 sir patrick alfred caldwell-moore cbe, frs, fras (4 march 19239 december 2012) was an english amateur astronomer who attained prominent status in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter. moore was president of the british astronomical association, co-founder and president of the society for popular astronomy (spa), author of over 70 books on astronomy, and presenter of the world's longest-running television series with the same original presenter, the bbc's the sky at night. as an amateur astronomer, he became known as a 
1923_births 2012_deaths 20th-century_astronomers 21st-century_astronomers Amateur_astronomers BAFTA_winners_(people) Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire Critics_of_the_European_Union English_astronomers English_autobiographers English_schoolteachers English_science_fiction_writers English_television_presenters Fellows_of_the_Royal_Astronomical_Society Honorary_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society Knights_Bachelor Legion_of_Frontiersmen_members People_from_Pinner People_from_Sussex Royal_Air_Force_officers Royal_Air_Force_personnel_of_World_War_II UK_Independence_Party_people Xylophonists