Articles By Mark Thompson : Discovery News

When Astronomy Made a Town Go Dark

Posted Tue Jan 31, 2012 08:00 AM ET | 0

Mark Thompson describes the moment when he was in charge of dimming the lights of a whole town in the name of astronomy. Read more

Take a Christmas Tour of the Solar System

Posted Sun Dec 25, 2011 07:00 AM ET | 0

If Christmas Day has clear skies, you may be able to spot Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Mercury in the night sky. Read more

The Complex Beauty of Solar System Navigation

Posted Thu Dec 15, 2011 04:21 PM ET | 0

So you want to fly to another planet? Well, you'd better prepare for a roller-coaster ride. Read more

Don't Miss the Last Total Lunar Eclipse til 2014!

Posted Fri Dec 9, 2011 02:52 PM ET | 0

On Saturday, the moon will be eclipsed by the Earth's shadow, possibly turning it blood-red during totality. Read more

'Can I Teach My Mum String Theory?'

Posted Tue Nov 8, 2011 02:04 PM ET | 0

BBC astronomy presenter Mark Thompson shares his opinion about how best to communicate space science. Read more

There's a Mysterious Spot on Uranus!

Posted Fri Oct 28, 2011 03:20 PM ET | 0

There's a strange brightening in the Uranian atmosphere and amateur astronomers can help investigate what it is. Read more

Look Up! The Orionids Are Peaking!

Posted Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:10 PM ET | 0

The dusty debris from the tail of Halley's Comet will rain down on the Earth's atmosphere, producing around 30 meteors per hour. Read more

Look Up! The Draconids Are Coming!

Posted Fri Oct 7, 2011 03:43 PM ET | 0

This weekend, a spectacular meteor shower may dazzle, but as astronomer Mark Thompson reports, never bet on the Draconids. Read more

Why Should I Worry About Space Junk?

Posted Fri Sep 30, 2011 01:00 PM ET | 0

The space debris issue won't affect me, will it? Actually, as astronomer Mark Thompson explains, it will. Read more

Look Up! Uranus Opposes the Sun

Posted Tue Sep 27, 2011 03:06 PM ET | 0

Astronomer Mark Thompson investigates why the "ice giant" Uranus is at a very special point in its orbit. Read more

The Search for Apollo 10's 'Snoopy'

Posted Mon Sep 19, 2011 05:01 AM ET | 0

A team of astronomers are planning an epic quest to track down the 42 year-old lunar module that's adrift in the solar system. Read more

High-Octane Social Astronomy

Posted Thu Sep 1, 2011 12:58 AM ET | 0

Using a multi-million dollar telescope system for one hour, BBC astronomer Mark Thompson captured images of astronomical objects as chosen by YOU. Read more

Using Supernovae to Measure the Cosmos

Posted Sat Aug 27, 2011 03:59 AM ET | 0

How do astronomers know how far away that galaxy is? For starters, it would help if a star would explode. Read more

Are UFOs Alien? No!

Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 03:10 PM ET | 0

Astronomer Mark Thompson argues that we need only apply some common sense to know UFOs probably don't originate from space. Read more

Which Astronomical Object Do YOU Want to See?

Posted Thu Aug 18, 2011 02:09 AM ET | 0

On Friday, BBC astronomer Mark Thompson will use a multi-million dollar telescope to zoom in on an object chosen by Discovery News readers. Read more