The Sky at Night - Season 2018 - Eps 7: Death Star
One evening in early September 1859, a spectacular blood-red aurora borealis appeared across America. Earlier that same day, in a leafy garden in the UK, a gentleman astronomer had noted a 'white light flare' on the sun's surface. The two events were linked; it's now known that the flare caused the aurora. The flare was a particularly violent eruption from the sun's surface known as a CME, a coronal mass ejection. Back then, it was considered an astronomical curiosity. But when it happens again, it will be a different story. For the modern, technological world such a violent solar phenomenon could be devastating. This episode examines just how damaging a CME could be and how astronomers, using two new satellites that will travel closer to the sun than ever before, can better prepare us for its impact.
About The Sky at Night
Title: The Sky at Night
First Air Date: 1957-04-24
Last Air Date: 2024-11-11
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 8.417/10 (from 12 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 44
Total Episodes: 273
Network: BBC Four
Genres: Documentary, News
Production Companies: Unknown
Synopsis
Your monthly journey through the fascinating world of space and astronomy with the latest thinking on what's out there in space and what you can see in the night sky.
