The BEST episodes of Stargazing Live
Every episode of Stargazing Live ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Stargazing Live!
Three nights of stargazing and discussion, featuring guest experts and link-ups to observatories around the world.
#1 - Episode 3
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/10/2013
On the final night of their astronomical adventure, Brian and Dara discuss meteors, comets and asteroids and reveal how studying them reveals information about the origins of life on Earth. Meanwhile, Liz Bonnin meets the NASA team tasked with tracking any space objects on a collision course with Earth. The results of the experiment carried out by the Stargazing viewers - to explore an uncharted area on the surface of Mars - are also revealed.
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#2 - Episode 2
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/19/2015
The countdown to the solar eclipse continues. Brian Cox and Dara O Briain are joined at Jodrell Bank Observatory by legendary Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, along with Dr Matt Taylor, who updates them on the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission after last year's groundbreaking touchdown on comet 67P. Liz Bonnin reports live from the Faroe Islands as she steps up her mission to take to the skies and beam back the most spectacular images of Friday's solar eclipse. The team reveals how to view the eclipse safely and Brian ponders how the movements of our solar system mean we can predict the next eclipse to the second. Dara investigates whether asteroid mining might be the next booming market and Dr Lucie Green has news of the very rare appearance of five planets during the daytime.
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#3 - Episode 1
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/8/2013
Dara O Briain and Professor Brian Cox celebrate our amazing night sky. They kick things off with the search for evidence of life on Mars and ask viewers for help to explore an uncharted area of the red planet's surface. Liz Bonnin reports live from NASA mission control to find out the latest findings of the Curiosity Rover, whilst Mark Thompson offers tips on how to observe the moons of Jupiter.
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#4 - Episode 3
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/18/2012
On the final night of their astronomical adventure, Prof Brian Cox and Dara O Briain discuss aliens, extra terrestrial life and the hunt for new worlds far outside our solar system. They also find out if they've been successful in their quest to find their own Stargazing planet. Meanwhile, Mark Thompson attempts to tackle light pollution by getting the entire population of a small town to switch off all of their lights.
#5 - Episode 2
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/17/2012
Dara and Brian's journey through the night sky continues with a look at black holes, the most mysterious and destructive objects in the known universe. Liz Bonnin finds out how our galaxy, the Milky Way, was formed and Mark Thompson investigates the problems that are caused by light pollution.
#6 - Episode 1
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/16/2012
Dara O Briain and Professor Brian Cox return to celebrate the wonder of our amazing night sky. Live from Jodrell Bank observatory, the team kick off with a look at the mysteries of the moon and meet Captain Eugene Cernan, the last man ever to walk on its surface. Liz Bonnin reports direct from South Africa on the differences between the constellations of the northern and southern hemispheres whilst Mark Thompson offers help on buying all the kit you need to get started in astronomy.
#7 - Episode 2
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/9/2013
Dara and Brian's journey through the night sky continues with a look into the distant past, explaining how it is possible to chart the history of the universe by looking million of light years out into the depths of space. Meanwhile, Mark Thompson reveals what can be learned from the colours of the stars. At NASA, Liz Bonnin meets the team building the largest space telescope in the world, an instrument that's 100 times more powerful than the Hubble.
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#8 - Episode 1
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/18/2015
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain are back at Jodrell Bank Observatory, building up to one of biggest astronomical events of the decade - a solar eclipse. They are joined by legendary Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who tells them why he believes we must look beyond the moon for mankind's next giant leap. At NASA Brian makes his own attempt to land a lunar module, while Dara finds out what happened to the moon rocks brought back from the lunar surface. Liz Bonnin prepares to take to the skies for the perfect view of the eclipse - from above the clouds. New resident Stargazer, Dr Lucie Green, reveals how to get the most from moongazing. From behind the scenes at Europe's spacecraft test centre, Dallas Campbell gets to grips with the robots which could revolutionise space exploration. Viewers are asked to help search for exploding stars to help refine the known age of the universe.
#9 - Australia: Episode 3
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/30/2017
Join Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain live from Australia, as they complete their three-night mission to bring you the most glorious sights of the southern night sky. From their remote mountain top beside the vast Warrumbungle National Park, Brian and Dara share another night of beautiful views, wandering kangaroos and spectacular landscapes. In the company of Liz Bonnin and with Aussie outback-astronomer Greg Quicke as their guide to the southern sky, they reveal how the apparently monochrome sky at night is in fact a riot of glorious colour. Brian and Dara also reveal how Australia, which faces directly into the heart of our Milky Way galaxy, is in the front line when it comes to protecting our planet - whether it be from the threat of a giant asteroid impact or from contact with alien life. And we hear how the Aussie outback contains secrets that Nasa hope will lead them to alien life on Mars. And will viewers have managed to find the elusive missing ninth planet in our solar system?
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#10 - Episode 2
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/8/2014
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain host the second night of their three-day stargazing extravaganza from Jodrell Bank Observatory, where they are joined by two generations of astronauts. Walt Cunningham was one of the first ever crew to fly an Apollo spacecraft into orbit, while Commander Chris Hadfield recently returned from months aboard the International Space Station. Liz Bonnin attempts a world-first, reporting live from a plane 28,000 feet above the Arctic Circle, as she steps up her mission to capture the Northern Lights. Dara finds out how it feels to be truly weightless on the infamous 'vomit comet' aeroplane. Brian describes how scientists are tackling the problem of interstellar travel, and the team reveal never-before-seen images from around the solar system. Meanwhile, resident astronomer Mark Thompson navigates using the stars, and takes an unprecedented look at the 400-year-old giant storm on Jupiter, as it moves into view live during the programme.
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#11 - Episode 3
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/9/2014
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain raise the stakes in the final night of their astronomy extravaganza, and reveal the results of their viewers' challenge to find undiscovered galaxies at the edge of space. Reporting live from above the clouds in Norway, Liz Bonnin has one last chance to capture the spectacular Northern Lights, using super-sensitive cameras. Brian reveals why no-one really knows what our own galaxy, the Milky Way, really looks like, and how the remarkable Gaia space probe is set to change all that by mapping a billion of our neighbouring stars. With his sights set on a weekend break to a distant planet, Dara prepares to suffer as he straps himself into a human centrifuge to find out whether humans can accelerate to light speed. Meanwhile, resident astronomer Mark Thompson joins thousands of amateur astronomers at one of the spectacular stargazing parties taking place across the country, and looks ahead at the treats the night sky has in store over the year.
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#12 - Australia: Episode 1
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/28/2017
Stargazing Live is back for its seventh year - this time promising to blow your mind with a totally new view of the night sky - live, from the bottom of the world! Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain have packed their sunscreen and headed to Australia to gaze up at a sky that will be completely unfamiliar to viewers in the UK - packed full of the most astonishing features from constellations like the Southern Cross, famously featured on Australia's flag, to jewel-like clusters of stars and perfectly positioned planets. But capping it all is the most remarkable view of the Milky Way, arching overhead like a river of stars. Join them live as they finish a long night under the stars, and as dawn approaches in Australia. Brian and Dara are joined by Liz Bonnin and Aussie outback-astronomer Greg Quicke as their guide to the southern sky. Surrounded by kangaroos, snakes and spiders, the team reveal the wonderful star-tales told by indigenous people, embark on a mission to catch a shooting star and celebrate Australia's role in rescuing the stricken Apollo 13 moon mission. Plus, we ask viewers' help in a challenge to find the missing ninth planet in the solar system.
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#13 - Australia: Episode 2
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/29/2017
Stargazing Live is back for a second night of spectacular night-sky views from Australia. Join Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain live as they complete another long night under the stars down under, and watch the glorious stars of the southern sky gradually twinkle away to reveal the coming dawn. Tonight, unprecedented views of Saturn are the big prize. Aussie astronomer Greg Quicke reveals more ancient tales from the indigenous astronomers of Australia, explaining why the moon looks upside down in Australia and showing us the remarkable link between the moon and the Great Barrier Reef. We hear more about life on top of this remote mountain amongst the kangaroos and spiders of the Aussie outback - none of which stops the astronomers here making some amazing discoveries, including the oldest known star in the universe.
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#14 - Episode 1
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/12/2016
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain return for another celebration of space and astronomy. This series they talk to British astronaut Tim Peake as he orbits 250 miles above the Earth. Tim reveals how he is settling into life on the International Space Station just one month after his launch into space. Brian and Dara also attempt to make a garden shed fly, as they explore what keeps the ISS in space. Roving reporter Liz Bonnin reports live from the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, where she finds out whether comedian John Bishop has the 'right stuff'. A lifelong astronomy fan, John will be following astronaut Tim Peake's training programme over three nights, starting with a live, simulated space-walk - underwater. Brian and Dara are joined in the studio by NASA scientist Carly Howett to enjoy some spectacular new views from the surface of Pluto, as well as exploring some of the biggest planets and stars in the universe. They will also be asking for your help to find new pulsars - spinning stars that are heavier than the Sun, yet smaller than Manchester. Meanwhile, Professor Lucie Green will be on hand to guide you around the night sky and to show you how to photograph the International Space Station.
Watch Now:Amazon#15 - Episode 2
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/13/2016
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain return for their second night celebrating space and astronomy, with more updates from British astronaut Tim Peake as he tackles his six-month scientific mission, 250 miles above the Earth. Brian and Dara also explore the amazing engineering behind the International Space Station, demonstrating the catastrophic impact that ordinary atmospheric pressure can have on a space ship. Roving reporter Liz Bonnin reports live from the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, where she is testing whether comedian John Bishop has the 'right stuff'. A lifelong astronomy fan, John will be following astronaut Tim Peake's training programme over three nights - tonight, what happens if there is an emergency on the Space Station. Brian and Dara are joined in the studio by European Space Agency director general Jan Woerner to explore Europe's ambitions for colonising the Moon, and they reveal which parts of the UK most resemble other planets in the Solar System. They have updates from the Hubble Space Telescope on its 25th anniversary, and also from the Rosetta mission, which landed on a distant comet in 2014. Meanwhile, Professor Lucie Green is on hand to guide you around the night sky.
Watch Now:Amazon#16 - Episode 4 - The Spacewalk
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/15/2016
As British astronaut Tim Peake exits the safety of the International Space Station for his very first spacewalk, Brian Cox and Dara O Briain watch him every step of the way in this Stargazing Special. They are joined by someone with a unique insider's view and who has done this himself, astronaut and former Space Station commander Chris Hadfield. Find out about the perils that Tim is facing and what is really going on as he carries out time-critical emergency repairs in the dangerous vacuum of space.
Watch Now:Amazon#17 - Episode 3
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/14/2016
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain return for their third night celebrating space and astronomy, with more updates from British astronaut Tim Peake. This time they explore what keeps Tim and his International Space Station crew-mates safe in the hazardous environment of space. Brian and Dara also welcome a very special guest to take the gravity challenge - and find out what it would feel like to walk on Mars and the Moon. Roving reporter Liz Bonnin once more reports live from the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, where she tests whether comedian John Bishop has the 'right stuff'. A lifelong astronomy fan, John will be strapped into a giant centrifuge machine to experience how future astronauts will simulate gravity during missions into deep space. Brian and Dara are joined in the studio by Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, to hear how she discovered the first pulsar star - giving astronomers all over the world one of their most precious tools for studying the universe. They also find out whether Stargazing viewers have discovered any new pulsars in their three-night search, training Jodrell's famous telescope onto them to reveal exactly what has been discovered, and how much that means to astronomers.
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#18 - Episode 1
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/3/2011
Join Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain to wonder at the night sky, with extraordinary images beamed in from telescopes across the globe. Learn how to observe and take pictures over three busy days in the celestial calendar, with a meteor shower, a partial eclipse of the sun and the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, burning bright. Wannabe stargazer Jonathan Ross gets a crash course in planet spotting in his own back garden; while in Hawaii, Liz Bonnin reports from the edge of a volcano to help explain how the Earth was formed.
#19 - Episode 1
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/7/2014
In the most ambitious series to date, Brian Cox and Dara O Briain are back at Jodrell Bank Observatory, in the first of three live shows with the latest news and the best views of the night sky. This time the team have taken on an astonishing challenge - to capture one of the top highlights of the solar system - the mysterious and elusive northern lights. But will the lights reveal themselves? Liz Bonnin reports live from within the Arctic Circle, joining aurora researchers in northern Norway, who will help her unravel the secrets of this eerie spectacle. Brian and Dara have the very latest weather reports from around the solar system. They welcome celebrated NASA scientist Dr Carolyn Porco, who shares some of the most jaw-dropping pictures of the solar system ever beamed back to Earth: Saturn's gigantic storms and baffling hexagonal clouds taken by the Cassini probe. Dara witnesses the launch of a new NASA mission to Mars, while resident stargazer Mark Thompson chases clear skies to show the best of what there is to see above the UK. And if the January weather is not for you, you can help the team search for undiscovered galaxies from the comfort of your own living room.
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#20 - Episode 2
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/4/2011
In the second of three live programmes, Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain look at images of the partial eclipse of the sun and investigate how stars are born. Liz Bonnin shows us the sun in a different light - live from Hawaii; while novice star spotter Jonathan Ross discovers the key to observing constellations. Plus astronomer Mark Thompson demonstrates how to find our nearest galaxy, Andromeda.
#21 - Episode 3
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/20/2015
Brian Cox and Dara O Briain host their final night of stargazing from Jodrell Bank Observatory where, following the day's extraordinary events, they have exclusive images from the solar eclipse. Brian also reveals the latest discoveries and solar secrets of our nearest star, whilst Liz Bonnin discovers how a new generation of missions to the sun will fly closer than ever before. Live from the heart of the European Space Agency's spacecraft test centre in the Netherlands, Dallas Campbell discovers how they recreate the harsh conditions of space here on earth and resident stargazer Lucie Green takes a closer look at the North Star. Plus the team reveal the results of this year's stargazing challenge - to hunt for supernovae, exploding stars which could help revise the known age of the universe.
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#22 - Episode 3
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/5/2011
Jonathan Ross joins Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain at Jodrell Bank, home of one of Britain's biggest telescopes, for an hour of live stargazing. The search for extraterrestrial life is the subject of Liz Bonnin's report atop one of the world's highest observatories in Hawaii, Brian chats to the crew of the International Space Station as they orbit the earth at 17,500 miles an hour, and Dara experiences what it is like to be in space.