At this time 250 years ago Captain James Cook’s HMB Endeavour was in the South Pacific. Its mission was to observe the transit of Venus and explore what was a largely unknown area to Europeans at the time.

This voyage was to greatly improve our knowledge of the geography of the world and the solar system beyond it.

But long before GPS how did Cook know where he was?

In this Futureproof special we talk about how the scientists of the past located themselves on our globe and our planet in the solar system.

We also talk to one of their modern day successors who is helping to pinpoint our place in the wider Universe.

Jonathan is joined by Author, Broadcaster and Doctor of Historical Cartography, Vanessa Collingridge & Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Lyon and Author of Finding Our Place In The Universe, Helene Courtois