What’s the connection between astronomy and jazz? From William Herschel (discoverer of Uranus and professional musician) to Sun-Ra (jazz composer and wannabe astronaut) via Sir Patrick Moore and his xylophone, staring up at the cosmos’ mysteries has always had a close connection with music.
Astronomer Professor Chris Lintott (BBC’s The Sky at Night) brings the latest images from spacecraft strung out across the Solar System, and from the largest telescopes here on Earth, to take us from the beginning of the Universe to the future of the Universe. Musician Steve Pretty (Hackney Colliery Band) brings his trumpet, a drumming robot and a conch shell to explain what music is, where it comes from and how it can help us to understand the cosmos. And together they hunt for the Venn diagram in the middle.