0:00:28 > 0:00:31Good evening. For this programme
0:00:31 > 0:00:33we have another Moore Marathon for you,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35examining the winter stars.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37And this should be good,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41as the winter stars are the most magnificent of the entire year.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43With me, Chris Lintott.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I agree, Patrick, the winter stars are amongst the most beautiful.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50We have a constellation of experts to help guide us around!
0:00:50 > 0:00:54As usual, Paul Abel, Chris North and, of course, Pete Lawrence.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55And what we've done this time,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00we'd split the marathon into two parts, so the first 25 objects
0:01:00 > 0:01:05are naked eye and binocular, and the last 25 are for telescopic viewing.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08You can see the full list at the website.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13With that under way, we should get a move on,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and let's start with object number one - the Pleiades.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18The Pleiades is a brilliant object to look at,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21whatever your observing method. With naked eyes is beautiful.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23It is sometimes called the Seven Sisters
0:01:23 > 0:01:26because there are apparently seven stars
0:01:26 > 0:01:28to be seen with the naked eye,
0:01:28 > 0:01:33but reports vary greatly depending on your sky conditions and allsorts.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I've seen fewer and more than seven on different occasions.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40- The trouble is, one of them is variable.- Is it? Ah!
0:01:40 > 0:01:42But there are many more in the cluster as well, Pete.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45But there is some gas around the stars.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48PETE LAWRENCE: That's right, there's a reflection nebula around them.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51If you take a long-exposure photograph of that region,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55you pick up this beautiful sort of blue misty cloud around it.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00And that shines because of the light reflected off of the stars.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03CHRIS LINTOTT: So the Pleiades are in Taurus.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The other cluster in Taurus, Patrick, is the Hyades.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09The Hyades have several easy naked-eye stars.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12It doesn't look too much like a cluster, Pete.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14PETE: If you compare it with the Pleiades,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18it looks completely different. It's got a very distinctive V-shape,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20the V is on its side,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and that's supposed to represent the face of Taurus the Bull.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24At the moment,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26the stars of the Hyades have their own proper motions,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and they're going towards Aldebaran.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32So it's actually drawing together over time?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34They are. That means the longer you leave it to see the Hyades,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37the better the view will be! THEY LAUGH
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- You might have to wait a little while.- And it'll be cloudy!- Indeed.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44From those two, I think object three is...
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Well, it's a cluster of stars, but a much bigger one.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50It is the Triangulum Galaxy.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It's the most distant object you can see with the naked eye.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55It's about three million light years away.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58This is actually harder than it seems to find. Is this a binocular object?
0:02:58 > 0:02:59I think so.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I made the great mistake when I got into astronomy
0:03:02 > 0:03:05looking for deep-sky objects with very powerful eyepieces,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and you do need a small telescope or binoculars for this sort of thing.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12The main problem with it is it's a beautiful face
0:03:12 > 0:03:15on the spiral galaxy, but it's got very low surface brightness.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17With a spiral galaxy, like our Milky Way,
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Patrick, you've often said
0:03:18 > 0:03:21you can think of a spiral galaxy as two fried eggs back-to-back.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Exactly.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25And, with M33,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29we're looking straight down onto the white part and onto the yolk,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and so that the light gets spread out a lot across a high area.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So even though it's a bright object,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36technically visible with the naked eye, it is difficult.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38I have seen it with the naked eye.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I thought you might! The other week I went out, we had a lovely clear sky,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46the first one for ages, and I deliberately looked for it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50But I can't see it when we get clear skies down here with direct vision.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53You have to use a technique called averted vision,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56which is something astronomers use quite a lot,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58but basically, if you're looking for a faint object,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01you don't look directly at it, you look to the side of it,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05and that puts the faint light onto a more sensitive part of your eye.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07It's a technique you can learn quite easily.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Just practise looking out the corner of your eye.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12So I could look over here, but pay attention to you.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Do I look brighter?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16You're certainly easier to see in faint light!
0:04:16 > 0:04:203.3 million light years away, so if you can see it with the naked eye, you're looking a LONG way back.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Yes, we're seeing it as it was three million years ago.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Let's come back to our own galaxy. Shall we go to a cluster next?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- Beehive Cluster, in Cancer - that's EASILY seen.- Yes, it is.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35It means a cluster of stars, and that's exactly what it is.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40And a cluster of about three or four different names as well.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I've no idea why, but they call this particular cluster,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48which looks like a faint misty patch up on the dome of the heavens,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51it was called the Exhalation Of Piled Up Corpses!
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So there's a cheerful thought for you on a winter's night.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Isn't that supposed to be due to the fact that, in mythology,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01it was thought to be a portal for souls leaving this world and moving on?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Perhaps when they got there, they just left all the corpses behind.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And back in this world, it's easily a naked-eye object.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10You can try the averted-vision technique again.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11With binoculars, it's beautiful.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13It is. It's one of these objects
0:05:13 > 0:05:16that's really made for binoculars, I think.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19As soon as you put any sort of power into a telescope,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21a lot of the stars vanish out of the field of view,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23and it loses its magic.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Why don't we come from what must be the easiest object of all,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and this is definitely your province and Patrick's - Jupiter.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34We've got the red spot on the list separately,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39but, Patrick, what about Jupiter with the naked eye and with binoculars?
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Well, it's a very bright object.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Brighter than almost anything in the sky.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47You can't mistake it. It's too red to be a star.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- And moons with binoculars? - They should be easy with binoculars.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- Have you ever seen them with the naked eye?- I personally haven't.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- I haven't either! - Anyone? Pete?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59No, I haven't.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02But I think the one thing about Jupiter at the moment is that,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06because it is nestled in Taurus, very close to the V-shaped Hyades cluster,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08it looks absolutely dramatic.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I have been doing this over the last few weeks
0:06:11 > 0:06:14whenever the sky has been clear, and it's just gorgeous.
0:06:14 > 0:06:20The Pleiades, the Hyades, Aldebaran and Jupiter. It is a must-see thing.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22What more can you ask for, huh?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Venus in there as well! And a fireball.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Moving on through the list,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31we're coming to a whole list of open clusters.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Messier 36, 37 and 38.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Quite easily seen.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38You can get them done in one go with binoculars. You just go...
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- And you've got them all done! - Object number 13
0:06:42 > 0:06:45on the Moore Winter Marathon list, I confess I have never heard of.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Patrick, I don't know whether you have. It's the Celestial G.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Do you have any idea what this is?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Who invented that one, I do not know!
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It was a chap called Graham(!)
0:06:56 > 0:07:00It's on my list, even though I don't know what it is.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Pete, enlighten us.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06The Celestial G is a good example of what is known as an asterism,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and it's a bit of fun in the night sky.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10CHRIS: So, an asterism is a collection of stars.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13PETE: It's an unofficial pattern of stars in the night sky.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17This one's a bit of fun because it helps people locate or hunt down
0:07:17 > 0:07:20some of the brighter stars in the winter night sky.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24And to draw it, you have to join the dots, basically.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Where would you start?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28I guess Orion is probably the most distinctive shape in that.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31You find the belt with the two bright stars.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34PETE: You can go from the belt backwards, or Aldebaran.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37CHRIS: Shall we go to a more obscure constellation?
0:07:37 > 0:07:41This is one of my favourite objects on the list, number 17,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43which is known as Kemble's Cascade.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Before we get there, what on earth is Camelopardalis?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Oh, I wish you haven't asked me that because I don't know!
0:07:50 > 0:07:53This is one of the fainter constellations.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- It's something I call the giraffe. - Is it the giraffe?
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Yes, Camelopardalis translates as giraffe, I think,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03cos they thought it was a cross between a camel and a leopard.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05I think it might be anything, frankly.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Where is this constellation, Pete?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09PETE: Well, it's next to Perseus,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and what you're looking for with binoculars
0:08:12 > 0:08:16is a bright star, or brightish star, the edge of naked-eye visibility,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19but there's a line of about 20 fainter stars either side of it,
0:08:19 > 0:08:24which covers quite a large distance, so the whole thing resembles
0:08:24 > 0:08:27a beautiful waterfall of starlight, ending up in a splash pool.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30They're all different colours as well,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and it's wonderful to see all these different-coloured stars.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- It is beautiful.- Let's come back to familiar territory, Patrick.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- What about Orion and Orion's Sword? - It's a lovely thing.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Below Orion's Sword, you see the Great Nebula.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- It's a real joy.- It's lovely to see.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51It is one of those things that even in light-polluted Leicester,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53you can tell that it's not a star,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and that there's something misty there.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59A little fuzziness. And binoculars bring it out very well.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04A long time ago, our son was formed from a nebula like that.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Of all the things we've looked at on the list so far,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09it's the youngest place where stars are forming,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11cos stars are currently forming there right now.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13So the stars in the centre of the Orion nebula
0:09:13 > 0:09:16will eventually become a cluster of stars that will become
0:09:16 > 0:09:20the Orion Open Cluster or something in a few million years!
0:09:20 > 0:09:23For the moment, we see the diffuse gas around it. It's the nearest large region of space
0:09:23 > 0:09:26where stars are forming to the sun.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28There was something I didn't know
0:09:28 > 0:09:30before looking at this list,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32that there is more to be seen around here.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35You've not just got the sword and the nebula,
0:09:35 > 0:09:36but object 25 on the list,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39the last of the naked-eye and binocular objects
0:09:39 > 0:09:41is a cluster around Orion's Belt.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I never realised that was an actual cluster.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47That's right, it's called Collinder 70.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Collinder is just a name given to another list of objects.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54If you're looking at Orion's Belt, which is probably the most famous
0:09:54 > 0:09:56straight line in the entire night sky,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59you're looking at the heart of Collinder 70.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01You can see other stars around it with the naked eye,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03but with a pair of binoculars,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05you see many, many more famous stars in that region.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07So that is another true open cluster.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10You can tick it off the list once you've seen it.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15So if anybody does decide to image or draw any of these lovely objects,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17in Orion or any of the objects we've discussed,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20it'd be great if they could send them to our Flickr site
0:10:20 > 0:10:21so we can all have a look
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and you can find that on our Sky At Night website.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I think we need to take a breath here.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30That's the end of the naked eye and binocular section
0:10:30 > 0:10:33but before we move on to the telescopic objects,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35we've got a report from Chris North,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38who went to a star party in the wilds of the Brecon Beacons.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I've come to the Cwmdu campsite in South Wales
0:10:46 > 0:10:50for the first Astro Camp of the Baker Street Irregular astronomers.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I'd like to catch a glimpse of galaxies, nebulae,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56binary stars, and later on, the moon
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and to share in some of the fun.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Some of the objects on the Moore Winter Marathon will be up later
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and it would be good to get a few of those under my belt.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Their usual stomping ground is Regent's Park in Central London
0:11:08 > 0:11:11with its eye-watering light pollution,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14but for two nights only, they've swapped the city skyline
0:11:14 > 0:11:18for lovely, dark skies here in the heart of the Brecon Beacons.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Right, you take one end.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I'm here for night two with my dad,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27who got me into astronomy as a young lad. On our family camping holidays,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31he would often point out stars and constellations to my brother and me
0:11:31 > 0:11:33so this feels like old times.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36My dad and I have brought with us a range of telescopes
0:11:36 > 0:11:39for this star party, from the lower end of the price spectrum,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42say £100-odd for a three-inch refractor
0:11:42 > 0:11:45to a few hundred pounds for a slightly bigger refractor
0:11:45 > 0:11:48with a go-to mount that will go wherever you ask to,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and then if you've got, say, £1,000 or so,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55you get a bigger telescope that will let us see the deeper sky objects.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Paul, Ralph and Tom help run the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04We've had beginners, we've had seasoned imagers up there at the top.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06There's a massive range
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and some people who've come here don't have telescopes at all.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11That might be a first, to come to a star party without a telescope
0:12:11 > 0:12:14so yeah, we have a really, really broad range here.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Hopefully, you're going to have the nice, clear crisp skies
0:12:17 > 0:12:19of the Brecon Beacons tonight.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22What kind of objects do you hope to see that you couldn't normally?
0:12:22 > 0:12:24You very rarely get to see things like M82.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28We wouldn't be able to normally see the Veil Nebula without filters
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and we're really looking forward to being able to see globular clusters
0:12:31 > 0:12:33and a whole range of things.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34And seeing the Milky Way,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37it's something we don't even get a hint of in London,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and to be here and see the Milky Way
0:12:40 > 0:12:42and the dust lane running through it
0:12:42 > 0:12:43and just to see all that detail,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46really looking forward to seeing that.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49The Londoners have been joined by enthusiasts from all over -
0:12:49 > 0:12:53from Bolton, from Lancashire, the Peak District
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and even as far afield as Scotland, all sharing in the fun.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Well, it looks like we have a family outing going on here,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01so where's everyone come from?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Well, we're from Tring in Hertfordshire.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04OK, so you've come a fair way.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Yeah, about three-and-a-half hours in the car but hopefully worth it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Do you get out observing very often, do you think?
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Yeah, most of the time, when it's clear sky.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15What kind of objects do you like to look at through the telescope?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- Milky Way.- The Milky Way.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- And the Doughnut.- And the Doughnut.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- They love the Doughnut, the Ring Nebula.- The Ring Nebula!
0:13:23 > 0:13:26It probably looks brilliant through a telescope this size.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Well, this is a nice, efficient setup you look to have here.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32What objects are you hoping to see
0:13:32 > 0:13:35with this tonight that you don't normally get to look at?
0:13:35 > 0:13:36We usually look at double stars
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and we like looking at Jupiter.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40It's very good when you see all four moons,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44but today, we're trying to learn how to see different deep sky objects
0:13:44 > 0:13:47like nebulae and stuff, because we don't have a motor drive,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50so we're going to try and do it manually tonight.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Yeah, he's got a list of things we're going to try and find.- Yeah.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55So we'll go through that one by one.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57A list of objects to find. That sounds like a great idea.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Someone should make a programme about that.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02'Sounds like my dad and me many years ago.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:06There are still a few hours to sunset
0:14:06 > 0:14:10'so I've got some time to cook up some sausages and beans for tea.'
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Dad, how do you fancy some slightly burnt sausages
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and possibly overdone baked beans?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Sounds delightful, Chris.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I'm glad I left you to do the cooking.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Well, it's about 10pm. For an astronomer, that's early evening.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38I'm really looking forward to tonight.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41There's a real buzz about the place. The sky is clear, the sky is dark.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I can see the Milky Way overhead and the dust lanes through it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I'm really looking forward to a view through not just my telescope
0:14:47 > 0:14:50but lots of the other telescopes that are here as well.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Our camera has picked up The Plough,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56that well-known asterism which is in our skies all year round,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and also Cassiopeia, the W,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01which will be high in the winter sky.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And there's even a little satellite passing by.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Some call them celestial vermin
0:15:06 > 0:15:09but I think they're good fun.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The astronomers have settled down to enjoy the pleasures of the night.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17So this is a beast of a telescope you've got here.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Want to look through?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I've seen hundreds of pictures of the Veil Nebula
0:15:22 > 0:15:25but I've never seen it with my own eyes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28That's actually quite amazing. That's brilliant.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Are you all seasoned astronomers?
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- Yep.- I'm...reasonably so.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36I'm the wife that would rather be in bed!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- How's the night going so far? - Yeah, brilliant.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- We managed to get the Doughnut fairly early on.- Yeah.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44And the Ring Nebula.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46The Ring Nebula, M57,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48or the Doughnut to its friends.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51It's a star which has lost its outer layers
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and to the naked eye looks like a wispy smoke ring
0:15:54 > 0:15:56but long-exposure photographs
0:15:56 > 0:15:58reveal the subtle colours in this beautiful object.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01You can definitely see that's a ring.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04It's odd, because it almost looks like an out-of-focus star
0:16:04 > 0:16:07except every other star in the field of view is in focus,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09so it's definitely tiny little ring
0:16:09 > 0:16:10or a doughnut, I suppose.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Sometimes, I always say to my dad,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I just want to scoop it out of the sky and put it in a jar
0:16:16 > 0:16:17and keep it with me.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It just looks like one of those cool things.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Yeah, it is a lovely object to look at.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23As the night rolls on,
0:16:23 > 0:16:24the sky above changes
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and a whole new set of constellations come into view.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Right overhead, we have Cygnus, the swan,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33a favourite in the summer skies
0:16:33 > 0:16:36but which will soon fly away as winter approaches.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39And rising in the east is Auriga, the charioteer,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43which contains a few of the objects in the Moore Winter Marathon
0:16:43 > 0:16:47but the naked eye is dominated by the brilliant star Capella.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50As it arises through the thickest parts of the atmosphere,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52the scattering of its light
0:16:52 > 0:16:55causes Capella to flicker all the colours of the rainbow.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58The telescope's moving, so it's obviously pointing
0:16:58 > 0:17:01at something different. What are you aiming at now?
0:17:01 > 0:17:05We're going to go onto M13, great globular cluster in Hercules.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- Oh, very nice.- That's just about to finish slewing now.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It really is a nice view.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Oh, that's a gorgeous view.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15These clusters can just look...
0:17:15 > 0:17:18You sort of think they'll just be one round fuzzy ball
0:17:18 > 0:17:20but there's so much structure in there.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23There's tendrils of stars coming out.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26We're trying to pick out as many individual stars as possible.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Yeah, you sort of imagine you can see the individual stars
0:17:29 > 0:17:32so I wonder whether that is my imagination running wild.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- For now, I'll believe it.- We can always bump up the magnification.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38I'm having so much fun,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40I'd forgotten Dad's still minding the telescopes.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42'I wonder what he's been looking at.'
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Right, Dad. How's the night going so far?
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Hi, Chris.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Well, that, allegedly, is Uranus.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- Is there anything in there?- Yes.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52You can just see a faint disc through that scope.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53- Yeah, looks like a disc.- Yeah.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Some people say it's blue. I'm not sure that I believe them
0:17:56 > 0:17:59but if that's Uranus, that's the first time I've seen it,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01so I've ticked that one off.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Whoa!- You hear these shouts go up every now and then,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06when a meteor or a fireball goes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I seem to have missed every one tonight!
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So that's a first for both Dad and me.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15'He's seen Uranus and I've seen the Veil Nebula. Fantastic.'
0:18:15 > 0:18:18You can see the colours as well, which is nice.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21John, Jeni, you've got a pretty big telescope here.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- What have you been looking at so far?- We've been looking at Albera.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28We tried taking some photos so hopefully they'll come out
0:18:28 > 0:18:30and we've got on the Ring Nebula now
0:18:30 > 0:18:32and that's it so far.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Coming here to this event
0:18:34 > 0:18:36has been a really good idea,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41you know, it's given us a chance to talk to other people,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43get lots of tips, you know,
0:18:43 > 0:18:48and we've probably gained more information in this one event
0:18:48 > 0:18:51than the past six months, trying to find out for ourselves,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53so this kind of event is, you know,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57if anybody is thinking of going to one, don't think about it, do it.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01It's midnight, and the young astronomers have gone to bed.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04But the die-hards still have a hit list of objects they want to see.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07My daughter made a list just before we came out,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10so we've had a few things.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Managed to get M 17, the Omega Nebula, earlier on,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and now I'm just waiting for the M1, Crab Nebula, to come up.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I might bottle it in a bit
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and go to bed, I think.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26Finally, I get to tick off four Moore Winter Marathon objects -
0:19:26 > 0:19:30first, the Pleiades as it arises over the hill,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34followed by the familiar V-shape of the Hyades
0:19:34 > 0:19:38and in it, the double star Theta Tauri, number 16 in the list.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40And hot on their heels is Jupiter,
0:19:40 > 0:19:45which, through binoculars, is accompanied by a few of its moons,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48one of the first things Dad showed me through his telescope
0:19:48 > 0:19:49many years ago.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53I'm quite happy to wind down now.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I think what I'll do, then, is pack up my telescope
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and wait for the moon to rise, get a view of the moon,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and then possibly call it a night.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05The moon is a lovely sight
0:20:05 > 0:20:10but at 3am, it's time to call it a night and get into my sleeping bag.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It's been a great night and a great star party.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Well, Chris, you got clear skies, so that's most of the battle won
0:20:17 > 0:20:21but Pete, what is on the telescopic list and how did you put it together?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24What we wanted to do here was introduce people to some objects
0:20:24 > 0:20:28which they may not have been able to see before.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30We deliberately picked objects you can see with small telescopes,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34so there's no need to be afraid of trying to find these objects,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and in fact, if you're worried about where to look,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39there are lots and lots of charts etc available
0:20:39 > 0:20:41in our guides, which are available
0:20:41 > 0:20:43from the Sky At Night website.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Where shall we start? Let's start with a familiar object.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47One of my favourites
0:20:47 > 0:20:50is the nebula known as the Eskimo Nebula,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53which is in Gemini, the twins.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Now, this is an amazing thing to look at and a lot of people, I know,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59have never seen it through a telescope.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02In fact, I only saw it myself for the first time last year
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and I was amazed I hadn't looked at it before
0:21:04 > 0:21:07because it is such a beautiful thing to look at
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and this bit on the outside, which has lines of material
0:21:11 > 0:21:12which are estimated to be
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- about a light year in length in reality...- Filaments.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17They're like filaments moving away from the star.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19They make the fur hood of the Eskimo,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21so it fits the description really well.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23And what's going on here is that
0:21:23 > 0:21:26a planetary nebula is a dying sun-like star
0:21:26 > 0:21:28that's shed its outer layers
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and so all that structure is in the layers of the star
0:21:31 > 0:21:34that have already been pushed off the surface of the star
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and you only see a planetary nebula for a few tens of thousands of years,
0:21:38 > 0:21:43so we're very lucky to see these things. Chris, which objects on the list caught your eye.?
0:21:43 > 0:21:44There's one called the Flame Nebula
0:21:44 > 0:21:48that also goes by the name The Flaming Star Nebula,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50so if you look at that through a telescope,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54which is something I'd very much like to do, I've not seen it
0:21:54 > 0:21:56but the pictures I have seen look like flames coming out of a star
0:21:56 > 0:22:00which is how it got its name, I assume, and this is gas
0:22:00 > 0:22:02that's been lit up by the star at the base of the flame.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04One really nice thing about this object is,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08that star's a runaway star. It's moving very quickly across the sky
0:22:08 > 0:22:09and if you trace it backwards,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12you realise that a couple of million years ago,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15it probably formed in that giant star-forming region in Orion
0:22:15 > 0:22:16that we were talking about.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18There's a couple of others as well.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- There's Mu Microscopium - LAUGHTER
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- and 53 Arietis.- You always have to come out with the more obscure.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Also runaway stars, which were thrown out of that region too.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28And if any of the viewers want to see Mu Microscopium,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30they can write to you directly.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32And send them to the Flickr site, so we can see them.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34We also have the Crab Nebula,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36which is one of my favourites,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38which is a wonderful supernova remnant.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42I've always found it interesting to look at, especially in a wide field,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44you can actually see quite a lot of the structure.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I would agree with that. I think where the disappointment comes from
0:22:48 > 0:22:50is that when you look at pictures of it
0:22:50 > 0:22:53taken, for example, by the Hubble, it looks amazing.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56It really does. And in the X-ray, it looks even better.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I have no x-ray eyes.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59It's a fascinating thing
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- to look at to a telescope. - While we're talking about stars
0:23:02 > 0:23:04that are dying or have died,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06let's talk about one that's on its way out
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and this is one of the objects on the list that I've never seen,
0:23:09 > 0:23:10so this is on my to-do list.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This is number 34. Hind's Crimson Star.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16- Have you heard of Hind's Crimson Star, Patrick?- I know of it, yes.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It's R Leporis in Lepus, the hare
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and it's beneath Orion, basically.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23It is. It's actually right up
0:23:23 > 0:23:26in the top left of the corner of Lepus, if you like,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and it's a very, very red Star.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30It's what's called a carbon star.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33It's beautiful red colouring, actually.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I want to see it because Hind, the discoverer, described it
0:23:36 > 0:23:37as a drop of blood on a black field.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40That's such a poetic description that if you've all...
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Chris, have you seen Hind's Crimson Star?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45I've never seen it, but as you say, it's on the list.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47One for you and I.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Another one on the list - Caldwell 13, the owl cluster.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52This is a lovely cluster to look at.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I know Paul's not keen on clusters.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- I don't hate them.- But this one has a personality to it.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01There are two stars there,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Phi-1 and Phi-2 Cassiopeiae,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and if you look at it through a telescope,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08using a fairly wide field again, so a low-power eyepiece.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Those two stars look like the eyes of an owl,
0:24:12 > 0:24:13or perhaps the eyes of an alien.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15LAUGHTER
0:24:15 > 0:24:17There's a line of stars...
0:24:17 > 0:24:19This is getting increasingly desperate.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21We let you have the Celestial G
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- but two stars that look like the eyes of an alien?- Stay with me.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25You've got the two stars like that
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and a line of stars underneath which makes it look he's got his arms...
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I thought you were going to say a bicycle for a second there.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35What will you be looking for particularly, Paul, from the list?
0:24:35 > 0:24:36From the list?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I am actually going to go for something I've never seen before
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and that is this difficult galaxy,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44M74 in Pisces.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46This is a face-on spiral galaxy,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49probably one of the most difficult galaxies, difficult objects, even,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53in the Messier catalogue, and I've always given it the brush-off.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I've never really bothered with it. I wouldn't mind trying to find that
0:24:56 > 0:24:58because it's not in an easy part of the sky.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- There's a trick for this one. It's very important.- I'm all ears.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04If you use a low-power, you can see the core
0:25:04 > 0:25:06then, if you look really carefully,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09again, using that technique of averted vision,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12you suddenly start to see sort of blotches in the spiral arms.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16CHRIS: The blotches you see through your telescope, the bright blotches,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19are these small regions where stars are currently forming.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20You notice in the winter sky,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23there's very few globular clusters around.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24These big cities of stars.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Yeah, I rather like those, actually. Globular clusters are lovely.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29One that does take my fancy is M79.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32This is the globular cluster N Lepus.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Now, it's been on my list to find it
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and see it, which is a fancy way of saying I've never seen it.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Is it terribly difficult to find?
0:25:41 > 0:25:45No, not merely, because Lepus looks a bit like the number eight.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- That's the constellation. - On its side.- On its side
0:25:47 > 0:25:49like an infinity symbol, if you like.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52And where the crossover point is, there are two stars.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54There's Alpha and Beta Leporis
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and if you follow the line they make down
0:25:56 > 0:25:58and extend it for the same distance again,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- that points exactly at M79. - Very useful.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03The other good thing about this cluster,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06if you're interested in such things, is that it's not part of our galaxy.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10It's one of the very few globulars that are bright
0:26:10 > 0:26:12that actually, we've captured it
0:26:12 > 0:26:16from a dwarf galaxy that the Milky Way is in the process of eating
0:26:16 > 0:26:18and so this cluster has been stripped from that
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and it's still about 41,000 light years away from us,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25so it's distant and it's the remnant
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- of our galaxy's previous meal.- It's the breadcrumbs of the meal.- Indeed!
0:26:28 > 0:26:32That would explain why it's difficult to resolve, even with a high-power.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Because it's a long way away, 41,000 light years is a little much
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- but you'll see it as a fuzzy patch in the telescope.- Yes, definitely.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Well, that's a good overview of our telescopic challenge.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Of course, finder charts for all of those are on the website,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46so you don't need to remember anything we've said.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48bbc.co.uk/skyatnight.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50And if you do get images of any of them,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54you can submit them to our Flickr group via that URL as well.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Let's go around, let's see,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58one object of the 50 you're particularly looking forward to?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00- Paul?- One object?- One object.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Well, I'm going to change my mind. After all of that,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I'll go, because you made it sound so alluring, Chris,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- for M79, the after-dinner breadcrumb.- Excellent.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10I'm definitely going to try and find that.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Distant cluster. Chris?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I'm going to go and try and find NGC 2244 in Monoceros,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18purely because I've never really found much in Monoceros before.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It's an obscure constellation. It sounds wonderful.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22OK, the unicorn for you. Pete?
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Kemble's Cascade again.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I've seen it in the past,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28but it's such a beautiful thing to look at, so I'm going for that.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31OK. Patrick, one object for the next few months?
0:27:31 > 0:27:32M44.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- The Beehive.- The Beehive.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Good choice.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Yeah, and I'm going for Jupiter,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40not with the telescope, just with the naked eye,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42watching Jupiter move as the seasons wear on.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I think cycling home, I'll keep an eye out for Jupiter most nights.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- And cars.- And the cars! Definitely the cars.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52if you want to take part in the Moore Winter Marathon,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55then you can do so, of course. You can go to the website...
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Remember, there are two lists
0:27:59 > 0:28:02so you can take part even if you don't have a telescope.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06We've tried to pick objects that everyone can have a go at seeing.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09When you've done that, you can send them in on paper to us at...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Hopefully, there'll be one or two clear nights
0:28:19 > 0:28:21between now and the end of January
0:28:21 > 0:28:22so we'll make that the closing date
0:28:22 > 0:28:26and we'll go through the best of the entries and of our observations
0:28:26 > 0:28:27in March's Sky At Night.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32Best of luck with it all, and until next month, goodnight.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd