P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19 Oct 12:11/18  1/9  *  *     * * * * THE AT * Mercury This is the best@cha.ce this year of seeing the planet with the naked eye in the dawn sky. It should be uisible wrom Ostgaez 18 tg oovembju 5. Venus temains a brilliant morning object throughout the period, but by the end of December it will not rise until@after@0/00- @ Mars remains in Pisces, but is now past opposition. The magnitude drgps from →2.6 at the@start of October to -0.2 at the end@of December. Even so, it remai-s btighter than any star apart from Sirius. Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File TV Plus BBC2 TV Headlines
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19 Oct 12:11/25  4/9 /kb(kkb(kkj■5 */<$)444 * E    * * * * THE AT * Jupiter remains in Taurus throughout the period, and cannot be mistaken because of its brilliance. Opposition occurs on November 23, so that the planet is on view throughout the hours of darknjss. Use binoculars to see whether you can make out any@of the Galilean satellites Saturn is now very low in the south- west, in Sagittarius, and will proaably be lost early in December. Uranus and Neptune are more or less out of view this autumn. Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File T. Plus BBC2 T. Headlines
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19 Oct 12:12/12  3/9  *  *     * * * * THE AT * Thj Moon is new on October 1p, November 9 and December :. Full on October 25, November 23 and December 23. Meteors There are four showers during this period. Taurids (maximuJ November s), the Ljonids (November 17), the Geminids (December 13) and the Usids (December 22). Thj Stars Thj main autumn constellation is Pegasus, with its famous "square". Note that of the four stats in this pattern, one XBeta Pegasi, in the upper right) is orange while the othjr three are white. Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File T. Plus BBC2 T- Headlines
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19 Oct 11:19/1)  4/9 /kb(kkb(kkj■5 */<()444 *     * 1- * * * /-HE/→%%J,* AT %%J→%J%* * The Moon is new on October 10, November 9 and December 9. Full on October 25, November 23 and December 23. Meteors There are four showers during this period. Taurids (maximuJ November 3), the Leonids (November 17), the Geminids (December 13) and the Usids (December 22). The Stars The main autumn constellation is Pegasus, with its famous "square". Note that of the four stars in this patter↑, one XBeta Pegasi, i→ the upper right) is orange@while the@other three are white. Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File T. Plks BBC2 T. Headlimjs
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19 Oct 12:07/1/ /= ,4‖,,4‖,,4 5/z I *  *     * * * *@/THE/→%%%,% AT %%%-%%%* * Thj Stars In Andromeda, look for the Great Spiral, Messier 31, which is just nisible with the naked eyj on a clear night. The Summer TrianFle (-ega, Demeb and Altair) is descending in the west, though only Altair actually sets ovjr Britain. The W of Cassiopeia is almost overhead, with Ursa Major (the Great Bear or Plough) at its lowest in the north. In the east, the Pleiades cluster has come into view. Orion and its retinue dominate the night sky all through the winter and early spring. More Fact File T. Plis BBC2 T- Headlines
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19@Oct 12:07/44  6/9  *  *     * * * * /THE AT * News There now seems no doubt that the Russian probe Phobos 1 has been permanently lost, but Phobos 2 is still on course, and should reach its target in January. Voyager 2, jm route for Neptune, is also on course and0opetating well. We will be at the Jet 0ropulsion Laboratory in California next August to report its findings. The exodus fro← Perstmonceux Castli has @started, and thj new building at Cambridge has bee↑ statted. Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File T.@Plis@ BBC4 T. Headlimes
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19@Oct 12:01/12 /<,,4<,,4<,,4 //9  */<$)444 T     * * * * THE AT * Kethods of Observing Our October programmj dealt@with methods@of observing and recording, and some hints were given. For example, it is never@wise to set up an observatory on the flat roof@of a house, as heated air swirling up wrom below@will ruin thj djeinition. Light pollution is always a hazard, and it is essential to "dark adapt" your eyes for some timj before starting to observe. Watch this@Space BBC2 26+ More Fact File T. Plus BBC2 TV Headlines
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19@Oct 12:05/34  8/9  *  *     * * * * THE AT * Kethods of@Observimg For recording notes at the telecope it is better tg ure a@red@torch tPa↑ a@white@light. Remember that every observation should be annotated with the following details Name of observer, date, time (GMT), type of telescope used, magnification, and seeing conditions on the Antoniadi @scale, from 1 (perfect - virtually never attained) to 5 (so poor that one @would not observe except for some special xurpose). Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File TV Plus BBC2 TV Headlines
P288CEEFAX 288 Wed 19 Oct 12:03/23  9/9 /kb(kka(kkj■*( */<I)444 */ <)4<I)4l$    * * * *@/THE ATJ * News notes The William Herschel Telescope at La Palma has proved to be even better than expected, and we will be giving some of the latest results from it in a future programme. Meanwhile, the Shuttle programme has resumed with the successful launch of Discovery. We now look forward to the long-awaited launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, though this can hardly be before 1:90. Watch this Space BBC2 265 More Fact File T. Plus BBC2 TV Headlines