At the BBC?

I’ve always admired the fact that the BBC carried a show called The Sky at Night, formerly hosted by the late and beloved astronomer Sir Patrick Moore, OBE. At his passing, BBC brought on new hosts Lucie Green and Chris Lintott. A few weeks back, the BBC announced that it was reviewing whether to keep the program, which has alarmed long-time viewers in the UK.

Frankly, I think that we could all do with MORE astronomy on TV. It’s the ultimate reality TV, giving viewers a chance to explore the universe with knowledgeable guides. The Sky at Night regularly garnered a million viewers, which is quite respectable for a TV show. But, perhaps BBC has decided that education is a bunch of fluff and astronomy is for eggheads. Maybe it wants to Kardashianize its offerings. Maybe its editors don’t “get” astronomy.  Maybe the bottom line isn’t as good as it is for other types of programming. Maybe they wanted to dump it all along but waited a respectable time after Sir Patrick died to can it. If so, it’s hardly a respectful tribute. It’s hard to tell why the venerable program liked by so many is suddenly facing an uncertain future. I sincerely hope the BBC brass take another look and decide to keep it on.

Here in the U.S. there aren’t many (if any) regular shows devoted to astronomy, unless you count the upcoming Cosmos remake featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson in the coveted Carl Sagan role. I have to admit, having come to adulthood on a solid diet of the original Cosmos, I’m a bit leery of what has been done to the show to make it current. Neil is certainly an enthusiastic supporter of science and bringing science to everyone, so that’s not an issue. I’m just… leery. But, willing to give it a chance when it finally comes out.

Of course, there ARE lots of places in the U.S. (and around the world) playing astronomy programming day in and day out. They’re called “planetariums” (or fulldome theaters, or star theaters). If you haven’t been to your local planetarium lately, check it out. If you don’t know where you local one is, here are two listings for you to peruse: fulldome theaters and classic planetariums. Fulldome theaters are those that have converted to showing fulldome video programs and star talks. Classic theaters are those that have not, and use star projectors and other systems to create their shows. If you want to learn about astronomy, either type is great — so check ’em out!