astronomy

The Sky at Night - Ancestral Skies

The Sky at Night – Ancestral Skies

Science / 11 minutes of reading / / By

The Sky at Night – Ancestral Skies: This month, “The Sky at Night” joins forces with BBC Ideas to explore an exciting crossroads of archaeology and astronomy, revealing the fascinating secrets of our ancestral skies. Humanity has always been drawn to the stars, from the sun guiding early explorers across the earth to today’s astronomers decoding the mysteries of the cosmos. But as our modern world expands, are we losing the essential link to these deep, ancient skies?

The Sky at Night – Ancestral Skies Read More »







The Sky at Night - The Very Large Telescope

The Sky at Night – The Very Large Telescope

Science / 15 minutes of reading / / By

The Sky at Night – The Very Large Telescope – Nestled in the heart of Chile’s arid Atacama Desert, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) stands as a monumental testament to humanity’s quest for cosmic knowledge. This premier observatory has catalyzed paradigm-shifting astronomical discoveries, earning its place in the annals of science through contributions that have garnered Nobel recognition and profoundly reshaped cosmic comprehension. Situated within the Paranal Observatory in one of Earth’s most desiccated environments, the VLT benefits from unparalleled atmospheric conditions for stellar observation. The site’s minimal moisture significantly mitigates atmospheric distortion, granting an almost unadulterated view of the

The Sky at Night – The Very Large Telescope Read More »

The Sky at Night - Black Holes: Searching for the Unknown

The Sky at Night – Black Holes: Searching for the Unknown

Science / 11 minutes of reading / / By

The Sky at Night – Black Holes: Searching for the Unknown – Delving into the vast mysteries of our cosmos, there’s never been a more electrifying period than now to immerse oneself in the enigma of one of space’s most captivating phenomena: black holes. This month, the illustrious team behind ‘The Sky at Night’ embarks on a profound journey, unraveling the sophisticated science behind black holes. Their mission is not just to uncover the guarded secrets of these space giants but also to potentially pave the way to answering some of the universe’s most profound questions.     Chris, with

The Sky at Night – Black Holes: Searching for the Unknown Read More »



The Sky at Night - Is There Anybody out There

The Sky at Night – Is There Anybody out There?

Science / 7 minutes of reading / / By

The Sky at Night – Is There Anybody out There – Diving into the intricate and somewhat contentious realm of alien communication, the Sky at Night team probes deep into the captivating pursuit of life on other celestial bodies, a topic that continues to fascinate the scientific community and beyond. The less publicized and arguably more intriguing aspect, however, lies in the extensive efforts taking place worldwide, seeking to answer the next logical question—what follows the potential discovery of alien life? The task of formulating how we might reach out to them, determining what the content of our initial communique

The Sky at Night – Is There Anybody out There? Read More »

The Sky at Night - Photographing the Universe

The Sky at Night – Photographing the Universe

Science / 3 minutes of reading / / By

The Sky at Night – Photographing the Universe: For centuries, humans have been drawing what they see in the night sky through telescopes. But there is something about a photograph that can make you feel you are right there, up close to the moon, planet, star or galaxy you are looking at. Having the light from those distance objects, fixed in an image, has meant scientists can analyse and understand the beautiful universe around us. So, this month, the Sky at Night is looking at the wonderful world of astrophotography.     Dr Jen Gupta visits Chris to talk about

The Sky at Night – Photographing the Universe Read More »

The Sky at Night - James Webb Road Trip

The Sky at Night – James Webb Road Trip

Science / 4 minutes of reading / / By

The Sky at Night – James Webb Road Trip: On 12 July 2022, the Sky at Night joined the rest of the world to watch as the James Webb Space Telescope released its long-awaited first images. And it didn’t disappoint. Stars and galaxies were revealed in such detail that they blew even the most experienced astronomers away. However, as spectacular as these images were, it was the data that they represented that really excited the scientists watching.     Chris Lintott travels around the country, meeting some of the scientists getting their hands on the very first batches of data

The Sky at Night – James Webb Road Trip Read More »

Super Telescope: Mission to the Edge of the Universe

Super Telescope: Mission to the Edge of the Universe

Science / 3 minutes of reading / / By

Super Telescope: Mission to the Edge of the Universe – As Nasa releases the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, this film tells the inside story of the telescope’s construction and the astronomers taking its first picture of distant stars and galaxies. Will it be the deepest image of our universe ever taken?     The successor to Hubble, and 100 times more powerful, the James Webb is the most technically advanced telescope ever built. It will look further back in time than Hubble to an era around 200 million years after the Big Bang, when the first

Super Telescope: Mission to the Edge of the Universe Read More »

Seven Ages of Starlight

Seven Ages of Starlight

Science / 2 minutes of reading / / By

Seven Ages of Starlight: This is the epic story of the stars, and how discovering their tale has transformed our own understanding of the universe. Once we thought the sun and stars were gods and giants. Now we know, in a way, our instincts were right. The stars do all have their own characters, histories and role in the cosmos. Not least, they played a vital part in creating us.       There are old, bloated red giants, capable of gobbling up planets in their orbit, explosive deaths – supernovae – that forge the building blocks of life and

Seven Ages of Starlight Read More »

Scroll to Top