0:00:28 > 0:00:29BOTH: Hello.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33And welcome to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich here in London.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Tonight's programme is all about the moon
0:00:35 > 0:00:38and we'll be finding out about the latest mission to go there
0:00:38 > 0:00:42We'll also have the results from this summer's Moore Moon Marathon.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43I know lots of you have taken part
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and I'm really keen to find out how you got on.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Later this evening, we're hoping to catch a glimpse
0:00:49 > 0:00:52of an intriguing lunar eclipse but, until then,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55here's Pete Lawrence with what to see in November's night sky.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Astronomers are getting excited about comet ISON,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07which is starting to produce a tail
0:01:07 > 0:01:10as it nears and gets heated up by the sun.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16At the start of November, the comet should be visible in the binoculars
0:01:16 > 0:01:20close to the star Sigma Leonis which marks the rear paw of Leo
0:01:21 > 0:01:26It passes very close to the stars Zavijava, or Beta Virginis,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28on the morning of 7th November
0:01:28 > 0:01:33and Porrima, or Gamma Virginis on the 13th.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35On the 18th, ISON will be
0:01:35 > 0:01:39very close to the star Spica, or Alpha Virginis.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42The comet should be visible to the naked eye at this time.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44With binoculars pointed at Spica,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47you should be able to pick up the comet in the same field of view
0:01:49 > 0:01:53As we head into the third week of November, the moon gets in the way
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and the comet is only visible in the morning twilight.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02One more thing for you to look at in November, the planet Jupiter,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04which is in the eastern sky.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Throughout November it's located
0:02:06 > 0:02:09close to the star Wasat in Gemini, the twins.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The charts to find the comet and Jupiter are on our website
0:02:23 > 0:02:26This month's Sky At Night is from Greenwich
0:02:26 > 0:02:29with astronomers converging on Blackheath Common.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Chris and I have been joined by Pete Lawrence
0:02:32 > 0:02:36and Jon Culshaw to see the lunar eclipse.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40What better time to announce the final of our Moore Moon Marathon?
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Sir Patrick Moore, as a young astronomer, studied the moon.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I think the first explorers
0:02:48 > 0:02:49may have some surprises
0:02:49 > 0:02:52when they first step out of their craft
0:02:52 > 0:02:54onto the barren, bleak moonscapes.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57He spent thousands of hours building up lunar maps
0:02:57 > 0:03:01which were later used by the Russians and Americans
0:03:01 > 0:03:03when they went to the moon.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06You can see the dark seas even without a telescope at all.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10After all, the moon is by very much our nearest neighbour in space
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Our nearest natural neighbour, that's to say.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Patrick always encouraged us
0:03:14 > 0:03:18to look up and appreciate what's on our celestial doorstep.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23We've tried to keep the spirit with our Moore Moon Marathon.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27While Pete and I assemble our table of wares,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31let's get the results from Chris and Jon.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Well, it has to be said, it's not the clearest of nights right now.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36We've got plenty of astronomers
0:03:36 > 0:03:39They're looking cheerful and enthusiastic and hopeful, so fingers crossed.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42They certainly do, and one or two breaks in these clouds
0:03:42 > 0:03:45which are giving us that sense of promise.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48We might see a good view of that penumbral eclipse later
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Let's hope so.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Before we get to that, let's talk about the Moore Moon Marathon.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54We challenged you back at the start of the summer
0:03:54 > 0:03:58to take a close look at the moon and thousands of you have taken part.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02It's been wonderful to see people's enthusiasm. Terrific comments here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Simon and Sarah Fisher from Worcestershire had a great deal of fun over the summer,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09lots of clear nights. They had a really lucky run at it, actually,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and were able to go through all of their moon captures in great detail,
0:04:12 > 0:04:13so a sense of the dedication there.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16That's right. The waiting for clear skies is a bit of a theme.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Chris Goode from Devon says, "It took me over a few months to get
0:04:20 > 0:04:24"all the information due to rubbish cloud cover," where he lives.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I sympathise with that. Dedication carried him through
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Nice one here from David Winham in Newcastle.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33"Looking at the moon, I had a feeling of intrigue and desolation,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36"maybe magnificent desolation. Maybe I've become moonstruck."
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I think you have, David, and we're glad of that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Also moonstruck, Victor Suttle
0:04:40 > 0:04:43who I think must be the youngest person so far.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47He's five, in Essex, and he says, "I spotted the half moon and it was
0:04:47 > 0:04:50"really tricky and it took me a long time." But well done for persevering.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Exactly. Half a moon is better than none at all, so well done for that.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Do you think so? I think so. Good. We'll settle for half a moon tonight.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Oh, there it is, through a little bit of hazy cloud.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05These are the little glimpses that give us promise and hope.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It did vanish while you were saying that, Jon
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Keith Moore from South Yorkshire enjoyed this,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13"Very much enjoyed the MMM.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16"Going to make it my quest to learn more about the moon,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18"just like my namesake."
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Well done to you. Well done, indeed.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And the Kilgore family from Glasgow took part in the MMM,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27as I think we're going to call it from now on, in particular Alistair,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29who enjoyed it so much he had a moon birthday cake.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33So you can not only observe, but eat all of the features.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Well done, Alistair. A wonderful, award-winning cake, there. Indeed.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38We'll come back to the Moore Moon Marathon in a moment
0:05:38 > 0:05:41but, first, let's look at what's going to happen tonight
0:05:41 > 0:05:44as Pete and Lucy explain the eclipse to us. It's gone again.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46HE LAUGHS
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Tonight's eclipse is slightly different, slightly unusual.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56It comes down to the fact that there are two parts to the Earth's shadow.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59You can illustrate that on the table, here. I'll have a go.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01There we go. So, you've got the light passing over the Earth
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and what I can see really clearly,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06there's a dark centre to the shadow that we call the umbra
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and then a slightly fainter shadow all the way around the edge
0:06:10 > 0:06:11that we call the penumbra.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13So, Pete, what is it that's happening tonight?
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Tonight, the moon will be moving through the shadow,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but it's missing the main part in the middle
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and it's moving through that outer fainter part, the penumbra,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25so it's what is called a penumbral eclipse of the moon
0:06:25 > 0:06:28So it's coming through here, is it? Yeah, that's right.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31The best way to describe a penumbral eclipse
0:06:31 > 0:06:33is to call it a subtle eclipse
0:06:33 > 0:06:36If you were looking at it visually, you probably wouldn't see
0:06:36 > 0:06:39much difference in the appearance of the full moon.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43But if you take a photograph before the moon enters the penumbral shadow
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and then another photograph of the moon when it's actually
0:06:46 > 0:06:49in the penumbral shadow at the maximum part of the eclipse,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53what you see is a very gentle shading close to the bit of the moon
0:06:53 > 0:06:57which is closest to the darkest part of the shadow in space.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58Still, it's a very special event
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and it's one that I'm looking forward to seeing.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Our marathon has been divided into five sections
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and the first is all about the lunar seas.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16We've been joined on Blackheath Common by moon expert Katie Joy
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Several people, including Pawel Kus from Poland
0:07:21 > 0:07:24wanted to know about the seas, wanted to know how they formed
0:07:24 > 0:07:27So, first of all, why do they look so different from the rest of the moon?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30So on the moon we have two main rock types. These are my fake moon.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I'm not allowed to bring huge chunks of real moon out with me
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It's a shame, really. It is a bit of a shame.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Essentially, we have two main rock types on the moon.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39We have a white rock in the lunar highlands.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40This is the very old rock.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43And then we have lunar lava flows that were formed in volcanoes
0:07:43 > 0:07:46and these are the material that formed those dark seas
0:07:46 > 0:07:47that cover most of the nearside
0:07:47 > 0:07:50that people have been spotting in the Moore Marathon.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52So, this is the reason we have the seas - lava flows.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55So, they're made of different stuff and so they're different colours?
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Different colours, different chemistry, different minerals between the two.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02The lunar seas appear to be a lot smoother as we look at the moon
0:08:02 > 0:08:03is that true in reality?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05The lunar seas are a lot younger,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07so we have to go back to the origin of the moon
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and talk about its early geology.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12We think the moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago
0:08:12 > 0:08:13in a giant impact event,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17where a Mars-sized body crashed into the early Earth.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It spawns off a huge amount of material
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and forms a magma body in space and then that magma body cools
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and it forms an interior, a core, a mantle and a crust.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29The crust that formed was made of this rock,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31which is the very old highlands material.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Subsequently to that,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35we had the lavas that were formed deep in the moon,
0:08:35 > 0:08:36propagated through the crust
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and erupted into large impact basins that are on the surface.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The reason they're so smooth is because the lavas were very runny.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45They ran out and distributed very evenly
0:08:45 > 0:08:48across some of these types of impact craters, making a smooth surface.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52And they also haven't been heavily impact cratered like the highlands,
0:08:52 > 0:08:53because they were a lot younger
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It's kind of a twofold reason less impact craters
0:08:56 > 0:08:57and smooth runny lava that made them.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Is this very different to the formation of
0:08:59 > 0:09:02other moons in the solar system around Saturn and Jupiter?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Mars's moons, we hear, are captured asteroids,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08so this sounds rather different It's a unique event, yeah.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Most of the other moons we think of are captured from bodies
0:09:10 > 0:09:12moving in and then being gravitationally attracted
0:09:12 > 0:09:15to their parent planets, but this is why the moon is so interesting,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19it's a completely unique event and it tells us lots of information
0:09:19 > 0:09:23about how the Earth formed and early terrestrial processes as well.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25And also, because it's old, it's a
0:09:25 > 0:09:27record of the early solar system as well.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30There are some interesting results that come from counting craters
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and looking at these older surfaces.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34That's exactly why the moon is so important.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's three days away, it is very easy to get to... Easy for you to say!
0:09:37 > 0:09:39..it's accessible, it's 4.5 billion years old.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Well, if you've got a big spaceship, you can get there in three days
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And it provides us with a record of the geological evolution
0:09:45 > 0:09:48of the inner solar system over 4.5 billion years.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Much of that record has been lost on the Earth,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52because we recycle our geology through plate tectonics
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and other types of active geological processes,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57but the moon is almost frozen in time.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00The moon is really special for lots of reasons.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02The lunar seas that we were talking about,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04what a great starting point they were for the marathon,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07great naked eye objects just to get you in there
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and lead you on to the others.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Philip Jennings of York,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13he was saying that the seas are a wonderful site with the telescope.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16They certainly are, especially when rippled with wrinkled ridges
0:10:16 > 0:10:20or crisscrossed with brighter crater rays at full moon.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23A shame, then, that he locked himself out of his observatory
0:10:23 > 0:10:25because he couldn't find the key. Oh, dear!
0:10:25 > 0:10:28But this did remind him how wonderful the moon is to see
0:10:28 > 0:10:30just with the naked eye, which is very true.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33It is wonderful and there's no sign of it whatsoever,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35so we're going to go to Pete and Lucy
0:10:35 > 0:10:38to find out how some of the craters on the lunar surface formed.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Now, we're moving on to the second part of the Moore Moon Marathon
0:10:44 > 0:10:46that looks at some of the features on the moon
0:10:46 > 0:10:48that reflect its more violent history.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51These are craters, bright and dark craters.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Pete, why did you choose these features?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Well, these are features which are easy to see
0:10:55 > 0:10:57when the moon is fairly well illuminated.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01I think they're pretty iconic, actually, on the moon's face.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06There are very bright craters with very large rays coming off them and
0:11:06 > 0:11:11also dark craters, which look like little lakes, if you like, of lava.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14These are features that you perhaps need to have binoculars to see
0:11:14 > 0:11:16so they're a little bit more challenging than the first
0:11:16 > 0:11:18section of the Moore Moon Marathon.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Yeah, that's right.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Now, you mentioned rays, features of craters. We have a tray here
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Now, you have a challenge because you can make a crater.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31We've got flour underneath and cocoa powder
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and chocolate on top and this is the asteroid.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38To make this work, I've got to throw this hard into the tray,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41so forgive me... I'm going to step back! OK. Go for it.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Oh, perfect!
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Well, look at that. That is fantastic.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53So, you've carved out the crater floor here, absolutely fantastic,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and all the bright material underneath has come into view.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00So, it's gone across the dark floor of the sea there,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02so this stands out as a ray crater.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05So this would be a bright crater in a mare on the surface of the moon.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08That's right, yes. Beautiful. And I can see the ejecta here.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And these would be the bright rays? That's right.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Tycho is a great example of that, of course,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16in the southern part of the moon because it's got those bright rays
0:12:16 > 0:12:18which extend right across the moon's face.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22It's an iconic crater. And a lot of you really got excited by Tycho,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25so I've got a comment from David Wenham from Newcastle.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And he says, "Tycho is spectacular to look at.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32"The impact crater is so vast, which scars the moon."
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And it really does, it spreads over a huge distance
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I think that's my favourite crater to look at.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41But this comment is lovely from Alan Fenner on the Wirral
0:12:41 > 0:12:45He says, "If the moon was a giant fruit, Tycho would be the place
0:12:45 > 0:12:49"where it hung from the tree." So this is a really lovely example.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53You had bright and dark craters on your list.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So tell me a bit about how the dark craters form.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01The dark craters, like Grimaldi which is a very distinctive marker
0:13:01 > 0:13:06on the moon's face, is basically a crater where the floor of the crater
0:13:06 > 0:13:09has become flooded with dark lava.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13And they look very distinctive on the moon's face.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15The craters you selected, they're all beautiful
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but is there one that stands out as your favourite?
0:13:18 > 0:13:22I think Copernicus, actually, because that's very well-defined crater
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It's got great rays coming off from it. Just like this.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And it's got these beautiful terraced walls when you look at it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31They're sort of blocked down to the floor of the crater
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And you can see that we have got that effect in our crater here
0:13:34 > 0:13:35It does look like it.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Little terraces.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40And that's formed as the lunar surface slumps back down again
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Copernicus has got some fantastic mountains right in the centre.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45So in the largest craters,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49you get this central uplift as the rock becomes more plastic.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Yes, like a liquid. It comes back up and solidifies
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I've got some more comments here that includes Copernicus.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00It is a comment from David Scanlon in Hampshire and he says,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04"Copernicus and Kepler, clearly obvious due to their size.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08"Aristarchus, stunning, brightest lunar feature by far
0:14:08 > 0:14:12"and awe-inspiring." Aristarchus is an interesting crater. It is.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14It's a very young crater, very bright.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18It's got those terraced walls again and very bright rays around it
0:14:18 > 0:14:21So go to the website and find the location.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24And we've got another comment here from Sammy Glastonbury.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28"Kepler reminds me of a spider" OK. Do you see that?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It's never reminded me of a spider but it might do from now on.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Another comment here from Sarah and Simon Fisher from Worcestershire.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38They said, "It was awesome to be able to use
0:14:38 > 0:14:41"our own photos and name both the bright and the dark craters .
0:14:41 > 0:14:44That's wonderful. Just wonderful. Really sums it up.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Now section 3 is craters in shadow.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51We've got a demo here to illustrate how fantastic these craters look.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54That's right. The reason I wanted to put these into the Moon Marathon
0:14:54 > 0:14:57is that craters are really dramatic when they're very close
0:14:57 > 0:15:00to the terminator, the line which marks the difference
0:15:00 > 0:15:02between night and day on the moon.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07And I can illustrate that with the sun again. The trusty sun.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09And these fantastic models of craters.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13In fact, if I illuminate this crater from above directly,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16you don't get to see many of the relief features,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19the features with the height on there.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21But as the sun's angle starts to come down,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24if you watch what happens inside it,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27you can start to see the shadows growing in length.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Those craterlets have really become quite well defined. Yes.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35You're absolutely right. I can suddenly see all the structure within the crater itself.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It's amazing. And look at the length of those shadows
0:15:37 > 0:15:41as the sun starts to get lower and lower in the lunar sky.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Look at the central mountains there. Gosh.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Those mountains look enormous
0:15:45 > 0:15:48because they have this huge triangular shadow.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51There's suddenly huge drama to that crater. That's right.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55And then suddenly it goes into complete darkness.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57'Well, the eclipse is now well under way
0:15:57 > 0:16:00and there are probably people who are enjoying a good sight of it.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02If you could see the moon right now,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05you would begin to notice a difference from an everyday moon.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07We can't see anything.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Let's talk about the lunar surface again,
0:16:09 > 0:16:14in particular David Scanlon from Hampshire talks about Clavius,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17a wonderful myriad of younger craters over an older crater
0:16:17 > 0:16:20which makes for superb exploration.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Yes, they really captured the imagination, the craters in shadow.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Tell us some more about Clavius, Katie.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27There's a complex history here
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Clavius is quite a large crater about 225km in diameter.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35It has a rim around the edge that marks its exterior extent.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38We don't know exactly when the crater formed
0:16:38 > 0:16:41but we can count other craters that have been superimposed on top of it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43So we think that it's Nectarian in age
0:16:43 > 0:16:45which is about 4 billion years ago.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Of course, we had other craters in shadow. What about Eratosthenes
0:16:48 > 0:16:52I think that's...is that how you say it? Eratosthenes, is that it?
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Yes, that's the elegant way of doing it. Very good. We'll let Jon say it. Eratosthenes.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Alan Fenner from the Wirral: "When I see Eratosthenes,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03"I can't help but see..." ` I love these imaginative descriptions!
0:17:03 > 0:17:05"I see the eye of a baby dinosaur
0:17:05 > 0:17:08"with the Apennines as its neck and back".
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Probably a young Polacanthus by that description. Yes, very good!
0:17:12 > 0:17:14But, actually, that mention of the mountains
0:17:14 > 0:17:17as the ridge of the dinosaur's back in that case
0:17:17 > 0:17:20leads us on to Section 4, which was The Majestic Mountains.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And we had all sorts of comments. Keith Moore from South Yorkshire
0:17:23 > 0:17:27just says, "Montes Jura on the terminator, wow!"
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Quite simply, wow. Makes you think of future lunar mountaineers
0:17:32 > 0:17:34who could probably climb the mountains rather easily
0:17:34 > 0:17:36with that lower gravity, just floating up there.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39And it wouldn't be quite so bad when you fell back down again.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43It'd still be a long way down. But the mountains are spectacular.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46They might not be as high as our mountains on Earth but they look wonderful
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and Calum Kilgore saw the line of the Montes Jura disappearing
0:17:50 > 0:17:52into space through binoculars and then later on
0:17:52 > 0:17:55saw the whole semicircle of mountains through the telescope
0:17:55 > 0:17:58thanks to his dad who got the telescope out in front of the neighbours.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01So well done, Dad. I think that s the main takeaway from that one
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Got the whole street talking! Indeed!
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Over Blackheath in London,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11the clouds have firmly set in
0:18:11 > 0:18:14but, in Pennsylvania, they had clear skies.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The subtle shading in the bottom right of the moon
0:18:17 > 0:18:18is the Earth's shadow.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22In Massachusetts, a plane passed over the penumbral eclipse
0:18:22 > 0:18:27and in Iran, you could see the Earth's shadow quite clearly.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29There was a handy gap in the clouds over Stuttgart,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31just enough for a glimpse of the moon.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Now it's a break from the moon and off to the planets
0:18:35 > 0:18:36where we join Paul Abel,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39who's been finding out about the latest research results.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54Every year, astronomers who study the planets gather to share ideas and their research
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's the turn of London,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and University College London are the hosts.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Well, look at this. Isn't this stunning?
0:19:06 > 0:19:10This is a beautiful panorama from Mars.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and it shows the beautiful, majestic ravines
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and the windswept sand dunes of the red planet
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and it really is an incredible image.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Research is presented on posters
0:19:27 > 0:19:29which are put up for everyone to look at.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Some of this is rather technical.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Look at this lovely poster. This is about an extrasolar planet.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44And this is really a sign of the times
0:19:44 > 0:19:47because we haven't just got results here from our own solar system
0:19:47 > 0:19:50but we have data from other planetary systems as well.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55News from our solar system is always exciting.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Mike Brown is here to talk about the latest from Jupiter's moon, Europa.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05It seems the oceans of Europa have salts not unlike our own.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08Mike is more famously known
0:20:08 > 0:20:11for discovering lots of Kuiper Belt objects
0:20:11 > 0:20:15such as Sedna, Makemake and Quaoar.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Their exotic names give an air of mystery to objects that lurk
0:20:19 > 0:20:22in the farthest regions of our solar system, well beyond Neptune.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I shall introduce you to our viewers,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29if you don't mind, as the man who killed off Pluto.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31That's a fair thing to say, isn't it? I think that's OK.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Why did you do that?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36You know, my usual response when people ask me
0:20:36 > 0:20:38is because it had it coming,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40but really I did it,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I killed off Pluto sort of by accident.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I was actually looking for something
0:20:45 > 0:20:49that I would think would be a 1 th planet, something bigger than Pluto,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52some substantially-sized object in the outer solar system.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56And by looking, we surveyed the entire the outer solar system
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and realised that not only is there nothing really substantially
0:20:59 > 0:21:01bigger than Pluto but there are many things
0:21:01 > 0:21:04that are just essentially the same size as Pluto, which really meant
0:21:04 > 0:21:07that Pluto is not as special as we used to think it was
0:21:07 > 0:21:10and it really never deserved to be called a planet.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So actually, you're completely unrepentant about killing of poor Pluto?!
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I'm actually very happy about it.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19These objects are what we would class as trans-Neptunian objects,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21that's the general umbrella term.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24In fact, we more often commonly call them Kuiper Belt objects.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26They are the coldest,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31least-processed objects in the solar system and by processed I mean
0:21:31 > 0:21:35if you look around at the Earth or any other planet,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38everything you see started out in the early solar system
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and then has been heated up and crunched together and extruded
0:21:41 > 0:21:46and split apart and so it's very difficult to figure out what
0:21:46 > 0:21:48really things were like at the very beginning.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50As you move further and further out of the solar system,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53things have never heated up very much
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and not only have they not heated up very much
0:21:55 > 0:21:58they haven't been thrown around by the planets quite as much,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02so we can try to use what they're made out of and where they are
0:22:02 > 0:22:05to figure out not just what things were like
0:22:05 > 0:22:09in the very earliest solar system but how things have rearranged
0:22:09 > 0:22:10since the solar system was formed.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14And that's really the promise of this region out beyond Neptune.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15If you could pick up a piece of it,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18you're almost getting a little slice of the original cake
0:22:18 > 0:22:21of the solar system, which is what you'd like to do. That's quite a thought!
0:22:24 > 0:22:28These distant worlds have volcanoes and water ice.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30They are far from boring and bland.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33They have geology and some of them are large.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Eris is about the same size as Pluto yet it was only discovered in 2 05.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Could it be that there is an even larger world
0:22:42 > 0:22:46lurking in the icy depths of our solar system, the infamous Planet X?
0:22:50 > 0:22:53There's always the possibility that out in the Oort Cloud,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56people have always speculated about a brown dwarf
0:22:56 > 0:22:57or a Jupiter-sized thing.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01I think that these days it's harder to speculate about that
0:23:01 > 0:23:04because we actually have data that suggests there's nothing out there.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06But you can always hide them somewhere.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11People will forever speculate about these Jupiter-sized things out there. I suspect it's not true
0:23:11 > 0:23:14I think the biggest things that are still out there
0:23:14 > 0:23:16are going to be Mercury or Mars-sized.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20They're going to be very far away, very faint, hard to find and hard to study
0:23:20 > 0:23:22But I bet they're out there.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29We have discovered around 1,000 Kuiper Belt objects,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31all in the past two decades.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36The first was found in 1992 by Dave Jewitt and is called QB1.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Dave has come to London to talk about something new
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and to solve an old mystery.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47So asteroids have been known for 200 years or something like that
0:23:47 > 0:23:49and I figured it's all over,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52we know everything you ever want to know about asteroids.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56It turns out there's this population that's been there all the time but it was only just discovered
0:23:56 > 0:23:58They are asteroids by their orbits,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01but they look like comets. Confusing!
0:24:01 > 0:24:03And it's very freaky because an asteroid
0:24:03 > 0:24:05you would think is a rock and a rock looks like a rock,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09and nothing ever happens and it's kind of boring but they look like comets,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11they release material, they eject dust.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And it's just very bizarre. So I'm trying to explore this population.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17We don't have many. There's like 10 or 12 known at the present time.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21But we're looking at these things, trying to understand what they are.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And they're part of this general phenomenon
0:24:24 > 0:24:26that we call the active asteroid phenomenon. Wow.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30By which an object that you think should just be a boring, inert rock
0:24:30 > 0:24:33somehow is able to be active and eject material.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40The Geminid meteor shower graces our winter skies every year.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43And it's the asteroid Phaethon which creates them.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Phaethon, it seems,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51is one of these new type of asteroids which acts like a comet.
0:24:51 > 0:24:58Phaethon is in an elliptical orbit that goes all the way into 0.14 AU.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59So that's quite close to the sun.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02It goes seven times closer to the sun than we are.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05So it gets 50 times more sunlight than we get,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07so it gets really hot at the perihelion.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08And in this particular case,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13what I think is happening is that it gets so hot that it cracks,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18it thermally fractures, just like if you take a glass of orange juice,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20you drink the orange juice, you stick it in the sink to wash it,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23you hit it with hot water and the glass will crack
0:25:23 > 0:25:26because of thermal expansion of the glass.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Probably that happens to the surface of this body.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32So it gets really hot and this material just flows out and this,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34we think, is responsible for our Geminid meteor stream
0:25:34 > 0:25:37later in the year when the Earth passes through it?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39That's what I think. Sounds like fascinating stuff.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42What sort of things do you hope to get in the future?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44You hope to discover more of these objects, presumably?
0:25:44 > 0:25:49We've found this zoo of very strange objects lurking in the asteroid belt
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and we'd just like to understand what they are.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54We live in interesting times, Dave. Thank you very much. OK, you're welcome.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01There is always time for a spot of R'n'R at these conferences.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I bet Pete would be good at this. Oh!
0:26:04 > 0:26:07No luck with my lunar rover.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Houston, we have a problem. Oh, dear.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13That's why I don't drive, incidentally.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16NASA had better not rely on me
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Time now to go back to Blackheath Common for our last section
0:26:21 > 0:26:25in our Moore Moon Marathon, which Pete's called The Lunar Specials.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29It's one in the morning here at Blackheath
0:26:29 > 0:26:31and we're still going strong.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Somewhere there's somebody having a good view of the eclipse,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37which is at maximum about now, but it's not us.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Yes, we can't see it but we know it's there.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Completely overcast but there's nothing one can do
0:26:42 > 0:26:46No, absolutely not. We should move on to the Lunar Specials.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Christina Chester from Hertfordshire,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51who is here somewhere, found a migrating duck
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and a puppy with its bone up in the lunar highlands.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56That's quite strange!
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Well, Richard Bailey from Daventry says, "Thanks to Mr Culshaw,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04"I now see a Cyberman on the moon." I know how he feels.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Sorry to ruin the old lady of the moon.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09I think she's more like the lady from Downton Abbey,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12I've rethought that one!
0:27:12 > 0:27:15And Stephen Brown from Middlesbrough says, "The ghost crater Stadius
0:27:15 > 0:27:17"was the hardest feature of the marathon for me,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20"but I managed just about to make it out," so well done.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23We also had some complaints about Rupes Recta,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27various people got lost trying to find this.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Sammy Glastonbury said, "It was very, very, very hard to find.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34"Very frustrating". Alan Fenner from the Wirral said that.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37He said, "Other people seem to be able to get great views
0:27:37 > 0:27:42"of Rupes Recta but I always find it very difficult. Harumph "
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Well done to everyone who took part in our Moore Moon Marathon
0:27:46 > 0:27:49And especially if you managed to complete it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53There's a cosmic congratulations to Wayne Young and his son, Thomas
0:27:53 > 0:27:56who completed all three of Patrick's observing marathons.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Quite an achievement.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04Our guides on what to see on the moon are still on our web page at:
0:28:07 > 0:28:09You can also find Pete's charts
0:28:09 > 0:28:12to find comet ISON over the next few weeks.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15We've had a fantastic time here
0:28:15 > 0:28:18so thank you to everyone who stayed with us.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20That's thanks to the Flamsteed Astronomical Society
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25When we come back next month, we'll be heading for the clear skies
0:28:25 > 0:28:29of La Palma in the Canary Islands, hoping to find a bright comet.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32So until next month, good night
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd