The Sky at Night - Season 50 / Year 2006

In and exclusive interview for The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore talks to Mike A'Hearn, the NASA scientist behind the spectacular Deep Impact mission. With amazing precision, he sucessfully designed an impactor to hir the fast moving coment Tempel-1. Its success has revealed new information about our Solar System.Also, the new Horizon mission will soon leave for the distant planet Pluto. Patrick Moore finds out more about this daring mission to thw edgo of our solar system and discusses whether Pluto is a planet or just another large Kuiper Belt object.

The volcanic mountain of Mauna Kea in Hawaii is home to some of the world's best astronomical obvervatories. At 14,000 feet, it's well above cloud level, giving astronomers the best view of the Universe they can get. Chris Lintott looks around the telescopes, whilst Patrick Moore speaks to the British Scientists who use them for their research.

Patrick Moore presents a guide to the most familiar body in the night sky, whilst Chris Lintott gives tips on how to observe the moon.

With Saturn well situated in the night sky, Chris Lintott advises on what to look out for, while Patrick Moore talks to Professor John Zarnecki about the Cassini Mission.

Patrick Moore offers advice on how to observe the sun and its many brilliant features. Chris Lintott demonstrates how to split light into a spectrum.

A total eclipse of the Sun is a magnificent event. On 29 March 2006, Chris Lintott hopes to experience a Turkish delight, as a total eclipse of the Sun passes over the coastal resort of Antalya. In the UK, the Moon only partially blocks the Sun, but Patrick Moore hopes to catch a glimpse of one of nature's great events.

Look into the night sky and even with the naked eye you can pick out our nearest galactic neighbour, Andromeda, just one of the billions of systems which make up our Universe. Patrick Moore discusses how galaxies are formed and investigates just how we can trace their mysterious dark matter.Chris Lintott takes his telescope outside to give advice on where to find the brightest and the best galaxies, and what to look for.

The biggest and most powerful explosions in the Universe are gamma ray bursts. With the launch of the spacecraft Swift, scientists now realise these exotic phenomena are far more varied than first suspected. Sir Patrick Moore finds out about the biggest bangs since the 'Big' one, while Chris Lintott tracks down the supernova hunters.

Out of chas came order, as from the dust and gas of the very early Solar System emerged the gas giants. Four billion years ago our solar system looked quite different to the one we see today with Uranus and Neptune much closer to the Sun and regularly swapping orbits. Patrick Moore discusses how these wandering giannts came to be flung to the icy outer regions of our solar system whilst outside Chris Lintott takes a closer look at the largest of them all - Jupiter.

Britain is going back to Mars onboard the European ExoMars mission. UK scientists have a key role designing and building many of the instruments, including the innovative Life Marker Chip. In this special programme, Patrick Moore finds out how we hope to find Martian life whilst Chris Lintott goes in search of the rover that will be climbing mountains on Mars.

The lunar probe Smart-1 finishes its mission in September in spectacular fashion - by crashing into the Moon's surface. Patrick Moore talks to the project scientist Bernard Foing about its pioneering spacecraft technology and scientific successes.Also, two exciting missions will soon be on their way to the Sun: Stereo and Solar-B, both with important British science instruments onboard. Chris Lintott finds out more about the new ways we will be using to look at our nearest star.

With Autumn upon us, astronomers are looking forward to darker nights and the return of winter constellation of Orion. Patrick Moore gives his guide to what to look for over the coming months. Dr Lucie Green visits the autumn equinox star party at Kelling Heath and Chris Lintott talks to one of the founders of modern day cosmology, Professor James Gunn.

Venus was once thought to be the sultry home to a mysterious race of aliens. We now know it has searing temperatures, and a thick, caustic atmosphere. Patrick Moore discusses the latest findings of the European mission Venus Express which is currently scrutinising Earth's evil twin.

Stars are like bells, ringing out into space. Patrick Moore finds out how scientists are making sounds and music from the changes within stars. Chris Lintott steps outside and looks at variable stars, which make up the celestial orchestra.