The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first monthly broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013.

[6] Pete Lawrence has presented an observing section on the programme since 2004 as well as producing an online monthly star Guide on the BBC Sky at Night webpage.

Topics include stellar life cycles, radio astronomy, artificial satellites, black holes, neutron stars and many others.

"[8] Many of the world's leading astronomers have appeared on the show through the years, including Harlow Shapley (the first to measure the size of the Milky Way galaxy), Fred Hoyle, Carl Sagan,[9] Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Samuel Tolansky, Harold Spencer Jones, Martin Ryle, Richard Ellis, Carlos Frenk and Bart Bok.

[citation needed] Many well-known astronauts have also appeared on the programme, such as Piers Sellers, Eugene Cernan, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.

In September 2013 the BBC announced that the programme's future after December 2013 was under review, prompting speculation that the corporation would end it, and a petition asking for the show to be retained.