The Sky at Night - 1961

Patrick Moore talks with W.M. Baxter, Secretary of the British Astronomical Association, about the mysterious dark areas, many thousands of miles across, on the sun's surface, known as sunspots. Besides discussing whether these affect the weather, they also consider the effect of solar flares on future manned space-travel. Particles emitted from these may turn out to be one of the worst hazards of all.

In this programme, postponed from February, Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. F. L. Jackson, of King's College Hospital Pathology Department, the results of certain experiments carried out specially on behalf of 'The Sky at Night'. In these experiments various living organisms have been subjected to the conditions of atmosphere and temperature which exist on Mars.

Following last month's programme on the possibility of life existing on Mars, Patrick Moore discusses whether very low forms of life may be found on the Moon, our nearest neighbour in space and the one most likely to be first reached by man. He also shows viewers the newly published Russian Atlas of the back of the Moon, based on photographs taken by Lunik III.

As the Russian space probe approaches Venus, Patrick Moore discusses the little we know about this planet and what sort of world further exploration might reveal it to be.

Frank Hyde has built and operated his own radio telescope at Clacton in Essex. Patrick Moore discusses with him the contributions an amateur can make in this latest field of astronomy.

Patrick Moore discusses meteors and meteorites with Dr. M. H. Hey of the British Museum of Natural History, and the latest versions of the suggestion that some may contain organic compounds.

To celebrate the fiftieth edition of "The Sky at Night", Patrick Moore looks around the night sky through George Hole's 24-inch telescope at Patcham and the 36-inch telescope at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. Weather permitting, it is hoped to obtain the first-ever 'live' pictures of probably the most beautiful object in the heavens, Saturn and its rings.

Patrick Moore discusses with Dr. H. E. Butler how artificial satellites outside the earth's atmosphere can help astronomers, and what further discoveries they may lead to.

From time to time it has been suggested that the Earth may have more than one natural moon. Any such satellite would be very small and faint; but searches for them have been carried out, and recently a Polish astronomer claimed to have photographed two of them. Patrick Moore discusses the theory with Colin Ronan.

Patrick Moore talks about star clusters and asks viewers to help find out how many stars in the Pleiades are visible without a telescope.

Patrick Moore describes how to set up a small home telescope, powerful enough for real astronomical use, and discusses with L. Marsland Gander the best way to use it. He also gives the result of viewers' observations of how many stars can be seen in the Pleiades.