The Sky at Night – Exoplanets – Strange New Worlds explores one of the youngest and most thrilling areas of modern astronomy research. This dynamic field constantly unveils such a diversity of discovery that it leaves astronomers questioning everything they thought they knew about planetary systems.
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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
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The Sky at Night – The Search for Alien Life – The Sky at Night team delves into the latest scientific advancements in the search for extraterrestrial life. With a heightened obsession for finding aliens, scientists are employing the most sophisticated engineering and technology to explore bizarre and fascinating areas across the universe. Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock visits Professor Mark Sephton at Imperial College London, who is leading the Perseverance Rover mission to Mars. This mission is remarkable as it will bring samples of rock from another planet back to Earth. Mark showcases how images sent from the
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Ancient Aliens – S19 E06 | Cosmic Impacts: Meteor impacts have significantly altered our world, creating the perfect environment for the rise of humankind and delivering metals essential to the development of an advanced civilization. But could new evidence reveal that celestial objects have been directed to Earth by an alien intelligence? Ancient Aliens is an American television series that premiered on April 20, 2010, on the History channel. Produced by Prometheus Entertainment in a documentary style, the program presents hypotheses of ancient astronauts and proposes that historical texts, archaeology, and legends contain evidence of past human-extraterrestrial contact. The show
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The Sky at Night – Exoplanets and Antarctica: In a month when the tally of confirmed exoplanets passed 5,000, it’s astonishing to remember that just 30 years ago, the notion of planets outside our own solar system was, well – just a notion. Since the first extrasolar planet was discovered in 1992, a staggering array of other worlds have been identified, including many in solar systems quite unlike our own. Professor Amaury Triaud (University of Birmingham) studies binary systems – two stars locked in mutual orbit – and the planets that have been found orbiting them. Recently, Professor
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The Sky at Night – Alien Worlds investigates what we know about these alien worlds and looks at how we have managed to detect them. It is not just our sun that is circled by planets. In recent years, astronomers have found over 4,000 planets circling stars other than our own. Professor Chris Lintott visits the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh to see a cutting-edge camera designed to take pictures of exoplanets. And Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock talks to experts about the continuing hunt for alien worlds and, even, alien moons. Meanwhile, Pete Lawrence sticks to hunting for
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