Big Dipper

Mercury is at greatest western elongation (23 degrees) at 15:00 UT.

The planets and moons of our solar system are covered in volcanoes, some billions of years old and seven times the height of Mount Everest. Sir Patrick Moore discovers the havoc that volcanoes can wreak on our own planet, as well as elsewhere in our solar system. Full details can be found here. Repeat showings are detailed here.

Neptune is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 0:00 UT; Venus is at greatest western elongation (47 degrees) at 16:00 UT.

The Quadrantid meteor shower (40 to 120 or more per hour) peaks at 1:00 UT; a partial solar eclipse takes place in western Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa, and most of Europe beginning at 6:40 UT; New Moon (lunation 1089) occurs at 9:03 UT.

A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Io’s shadow follows Ganymede’s) begins at 19:11 UT.

The Great Bear Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is a rich source of galaxies, double and variable stars and the Hubble Deep Field, through which we are able to look back 10 billion years in time. Sir Patrick Moore and his astronomical team give an intimate guide to one of the skies' most recognisable constellations. Broadcasts 1. Sun 5 Dec 2010 23:55 BBC One (except Northern Ireland) 2. Tue 7 Dec 2010 19:30 BBC Four 3. Wed 8 Dec 2010 02:00 BBC Four 4. Wed 8 Dec 2010 23:55 BBC One (Northern Ireland only) 5. Sat 11 Dec 2010 14:20 BBC Two (except Northern Ireland (Analogue), Wales (Analogue))

Venus is 7 degrees north of the Moon at 16:00 UT.

Saturn is 8 degrees north of the Moon at 3:00 UT; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa’s shadow follows Io’s) begins at 11:56 UT; the Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart, is predicted to occur at 12:30 UT.

Last Quarter Moon occurs at 4:18 UT.

A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Europa’s shadow follows Ganymede’s) begins at 1:07 UT.

A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (Io’s shadow follows Europa’s) begins at 22:46 UT.

Peak of the Ursid meteor shower (10 per hour) occurs at 19:00 UT.

A total lunar eclipse begins at 7:40:47 UT and ends at 8:53:08 UT, reaching maximum eclipse at 8:16:57 UT; Full Moon (known as the Before Yule, Cold, Long Nights, and Oak Moon) occurs at 8:13 UT; the Moon is 0.9 degree south of the bright open cluster M35 in Gemini at 13:00 UT; the northern hemisphere winter solstice occurs at 23:38 UT.

Mercury is in inferior conjunction at 1:00 UT.

The Moon is 1.2 degrees south of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades) in Taurus at 3:00 UT.

Jupiter is 7 degrees south of the Moon at 2:00 UT; Uranus is 7 degrees south of the Moon at 6:00 UT; the peak of the Geminid meteor shower (100 to 120 per hour) occurs at 11:00 UT.

The Lunar X (the Purbach or Werner Cross), an X-shaped illumination effect involving various rims and ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchinus, and Purbach, is predicted to occur at 8:41 UT; First Quarter Moon occurs at 13:59 UT.

Neptune is 5 degrees south of the Moon at 15:00 UT.

Mercury is 1.8 degrees south of the Moon at 9:00 UT.

Mars is 0.5 degree south of the Moon at 22:00 UT.

New Moon (lunation 1088) occurs at 17:36 UT.

Venus is 6 degrees north of the Moon at 21:00 UT.

Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (21 degrees) at 15:00 UT; Saturn is 8 degrees north of the Moon at 18:00 UT; Mercury is 1.3 degrees south of the bright emission nebula M8 (the Lagoon Nebula) in Sagittarius at 23:00 UT.

Repeated BBC FOUR 10 November 02:30. Ghostly Travellers Comets are strange and exotic objects, the remnants from dead stars and the birth pangs of our solar system. Only a handful of these ghostly, celestial objects have been seen at close quarters. Sir Patrick Moore discusses NASA's EPOXI mission, which hopes to rendezvous with comet Hartley 2 on November 4th.

Comets are strange and exotic objects, the remnants from dead stars and the birth pangs of our solar system. Only a handful of these ghostly, celestial objects have been seen at close quarters. Sir Patrick Moore discusses NASA's EPOXI mission, which hopes to rendezvous with comet Hartley 2 on November 4th. *Note: Repeat showings on BBC FOUR not available at the time of posting this calendar entry*