilege, where being seen and who you know is everything. These women are in the center of it all and they have the mansions, the cars, and the diamonds to prove it. From heiresses to entrepreneurs to a family of child actresses - they deliver the star power and the drama.
Murder in a Small Town
Karl Alberg moves to a quiet coastal town to soothe a psyche that has been battered by big-city police work. But this gentle paradise has more than its share of secrets, and Karl will need to call upon all the skills that made him a world-class detective in solving the murders that, even in this seemingly idyllic setting, continue to wash up on his shore.