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Dr Jen Gupta from the ����ý is joining British astronaut and University alumnus Tim Peake on a new TV show that takes us on an unmissable journey through our Universe.

Secrets of our Universe with Tim Peake is a three-part series on Channel 5 that starts this Tuesday (19 September) at 9pm.

Over three episodes, Tim will investigate three stellar subjects: The Planets, Stars & Black Holes, and Space Missions. Each episode tackles some of the BIG questions: What are stars made from? What is a black hole? How far have humans gone in space? And ultimately could there be life beyond our earth? Tim will also explore why some planets have rings, how soon it will be before we’re living on Mars and how you go to the toilet when there’s zero gravity.

Dr Gupta appears in two of the three episodes. In the first episode, she joins Tim in a hot air balloon flying over the English countryside looking down on rivers and lakes. Tim discovers that Venus was once like earth, with flowing water and oceans. But today it’s shrouded in cloud trapping in heat from the sun making it the hottest planet with temperatures that would melt lead. In episode three, Dr Gupta and Tim discuss how things in space are always changing and that the Sun will eventually die so humans will need to look elsewhere to live. 

Dr Gupta, Associate Professor in Public Engagement and Outreach in the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) at the ����ý, said: “I had a blast filming with Tim and the crew and can’t wait to see the finished episodes! Having this series on Channel 5 at primetime will hopefully reach a new audience that might not have engaged much with astronomy and space in the past, which perfectly aligns with the aim of our public engagement activities at the ICG.”

In 2016 Tim became the first Briton to live on the International Space Station and later that year, he was presented with an honorary degree by the ����ý.