When Mercury Crosses the Sun
The Sky at Night - 1973
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.
Watch
When Mercury Crosses the Sun
0:00 / --:--
1080p
Season 17
Episodes
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.
Practical Work in the Observatory
From his Selsey observatory, Patrick Moore illustrates what amateur astronomers can achieve, and shows the planet Saturn.
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)
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.
How Big are the Planets?
Patrick Moore discusses with Gordon Taylor and Dr David Allen new ways of measuring objects in our solar system.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Pioneer to 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.
Catalog
Seasons
Specials
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026