The infinite mysteries of time and space are solved for us by none othen than an ex-time lord. Dennis Aston is star-struck. For many people, stars are found in newspaper horoscopes rather than in the night sky. But our Earth-bound view of space has given us an understanding of the universe and influenced the development of civilisation. These twin themes form the basis of Heavenly Bodies, the BBC astronomy series which began on January 22. The programmes also aim to clear up some popular misconceptions and to encourage viewers to become active observers.

Guiding us through the mysteries of space and time is, appropriately enough, former Dr Who and time-traveller Peter Davison. While he admits that he learned a lot himself making the series, he was surprised at the tenuous grasp that people have on the most basic astronomical concepts. Heavenly Bodies is designed to plug the gap between complete ignorance and Sky at Night.

Although of general interest, the series will strike a chord with teachers involved in space science topics. The approach may be a little broadly based for direct classroom use, but teachers will welcome the background information and ideas the six programmes provide. With careful editing some sections, particularly those involving the orrery, could be used to explain celestial events, and the pack which supports the series features activities which could form the basis of an astronomy project.

In exploring the relationship between astronomy and daily life, Peter Davison talks with people whose working lives are governed by the seasons and enthusiasts involved in the public understanding of this, the oldest of sciences. In the first programme Fiona Vincent gives a guided tour of the Moon via Dundee Observatory. This Sunday’s programme (January 29) will deal with the measurement of distance in the solar system. It is no easy task to find out how far away those tiny lights in the sky are, but the problem was solved by a young astronomer named Jeremiah Horrocks in 1639. He used a rare transit of Venus across the face of the sun to establish a principle brought to fruition by Captain Cook on his voyages 130 years later.

No look at the stars would be complete without star signs and the third programme reveals how many people are actually reading the wrong one. Moving from superstition to supernova, Peter Davison explains that all stars must eventually die, only to be recycled as new stars and planets and believe it or not, you and me. There is a little bit of star dust in all of us, apparently.

In the penultimate programme, Peter Davison finds out about the frustrations of astronomy. Observers at Stonyhurst College had planned for years to watch the total eclipse of 1927, only for clouds to obscure their view at the crucial moment. Our next total eclipse crosses south west England on August 11, 1999 what are the chances of a fine day?

Evidence that the sun may directly influence climate comes from the Maundet Minimum. This was a 400-year period of low sunspot activity which coincided with a mini-ice age in Europe, a folk memory echoed in present-day Christmas cards.

The final programme links astronomy, navigation and time. To navigate around the globe, sailors needed an accurate clock. In 1730, a Pounds 20,000 prize (National Lottery scale nowadays) was offered for such a timepiece. After 30 years of trying, John Harrison won the money with his fourth chronometer.

The series is conducted at a leisurely pace and difficult concepts have time to sink in. Peter Davison is an urbane spaceman who shows genuine interest in the subject and the people he meets. The astronomy project pack which accompanies the series is worth Pounds 9.99 for the splendid planisphere alone. It also contains a smart card sundial and suntracker which really work. A separate free leaflet lists nearly 200 local astronomy societies, many of which intend to hold public open evenings in the near future.

Further background information comes in the form of a linked book, written by the respected space science author Iain Nicholson. Its six themes parallel the series, but sensibly develop the astronomical ideas rather than their influence on society.

If you think your grasp of astronomy basics is firm, the following may help change your mind: when talking about sundials Nicholson explains “to convert sundial time to mean time, subtract the value of the equation of time from sundial time when apparent time is ahead of mean time, and add the value of the equation of time when apparent time is behind mean time.” Sundials were once in the national curriculum at key stage 3.

Dennis Ashton is director of the Sheffield Stardome and Planetarium BYLINE:The infinite mysteries of time and space are solved for us by none other than an ex-time lord. Dennis Ashton is star-struck