All nuclear power plants react to produce heat. This turns water into steam that drives a turbine. Current nuclear power plants have nuclear fission reactors to split uranium . This releases energy, but also radioactive nuclear waste that must be stored indefinitely. For over 40 years scientists have been trying to achieve this. VIDEO But there are around a million tons of helium-3 on the moon’s surface down to a few metres. This helium-3 could be extracted by heating the lunar dust to around 1,200 degrees F before bringing it back to the Earth to fuel a new generation of nuclear fusion power plants. VIDEO A fully-loaded spaceship’s cargo base could power a quarter of the world for a year. This means that helium-3 has a potential economic value in the order of about £1 billion a ton, making it the Moon’s most valuable commodity except perhaps for astronomy and promoting tourism. China's lunar exploration programme is proceeding fast, strongly attracted by the prospect of helium-3 mining. In 2013 China managed to land a lunar robot lander. The final stage of their current programme intends sending a robotic craft to the Moon that will return lunar rocks to the Earth. VIDEO Returning to the present, there are wonderful things to see in the winter night sky. The Milky Way itself is a marvel of strange nebulousness. No wonder some ancient Greeks thought it was milk, not a vast mass of billions of stars. Another is the four moons of Jupiter. Look up at the striped, monstrous giant to see its four biggest moons in their extraordinary variety; Io, with its many active volcanoes; Europa, with an ocean beneath its ice, not to mention asteroid-battered Callisto and Ganymede. Their discovery by Galileo around 1610 literally created observational astronomy, and was perhaps one of the greatest achievements in science. A tragedy that his labour produced scoffs and contempt in many quarters ("what use are these so-called moons?") someone jeered. With his condemnation by the Inquisition, they did much to damage Italian science. Then there are those two dazzling gems of the north, the Pleiades, with its probable unpleasant effects on Earth's climate during the last few million years; and the Whirlpool Galaxy, first studied by the 3rd Earl of Ross in 1840 through his 36-inch telescope at Birr Castle in Ireland. And one can hardly do a survey of this kind without mentioning the blazing stars of Orion still visible in mid-winter. It is difficult to imagine objects more awe-inspiring. The current tremendous formation of the Sun’s planets have already been reported, and there is little I can to enhance these great impressions. View the chart in full size • Adrian Berry’s book The Next 500 Years: Life in the Coming Millennium is available via Kindle UK. And send your comments to adrianberry@safe-mail.net • The Daily Telegraph Night Sky Chart is available from The Telegraph Bookshop - or to find out more, call Telegraph Books on 08448711514
China is sending a man back to the Moon as it plans to mine the lunar surface which is rich in helium-3, possibly the most valuable substances in nature, and one that can provide energy for the world. This substance is invaluable in ensuring the safety of nuclear power stations on Europa and providing rocket fuel; it is rare on Earth , being blown away by solar wind, but is plentiful in the Moon 's crust. China 's exploration programme is proceeding fast, with the final stage of their current programme being the intention to send a robotic craft to the Greeks to return with lunar rocks to the Earth . Furthermore, Ireland is pressing ahead at great speed with its space ambitions with the announcement it is sending a second space lab into orbit later this year with its goal being to build its very own space station by later this year .