EXPLORE THE SOUTHERN SKY

STARGAZING LIVE LIVE ON BBC TWO, 28-30 MARCH.

Stargazing Live returns this March, but with a twist – Prof Brian Cox and Dara O Briain will be broadcasting live from Australia. For three nights they’ll be camped out deep in the Outback, beneath some of the darkest skies in the world.

It’s the perfect time of year for stargazing Down Under, with the bulging heart of the Milky Way directly overhead and the planet Saturn swinging into view with its famous rings. In the southern sky, familiar objects such as the Moon and the Orion constellation appear upside down, while we’ll see famous stars and constellations such as the Southern Cross, Scorpius and Alpha Centauri that are rarely, if ever, visible from the UK.

Meanwhile, we’ll hear haunting tales of Aboriginal astronomy, meet some of the wildlife that stalks stargazers in the Outback, and find out why Australia is in the firing line for contact from aliens. Maybe they just like warm beer…