Life And Death of The Stars

For thousands of years, stars have been the prime example of something unattainable and unknowable—places so far away that we can learn almost nothing about them. Yet amazingly, astronomers have been able to discover exactly what stars are made of, how they are born, how they shine, how they die, and how they play a surprisingly direct role in our lives. Over the past century, this research has truly touched the stars, uncovering the essential nature of the beautiful panoply of twinkling lights that spans the night sky.

This documentary, on the life of artist Vincent Van Gogh, is told through his letters to his brother Theo, from 1872 until his tragic death. We gain first hand insight into the man, his motivations, and his humanity.

The Sky at Night team explore the life and death of stars. Chris Lintott investigates the strange dimming of Betelgeuse, which caused some speculation that it might be about to explode into a supernova. And Maggie Aderin-Pocock reports on the recent discovery of the biggest and brightest supernova ever observed. Lucie Green discovers how historical drawings that pre-date the invention of the telescope are helping us to predict solar activity, and Pete attempts to photograph our very own star, the Sun. The team also pay tribute to pioneering astronomer Margaret Burbidge, who died on 5th April 2020 at the age of 100, whose work led to the understanding that we are all made of stardust.