# Stargazing Live



## Bungle73 (Dec 29, 2010)

BBC 2, next Monday, Tuesday and Wedneaday

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wnvpf




			
				Digiguide said:
			
		

> SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTARY: Stargazing Live
> On: BBC 2 South East (102)
> Date: Monday 3rd January 2011 (starting in 5 days)
> Time: 20:00 to 21:00 (1 hour long)
> ...



Looks like it could be worth a watch!


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## madzone (Dec 29, 2010)

I'd like to wander round in the dark with Brian Cox, fnar.


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## QueenOfGoths (Dec 29, 2010)

Oooh that looks cool 

Why does Brian Cox the Prof have to have the same name as Brian Cox the actor and confuse me. People should have different names. It should be the law!


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## madzone (Jan 3, 2011)

Did anyone watch it? 

Dara O Brien's quite clever isn't he? 

It had a really useful little piece on how to take photos of stars etc. I can't work the manual setting on my camera but I did find it has a preset starry sky setting, which allowed me to take a terribly boring but in-focus photo of the night sky for the first time ever


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## N_igma (Jan 3, 2011)

It was ok...it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know or see before like.


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## madzone (Jan 3, 2011)

I liked it for the pictures really. I did learn a lot and ought to invest in a cheap telescope as we get the most amazing skies out here. I didn't know you could get webcams with removable lenses that you can adapt to take piuctures of the sky through a telescope.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 3, 2011)

madzone said:


> Did anyone watch it?
> 
> Dara O Brien's quite clever isn't he?


 

O'Briain


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## madzone (Jan 3, 2011)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> O'Briain


 
Whatever.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 3, 2011)

You know it's not pronounced O'Brien either don't you?  

(I'm only helping you out like in case you're discussing him in the pub and someone points out your mistake)


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## madzone (Jan 3, 2011)

I don't go to pubs.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 3, 2011)

madzone said:


> I don't go to pubs.



Wherever


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## mwgdrwg (Jan 3, 2011)

Spent an hour after this looking at planets and constellations with my daughter, two pairs of binoculars, and google sky map on the phone


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## BlueSquareThing (Jan 4, 2011)

Bloody clouds 

Alright stuff - you could see how they were clearly planning for the entire country to be covered in cloud mind.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

It's cloudy here this morning but only right in front of the sun


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## Santino (Jan 4, 2011)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> O'Briain


 
Ó Briain


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## nino_savatte (Jan 4, 2011)

Dara O'Briain is a tool.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 4, 2011)

Santino said:


> Ó Briain


 
Yeah, but I can't be arsed with figuring out how to do that so left it for you


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## skyscraper101 (Jan 4, 2011)

I liked it.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Yeah, but I can't be arsed with figuring out how to do that so left it for you


 
None of the spellings look like they should be pronounced o, breean so you can _all_ get to feck


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> None of the spellings look like they should be pronounced o, breean so you can _all_ get to feck




That's the Irish for ya


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> That's the Irish for ya


 
Isn't it just. Mr Madz's new grandson is called Orran but it's spelled Ordhan


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Isn't it just. Mr Madz's new grandson is called Orran but it's spelled Ordhan


 
I have friends with Tadgh (or is it Tadhg?) and Orlaith


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

nino_savatte said:


> Dara O'Briain is a tool.


 
with bells on

And that Cox bloke, he's a media mouthpeice. No better. He may be a clever bod, and fairly hot, but he's nothing but a media tool.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> I have friends with Tadgh (or is it Tadhg?) and Orlaith



I think they just make it up as they go along.



xes said:


> with bells on
> 
> And that Cox bloke, he's a media mouthpeice. No better. He may be a clever bod, and fairly hot, but he's nothing but a media tool.


 
Don't watch it then


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

I won't, no worries. (unless they have cool pictures on it, I like cool space pictures)

edit, how will I know if it has cool space pictures if I don;t watch it!!! *bites finger nails*


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> I think they just make it up as they go along.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't watch it then



Dead common names in Ireland though.

You wait and see, UK schools will be full of them soon


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## laptop (Jan 4, 2011)

O'Brien, spelled "feck off English".


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> with bells on
> 
> And that Cox bloke, he's a media mouthpeice. No better. He may be a clever bod, and fairly hot, but he's nothing but a media tool.


 
What do you mean by that?


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

By what?

(the Dara bit, or the Cox bit)


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> By what?
> 
> (the Dara bit, or the Cox bit)


 
The Cox bit.


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## Maggot (Jan 4, 2011)

Wasn't it dark at 7 this morning when there was supposed to be a partial solar eclipse?


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

Maggot said:


> Wasn't it dark at 7 this morning when there was supposed to be a partial solar eclipse?


 
It was at 8.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

Bungle73 said:


> The Cox bit.


 
Basically, he's jumped into the lime light, from nowhere, touting the same old "this is what is" story. He's "one of them" make no doubt. He'll never bring you anything you don't already know, from reading an encyclopedia. he's nothing but a parrot, repeating what he's heard. Your telly, and everything you see on it, is basically owned by roughly 4 companies. They have an agenda. Put down your remote control. (and watch the quite frankly fucking brilliant "Orwell rolls in his grave" doc, on google vids) Stop relying on media faces to tell you what is what. (IMO  )  (you are free to disreguard anything I say, as I'm a "conspiracy nut" )


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## Maggot (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> They have an agenda.


 
What is their agenda?


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Basically, he's jumped into the lime light, from nowhere, touting the same old "this is what is" story. He's "one of them" make no doubt. He'll never bring you anything you don't already know, from reading an encyclopedia. he's nothing but a parrot, repeating what he's heard. Your telly, and everything you see on it, is basically owned by roughly 4 companies. They have an agenda. Put down your remote control. (and watch the quite frankly fucking brilliant "Orwell rolls in his grave" doc, on google vids) Stop relying on media faces to tell you what is what. (IMO  )  (you are free to disreguard anything I say, as I'm a "conspiracy nut" )



I have absolutely no idea what you mean by any of that. What's TV companies having an "agenda" got to do with anything Prof Brian Cox talks about?


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Maggot said:


> Wasn't it dark at 7 this morning when there was supposed to be a partial solar eclipse?


 
Between 8.15 and 9.30. It was cloudy here though so i didn't see it anyway.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Bungle73 said:


> I have absolutely no idea what you mean by any of that. What's TV companies having an "agenda" got to do with anything Prof Brian Cox talks about?


 
Denying the existence of the ailyuns.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

Maggot said:


> What is their agenda?


 
Not to sure to be perfectly honest. I mean, the documentary I mentioned doesn't really go into it. It's not for the enlightenment of mankind, I can safely say that. (seriously, it's one of the least conspiraloon docs i've watched in ages, well worth viewing if you want to learn about who owns the media, and to what means they use it, it's a powerful thing to have a hold over....everything mankind watches)


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Not to sure to be perfectly honest. I mean, the documentary I mentioned doesn't really go into it. It's not for the enlightenment of mankind, I can safely say that. (seriously, it's one of the least conspiraloon docs i've watched in ages, well worth viewing if you want to learn about who owns the media, and to what means they use it, it's a powerful thing to have a hold over....everything mankind watches)


 
Why would they lie about what Jupiter is made of?


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Why would they lie about what Jupiter is made of?


 
becasue they don't want you to know that it's made of cheese, obviously.


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## mwgdrwg (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Denying the existence of the ailyuns.



On last night's show both Cox ("stuff!") and some woman from Hawaii both said ailyuns probably do exist.


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## Fruitloop (Jan 4, 2011)

This thread smells of mental.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

Yes, tow that line!! Or be called mental.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

mwgdrwg said:


> On last night's show both Cox ("stuff!") and some woman from Hawaii both said ailyuns probably do exist.


 
But did they admit they're already here and running things? Eh? Eh?


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## Fruitloop (Jan 4, 2011)

It's a bit unfair to say that someone that got their phd in high energy particle physics in 1997 and works at CERN and on the FP420 experiment is someone who has come from nowhere and will never tell you anything you didn't already know. In fact, it's a bit mental.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Fruitloop said:


> someone that got their phd in high energy particle physics in 1997 and works at CERN and on the FP420 experiment


 
I think I've just come.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

Fruitloop said:


> It's a bit unfair to say that someone that got their phd in high energy particle physics in 1997 and works at CERN and on the FP420 experiment is someone who has come from nowhere and will never tell you anything you didn't already know. In fact, it's a bit mental.


 
Just as mental in believing everything he says, becasue it was on the telly box.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Just as mental in believing everything he says, becasue it was on the telly box.


 
Are the rest of the scientific community in cahoots or being silenced?


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## Fruitloop (Jan 4, 2011)

I guess so. Don't really want to argue about it tbh.


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Just as mental in believing everything he says, becasue it was on the telly box.


I believe what he says because he's an expert in his field.

You still haven't said exactly what he says that you're questioning.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Are the rest of the scientific community in cahoots or being silenced?


 
Neither, as far as I can work out. So I'm being a little unfair on ol' Coxy. It's just there is an acceptable line of opinion, and telly channels know this, and won't deviate from it. As they are all owned by the same people, more or less. And who wants to be outcast from their jobs/seen as trouble makers. You'd never work again.


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Neither, as far as I can work out. So I'm being a little unfair on ol' Coxy. It's just there is an acceptable line of opinion, and telly channels know this, and won't deviate from it. As they are all owned by the same people, more or less. And who wants to be outcast from their jobs/seen as trouble makers. You'd never work again.


 
So are you going to say what you think the "real story" is or what?


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Well, the main effect it's had on me is that I'm going to buy a cheap telescope for me and the kids as soon as I see one.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

Bungle73 said:


> So are you going to say what you think the "real story" is or what?


 
not privy to all the info, so I can't. All I can do is speculate. And I'm not saying that Cox is telling lies. Far from it, it's just the same old stuff. From the same old people. And there is even less reason to believe what comes from the telly these days IMO. Take a leap of faith, and watch the doc I mentioned (only 1 hour and 45 mins) You might see where I'm coming from then. I'm a bit "fuzzed" on pholcadine and jack D at the moment, you're not going to get much sense out of me.


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## laptop (Jan 4, 2011)

> watch the doc I mentioned (only 1 hour and 45 mins)



Not until I get the cheque for my usual hourly rate for research. And it clears.

Cough up!


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Well, the main effect it's had on me is that I'm going to buy a cheap telescope for me and the kids as soon as I see one.


 
let me know how that goes, I'm looking for a half decent scope too.


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

laptop said:


> Cough up!


 Waaaaay ahead of ya *splutters half a lung of phlegm out*


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> not privy to all the info, so I can't. All I can do is speculate. And I'm not saying that Cox is telling lies. Far from it, it's just the same old stuff. From the same old people. And there is even less reason to believe what comes from the telly these days IMO. Take a leap of faith, and watch the doc I mentioned (only 1 hour and 45 mins) You might see where I'm coming from then. I'm a bit "fuzzed" on pholcadine and jack D at the moment,


 
What "same old stuff"?  The same old stuff that the Earth is not at the centre of the universe? 



> you're not going to get much sense out of me.


You got that right.


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

Tell me, do you believe in chemtrails as well?


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## xes (Jan 4, 2011)

Bit hard not to, what with the patent for it floating about the net as it is 

patent number is # 5003186.  

Good place to start would be here
http://www.willthomas.net/Chemtrails/

Also has a link to the patent itself 

but this is all a little off topic........


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## mwgdrwg (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Well, the main effect it's had on me is that I'm going to buy a cheap telescope for me and the kids as soon as I see one.


 
Everyone always says get a good pair of binoculars rather than a cheap telescope....


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

We've got binoculars already, I never think of using them to look at the sky


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## UserNamed (Jan 4, 2011)

Cox was a total cock in front of a live camera, and why the Irish chick in Hawaii? What's that all about. Also, when they wheeled out that fuckwit Ross, I nearly threw up on a perfectly good carpet.


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## Bungle73 (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Bit hard not to, what with the patent for it floating about the net as it is
> 
> patent number is # 5003186.
> 
> ...


Uh huh, I thought so.



UserNamed said:


> Cox was a total cock in front of a live camera


I thought he did ok. "I think your debunking needs debunking", LOL!


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## mwgdrwg (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> We've got binoculars already, I never think of using them to look at the sky



That's what I did last night.

Have you got an Android phone? If so, Google Sky Map is incredibly useful too


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

mwgdrwg said:


> That's what I did last night.
> 
> Have you got an Android phone? If so, Google Sky Map is incredibly useful too


 Yeah, we did that on Christmas day - that's how I knew it was Jupiter being bright and shiny 

It's cloudy as fuck here now though so I won't see any stars tonight.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

Was up at 4am and on Hampstead Heath by 6am to watch the eclipse, but it was rather eclipsed by the clouds  Met someone (rather cute ) using Google Sky Map though and it was the best advert for a smartphone I've seen yet  There were also BBC cameras so I may be in the background of some footage tonight  My friend was interviewed and has apparently already been on the news 

Also, don't know if this is cheap enough/too cheap, but when I did an intro to astronomy course at the Royal Observatory the course leader suggested this telescope. At £50 it's cheaper than most telescopes and will apparently do enough to get you interested, but you're likely to want to upgrade pretty soon if you really get the bug. As I say, depends what you want from it but thought I'd pass it on.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> We've got binoculars already, I never think of using them to look at the sky


 
If you want to be really proper, tape the binoculars to a smooth plastic football then place in to a large saucepan. That will make them act like a telescope and be steady and shit.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Oh, that _is_ a pleasing little thing. Thanks for that


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## Gingerman (Jan 4, 2011)

nino_savatte said:


> Dara O'Briain is a tool.


Speaks highly of you as well I believe,lovely Liz Bonnin........I would


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## Gingerman (Jan 4, 2011)

xes said:


> Yes, tow that line!! Or be called mental.


You're a mental


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## BlueSquareThing (Jan 4, 2011)

Maggot said:


> Wasn't it dark at 7 this morning when there was supposed to be a partial solar eclipse?


 


Bungle73 said:


> It was at 8.


 
And it was pretty light here - mind you, the fucking sun came out at about 9:40, all of three minutes after the damned thing stopped eclipsing. More or less - a bit after anyway.

And now it's cloudy again...


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## Santino (Jan 4, 2011)

Maggot said:


> What is their agenda?


 
The first item is 'Apologies'.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

Lord Camomile said:


> There were also BBC cameras so I may be in the background of some footage tonight  My friend was interviewed and has apparently already been on the news


My mum called to say my friend and I were on the BBC London headlines


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## dlx1 (Jan 4, 2011)

yes yes yes but it call the Stargazing Live not the Dara O Briain show. Shut the fuck up and shop talking over Pro Brian Cox


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## Santino (Jan 4, 2011)

dlx1 said:


> Shut the fuck up and shop talking over Pro Brian Cox


 
All Cox says is 'Isn't the universe brilliant?' over and over again.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

Ach, but it is though, isn't it


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## N_igma (Jan 4, 2011)

Tbf to Cox he does seem to be able to make physics and astronomy accessible to the general public which can only be a good thing. Look at programs like The Sky at Night, awfully esoteric and on at godforsaken hours with a 90 year old bigot who just grumbles, I swear I put the subtitles on one night and it was just "gurrrrgghhhh" all the way through.


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## Dooby (Jan 4, 2011)

Lord Camomile said:


> Ach, but it is though, isn't it


 
WHich ones were you and your mate? Wish I'd been there just to KNOW it was going on!
(I have always been delirious and OBSESSED by all this stuff by the way, despite understanding about 1% of it due to being a right numpty)


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

Blondie and beardy - from what I've been told they showed us using an iPhone app that maps the sky. Pretty nifty, but I must say the Google Sky Map was a little cooler as it shows you what's below the horizon too, so we could watch the Sun rise with the Moon on another girl's Android even if we couldn't see it live


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## Dooby (Jan 4, 2011)

Lord Camomile said:


> Blondie and beardy - from what I've been told they showed us using an iPhone app that maps the sky. Pretty nifty, but I must say the Google Sky Map was a little cooler as it shows you what's below the horizon too, so we could watch the Sun rise with the Moon on another girl's Android even if we couldn't see it live


 
Ooh I remember a woman in a woolly hat with the phone. I got my droid a couple years ago on the bacck of the old sky map app, I just stare at it sometimes coz it makes me happy


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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2011)

the presenters are an odd choice. who's the young simpering chap and why get an irish comic to co-present?


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

Dara O'Briain studied up to... degree level(?) and Prof. Brian Cox is the Big hawt Thing in astronomy. And was in D-Ream.

e2a: 





> He (O'Briain) attended University College, Dublin, where he studied maths and theoretical physics.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2011)

oh, it's that brian cox - thought he would be more dreamy, judging by the amount of female tweeters who've been dripping all over him for the past couple of years


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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2011)

darren o'brian looks out of his depth


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## Dooby (Jan 4, 2011)

Orang Utan said:


> the presenters are an odd choice. who's the young simpering chap and why get an irish comic to co-present?


 
Now I think you're just being mean to wee Brian.
I think Dara's a good choice, he's hugely bright and big on the science/rationalist scene, and of course very watchable. 
But I got dead angry at Jonathan Ross apparetnly having a mega expensive telescope of his own apparently just to HAVE it but never use it.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)




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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2011)

twitter tells me darren is 38 and brian is 42


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## Dooby (Jan 4, 2011)

Orang Utan said:


> twitter tells me darren is 38 and brian is 42


 
I know, I think Brian and I use the same monkey fetus youth potion at 42, and Dara looks like our dad.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2011)

darren looks about 50. i'm 37 and he makes me feel young, but then i look at brian and feel older than him.


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## madzone (Jan 4, 2011)

Orang Utan said:


> darren looks about 50. i'm 37 and he makes me feel young, but then i look at brian and feel older than him.


 
Dara.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

I suspect he knows


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## Orang Utan (Jan 4, 2011)

madzone said:


> Dara.


 
i know but i prefer darren as i like annoying irish people with funny names
dara o'briain - irish name
darren o'brian - proper english name


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

You see! He brazenly admits to his arrogance!

Burn the monkey


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## Espresso (Jan 4, 2011)

Dara Ó Briaín is THIRTY EIGHT? 
Great good God, he must have packed in some proper hard living in to those years.


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## Gingerman (Jan 4, 2011)

Thats what happens when you lose your hair,if Cox did'nt have his lovely locks he would'nt look so dreamy


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

I know no-one cares, but it fuck it I was up at 4am this morning so I'm getting something out of this  

This is my friend and I using her iPhone app, and later on in the report you can see my silhouette jumping up and down to keep warm


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## Dooby (Jan 4, 2011)

Lord Camomile said:


> I know no-one cares, but it fuck it I was up at 4am this morning so I'm getting something out of this
> 
> This is my friend and I using her iPhone app, and later on in the report you can see my silhouette jumping up and down to keep warm


 
Excellent   I'm so gonna be there for the next one. in like, 2090 or summat


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 4, 2011)

Think the next partial eclipse in the UK is in 2015, I think 2090 is the next full eclipse.

I think.


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## andy2002 (Jan 4, 2011)

Great article from the Guardian by Prof Brian Cox's wife. Made me laugh and well worth a read... 

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/201...-syndrome-celebrity-relationships?INTCMP=SRCH


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## Santino (Jan 4, 2011)

andy2002 said:


> Made me laugh and well worth a read...


 
I beg to differ.


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## andy2002 (Jan 4, 2011)

Santino said:


> I beg to differ.


 
So?


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## Santino (Jan 4, 2011)

It is a warning to future generations.


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## andy2002 (Jan 4, 2011)

Santino said:


> It is a warning to future generations.


 
You've lost me. What don't you like about the article?


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## Santino (Jan 4, 2011)

andy2002 said:


> You've lost me. What don't you like about the article?


 
It is uninteresting fluff about someone whining about their trivial problems with having a successful husband.


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## andy2002 (Jan 5, 2011)

It's trivial to you but she clearly has a problem with it and expresses it in an amusing way. I fail to see what the problem is really.


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## madzone (Jan 5, 2011)

andy2002 said:


> It's trivial to you but she clearly has a problem with it and expresses it in an amusing way. I fail to see what the problem is really.


 
I think I'd probably feel exactly the same as her tbh.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 5, 2011)

Technically we're all in space Mr. So-Called-Professor. Professor of stupid!


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 5, 2011)

These lads have to work on their chemistry a bit if they're going to do more of these 

(Which I hope they do of course )


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## madzone (Jan 5, 2011)

Coxy needs to start looking after his skin a bit. Moisturising and sunscreen and stuff.


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## big eejit (Jan 5, 2011)

Lord Camomile said:


> Technically we're all in space Mr. So-Called-Professor. Professor of stupid!


 
I hope you're not talking about the highly intelligent prof who was wearing the Everton bobble hat!


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 6, 2011)

Nah, Prof. Brian 'not the bloody actor' Cox. Unless he was wearing an Everton bobble hat at some point 

Did anyone catch the name of the service Dara used to book time on a telescope and capture that image? Was it My Telescope? And yes, I know it'll be on iPlayer but I'm at work and so can't currently _use_ iPlayer and I want to know _now_


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## jambandit (Jan 6, 2011)

http://www.bakerstreetastro.org.uk/   They were supposed to be having a free stargazing event in Regents park last night but it was called off due to rubbish weather.  Apparently they'll be hosting one next week so if you fancy gazing through some telescopes and learning about the night sky then check it out.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2011)

Mark Thompson missing a meteorite live on the show:


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## madzone (Jan 6, 2011)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Mark Thompson missing a meteorite live on the show:


 
It was _behind _him in a sky that was otherwise almost 100% cloudy. Hardly a sign of ineptitude.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2011)

madzone said:


> It was _behind _him in a sky that was otherwise almost 100% cloudy. Hardly a sign of ineptitude.


 
No one said it was. No one said it wasn't funny though.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 6, 2011)

jambandit said:


> http://www.bakerstreetastro.org.uk/   They were supposed to be having a free stargazing event in Regents park last night but it was called off due to rubbish weather.  Apparently they'll be hosting one next week so if you fancy gazing through some telescopes and learning about the night sky then check it out.


I went to one of their monthly meetings a while back, really good fun. If nothing else it's just quite cool to walk around Regent's Park at night when everyone else has gone home (with some company though  ) but there was a good crowd, maybe 40-odd at points, and quite a variety of hardware on show for people to look at.

Saw Jupiter and two of its moons, which was quite amazing (first time I've seen a planet 'live' through a telescope  ).


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## xes (Jan 6, 2011)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> Mark Thompson missing a meteorite live on the show:


 
meteorites have trails, this is blatently a UFO


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 6, 2011)

madzone said:


> It was _behind _him in a sky that was otherwise almost 100% cloudy. Hardly a sign of ineptitude.


 


Bahnhof Strasse said:


> No one said it was. No one said it wasn't funny though.


They really didn't have much luck at all with the live aspect of the programming; all those bloody clouds 

Hopefully that won't affect people's opinions of it too much though, it's not their fault and next time it could be brilliant clear skies and they'll show us the universe!


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## madzone (Jan 6, 2011)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> No one said it was. No one said it wasn't funny though.


 
I didn't find it funny. I just thought 'so what?'


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2011)

Lord Camomile said:


> They really didn't have much luck at all with the live aspect of the programming; all those bloody clouds
> 
> Hopefully that won't affect people's opinions of it too much though, it's not their fault and next time it could be brilliant clear skies and they'll show us the universe!


 
My local astronomical society had a series of free events to mark it this week, up in the Surrey Hills late at night and early in the morning. Sadly each one was wrecked by clouds. Tis the nature of the beast.


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## Bahnhof Strasse (Jan 6, 2011)

madzone said:


> I didn't find it funny. I just thought 'so what?'


 
Miserable fucker.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 6, 2011)

I actually missed it myself, but it was quite funny that they'd kept him out there for three nights and me missed the one thing that wasn't obscured by clouds. Alanis Morrisette might even call it ironic.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 6, 2011)

Bahnhof Strasse said:


> My local astronomical society had a series of free events to mark it this week, up in the Surrey Hills late at night and early in the morning. Sadly each one was wrecked by clouds. Tis the nature of the beast.


Yup, the whole thing, both the show and the associated events with various groups, has been rather scuppered by the weather.

The guys I joined on Tuesday morning for the eclipse have reported quite a bit of interest though, so that's encouraging. There's also an open day at the UCL observatory on Friday that will hopefully get some interest - I'm planning on going with a couple of friends *




*I am not under the impression that my attendance will be the thing getting some interest, just so we're clear


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## T & P (Jan 7, 2014)

Bump. 

Watching now. I love this programme


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## Bungle73 (Jan 7, 2014)

Live shots of the Aura Borealis.


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## TheHoodedClaw (Jan 7, 2014)

Excellent show tonight, with a huge stroke of luck with the live aurora. Carolyn Porco was a great guest.


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## zoooo (Jan 7, 2014)

Such amazing Borealisness.

I think tomorrow they have that amazing astronaut I've seen on TV a couple of times recently. He is the most eloquent and mind blowing person ever.


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## Awesome Wells (Jan 9, 2014)

Why can't the BBC do this stuff all year round?

Instead of constant immigration/UKIP appearances, tedious angry police maverick bollocks or biased news reportage.

This is what the bBC excels at and it's on for a few days once a year!


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## Sirena (Jan 9, 2014)

Awesome Wells said:


> Why can't the BBC do this stuff all year round?
> 
> Instead of constant immigration/UKIP appearances, tedious angry police maverick bollocks or biased news reportage.
> 
> This is what the bBC excels at and it's on for a few days once a year!


 
I agree.  There's also Springwatch and Autumnwatch, both with huge audiences. 

So, you could have a nice prime-time (before kids go to bed) hour-long show two or three times per week, just looking (live) at the Natural World in all its aspects.  Kids would love it, adults would love it, men would love it, women would love it.....


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 9, 2014)

Quite.

Quite shamefully I've not really caught much this year, but last night I was flicking and they had Chris Hadfield (the singing astronaut, as I'm sure he loves being known), Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham, Simon Evetts from ESA's Crew Medicial Support Office and Carolyn Porco, the leader of the Imaging Team for the Cassini–Huygens mission, and they were all just chatting away about space and the cosmos and it was bloody brilliant.

They only had 30 minutes but could have spent a whole evening with them.

I know this sort of thing isn't for everyone, just like there are things that aren't for me, but surely we could have a _little_ more?


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## TheHoodedClaw (Jan 9, 2014)

I have got to get one of those holo-globe thingies.


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## TheHoodedClaw (Jan 9, 2014)

Lord Camomile said:


> I know this sort of thing isn't for everyone, just like there are things that aren't for me, but surely we could have a _little_ more?



Dara's Science Club is pretty good (after they ditched the celebs and just got more scientists on)


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 9, 2014)

TheHoodedClaw said:


> I have got to get one of those holo-globe thingies.


I saw one at UCL a couple of years ago for what I'm pretty sure was a Stargazing event; _everyone_ wanted one


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 9, 2014)

TheHoodedClaw said:


> Dara's Science Club is pretty good (after they ditched the celebs and just got more scientists on)


Another one I have completely failed to catch, ever


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## goldenecitrone (Jan 9, 2014)

All I had was Patrick Moore with his big monocle and his xylophone-playing race hatred. Kids today don't know they're born.


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 9, 2014)

Ah fuck it, I shoulda gone to that star party


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## Lord Camomile (Jan 9, 2014)

The first time I looked through a decent telescope was in Hyde Park with the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers I saw Jupiter and three of the Galilean moons, and it really was something else. To not only see another world, but moons orbiting it, was utterly marvellous.

The actual images I saw have long since blurred into all the other images of Jupiter and its moons that I've seen, but that feeling will not soon be forgotten


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## Awesome Wells (Jan 9, 2014)

Sirena said:


> I agree.  There's also Springwatch and Autumnwatch, both with huge audiences.
> 
> So, you could have a nice prime-time (before kids go to bed) hour-long show two or three times per week, just looking (live) at the Natural World in all its aspects.  Kids would love it, adults would love it, men would love it, women would love it.....


*BUT UKIP WOULD NOT!*


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## Bungle73 (Jan 9, 2014)

Awesome Wells said:


> Why can't the BBC do this stuff all year round?
> 
> Instead of constant immigration/UKIP appearances, tedious angry police maverick bollocks or biased news reportage.
> 
> This is what the bBC excels at and it's on for a few days once a year!


Well all this live stuff probably takes quire a bit of organising, getting the experts in, and I'm sure Brian Cox has a job to do.  And what about The Sky at Night?


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## Awesome Wells (Jan 9, 2014)

Bungle73 said:


> Well all this live stuff probably takes quire a bit of organising, getting the experts in, and I'm sure Brian Cox has a job to do.  And what about The Sky at Night?


The Sky At Night is on at stupid am.

I'm sure Brian Cox is busy, there's plenty of other former boy band keyboardist-physicists that could do it.

3 nights a year is ridiculous.


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## TheHoodedClaw (Jan 9, 2014)

Awesome Wells said:


> The Sky At Night is on at stupid am.



When it starts up again next month it's going to be on at 10pm, on BBC4.


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## laptop (Jan 9, 2014)

Awesome Wells said:


> plenty of other former boy band keyboardist-physicists



Can you introduce us?


On second thoughts, perhaps I should rephrase that...


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## Awesome Wells (Jan 10, 2014)

Didn't Matt Bianco win a Nobel prize? 

I heard the guy that does the trumpet solo in tub thumping by Chumbawaumba mapped the human genome.



Seriously though surely there's room in the BBC's schedule for more stuff like this. It seems once a year we get a decent natural world/science effort. I'm sure they aren't easy to make and require lots of planmning, but they have a natural history department and lots of money. Surely people would want this? They could have a bbc science channel - no hint of Lauren Laverne or Richard Hammond!


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## Bungle73 (Mar 19, 2015)

No one watching this year? They had Buzz Aldrin on, and they're showing the Eclipse live tomorrow morning - so two shows.


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## T & P (Mar 19, 2015)

Yes, watched last night and tonight. Always good to see Buzz Aldrin.


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## weltweit (Mar 20, 2015)

Good stuff, watching now. Liked the blackest stuff, since the last most blackest stuff


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## Impossible Girl (Mar 20, 2015)

They should really air it more often and not only for the big occasions !


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## weltweit (Mar 20, 2015)

Impossible Girl said:


> They should really air it more often and not only for the big occasions !


I am assuming it differs from the sky at night .. is that right?


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## TheHoodedClaw (Mar 20, 2015)

weltweit said:


> I am assuming it differs from the sky at night .. is that right?



Sky at Night is largely for people who are already engaged/interested. Stargazing Live is aimed *to* engage, and to be honest it's really good at that. Just watch the last three installments on iPlayer weltweit.


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## Vintage Paw (Mar 21, 2015)

Watched it last night, this morning, and tonight. Tonight's was great. Their enthusiasm was bubbling over, particularly as they all sat around together at the end. It made me really happy.


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## Bungle73 (Jan 12, 2016)

On right now. They're going to be covering Tim Peake's space walk on Friday.


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## Steel Icarus (Jan 12, 2016)

Recording it. Love it, have watched every one


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## TheHoodedClaw (Jan 13, 2016)

I'm quite enjoying this year's shows attempts to injure John Bishop.


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