BBC Four - The Sky at Night - Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore The Sky at Night Read more about sharing. Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore Sir Patrick Moore, who died on December 9th 2012, was a man of extraordinary gifts who led a remarkable life. A tribute by the Sky at Night team He was born in 1923, in the same year as the BBC was founded, and for more than half a century Patrick’s career represented the BBC at its very best. for more than half a century Patrick’s career represented the BBC at its very best The Sky at Night team ﻿The BBC’s ethos was to educate, to inform and to entertain – and all three came naturally to Patrick – often at the same time and in the same sentence. He was much loved by viewers as a musician and entertainer, had a mischievous sense of humour and could more than hold his own as a comedian with the likes of Morecambe & Wise and the Two Ronnies, but Patrick was also an enthusiastic communicator of science to the widest possible audience.

He was a distinguished astronomer but completely self-taught and always prided himself on being “just an amateur” while enjoying the recognition and respect of fellow scientists from all over the world. As a young man Patrick had played a key part in mapping the Moon and thereby he made possible the space missions and lunar explorations of both the USA and USSR. As a broadcaster he reported NASA’s Apollo missions and their manned landings on the Moon and he communicated these to his television audience with the boyish enthusiasm which stayed with him all his life. From the first broadcast in 1957 Sir Patrick went on to present The Sky at Night for over 55 years – making this the longest-running TV series anywhere in the world with the same presenter. As such, he introduced generations of people to the marvels of the night sky and by doing so changed countless lives by encouraging people to look up at the night skies and wonder. ﻿His own life - told here in his own words and with characteristic humility – is where it all began.

In his own words, 2011 I was born in Pinner, but when I was six months old my parents moved to Bognor (it wasn't Bognor Regis then) and I am essentially a Sussex boy. My father was in the Army - he won the MC in the First World War - but I didn't take after him. My mother was a trained singer and a talented artist too. From her I inherited the music, but not the art! My interest in astronomy went back to the age of 7 Sir Patrick Moore My education was disjointed. The plan was Prep. School, Eton, Cambridge - I never made any of them. During my boyhood I was handicapped by heart trouble; I managed my Cambridge entrance exams externally, but then came the war, and I joined the RAF as a navigator with Bomber Command (I admit that I wasn't 100% honest about my age or fitness, but when I was found out it no longer mattered, and Flight-Lieutenant Caldwell-Moore was not even told that he had been a naughty boy). At the end of the war I returned home, then to East Grinstead.

Cambridge was still open to me, but it meant taking a Government grant, which went against the grain. I prefer to stand on my own feet. My interest in astronomy went back to the age of 7, and I had several slices of luck; a small observatory was near me, I was able to use it, and I published my first paper (about the Moon) when I was 13. After the war, I wrote a book about the Moon; it caught on, and writing took over my life - farewell, Cambridge! I set up my own observatory, first at East Grinstead and then Selsey, and since then I have been a freelance writer. My aim was to spread interest about astronomy; in 1957 I began my TV series The Sky at Night, now in its 54th year of an unbroken run. Many leading astronomers and astronauts have joined me. I hope I have achieved my object, but that must be left for others to judge. I have been over most of the world, from Antarctica to Death Valley, so I have seen a great deal. I won't bore you with personal details.

Suffice to say that Lorna, whom I was to marry, was killed by a German bomb when we were both twenty (1943!) and so I remain, very sadly, a bachelor. My mother, to whom I was devoted, stayed with me; she died in 1981. I am now 88, and not very mobile, again thanks to the War. But until the age of 78 I was still playing cricket. I am well looked after in my Selsey home - and do not forget my two all-important cats, Jeannie and Ptolemy! The Sky at Night (TV Series 1957– ) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.

Error a list of 174 titles created 16 Sep 2012 a list of 63 titles created 08 Mar 2014 a list of 2127 titles created 15 May 2014 a list of 86 titles created 9 months ago a list of 70 titles created 6 months ago Title: The Sky at Night (1957– ) 8.5/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Add Image Add an image Do you have any images for this title? Horizon is BBC Two's flagship 50-minute science documentary series. In September 2004 it celebrated its 40th anniversary and it continues to enjoy outstanding critical acclaim. Recognised ... See full summary » Stars: Paul Vaughan, Jack Fortune, Dilly Barlow Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.

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Stars: Brian Cox April 1957 (UK) See more » Filming Locations: The original working title was "Star Map". See more » Quotes Presenter : This century will be very interesting, though I will only see the first part of it, of course. For instance, the first man on Mars has probably already been born, and we may have made contact with another life-form from somewhere we can only see clearly from Earth in the sky at night. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Thomas Beecham (as Sir Thomas Beecham) in 1955 The longest running TV show in the World 15 April 2003 | by S (UK) – See all my reviews Not just the longest running TV show in British history, but in fact The Longest Running TV Show in World.

That this is still going out every 4th Sunday after all those years is testament to the huge popularity of Sir Patrick Moore, who has received many honors for his outstanding services to astronomy (which includes, among other things, introducing countless kids to science) Often broadcast live, the programme has sometimes been the victim of cloudy skies and other bad weather, but it has always been a show with great importance (and a source of great enjoyment) for both amateur and professional astronomers alike. Being an international expert in the subject, Patrick Moore provided some of NASAs maps for the 1969 moonlandings, but it is interesting that the BBC wiped all the footage of him commentating on it! 26 of 29 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Obituary: Patrick Moore - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption The monocled moon-gazer Patrick Moore was the monocled surveyor of the sky who awakened in millions of people an interest in galactic goings on. His love of astronomy began at the age of six and that childhood curiosity developed into a lifelong passion. It was a passion he shared through his programme, The Sky at Night, which he presented for more than 50 years.

Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore was born at Pinner, Middlesex on 4 Mar 1923. Heart problems meant he spent much of his childhood being educated at home and he became an avid reader. His mother gave him a copy of GF Chambers' book, The Story of the Solar System, and this sparked his lifelong passion for astronomy. He was soon publishing papers about the moon's surface, based on observations made with his first three-inch telescope. Mapping the moon When war came he turned down a place at Cambridge and lied about his age to join the RAF, serving as a navigator with Bomber Command and rising to the rank of Flight Lieutenant. His RAF experiences, which included a visit to the Dachau concentration camp, left him a bitter opponent of war. The war also brought a personal tragedy. His fiancee, Lorna, was killed when an ambulance she was driving was hit by a bomb. He never married. Image caption He presented The Sky At Night for five decades "That was it," he said. "There was no one else for me. Second best is no good for me.

I would have liked a wife and family, but it was not to be." After the war he taught for a time at a prep school but his interest in astronomy came to dominate his life. He built his own telescope in the garden of his Sussex home and began to observe the moon. The detailed maps of the moon's surface that he produced during this time were used by Nasa as part of the preparations for the moon landing. A growing interest in extra-terrestrial matters persuaded the BBC to launch a new programme explaining the mysteries of space and Moore was chosen to present it. At a time when pulsars, quasars and black holes were unknown, the show, initially called Starmap, was scheduled to run for three months. Idiosyncratic style The first edition of The Sky at Night was broadcast on 24th April 1957, six months before the launch of Sputnik, the world's first artificial earth orbiting satellite, began the modern space age. "I thought The Sky At Night would last only a few months," he once said. "It's nobody's enemy. It's cheap and non-controversial.

It is no skill on my part." But astronomical developments came thick and fast, The Sky at Night became a television institution and Moore stayed with it for more than four decades. During that time he missed just one episode, when he was struck down by food poisoning in July 2004. In 1965 he became the director of a new planetarium at Armagh, in Northern Ireland, a post he held for three years. Image caption Moore had his own telescope at home in Selsey In 1969 he was part of the BBC commentary team which described the moon landings. His appearance was as distinctive as his passion for the stars. At six foot three, Moore carried an air of permanent "donnish dishevelment". With his raised eyebrow and monocled glare, he could have been mistaken for an incommunicative academic. Talented musician But his enthusiasm was contagious and unstoppable. Unfathomable images became exciting lunar postcards through Moore's interpretation and at his most fervent, he would speak at 300 words a minute. Despite his expertise on our solar system, Moore never had any formal training and described himself as an amateur astronomer.

But his reputation as a ground-breaking ambassador of science was recognised when he was knighted in 2001. Away from his telescope, Moore's great loves included cricket, taking part in television panel games and the xylophone, which he played often in public, despite never taking a lesson. Image caption Multi-faceted: Moore performs on the xylophone Characteristically, he taught himself to compose music at the age of nine, and wrote a number of pieces over the years, some of which were recorded. He once managed to combine his interest in music with his passion for science. In an historic encounter, he played piano, while his musical partner on the violin was Albert Einstein. His other TV credits include the role of Gamesmaster in the 1990s computer games show of the same name. He was a noted opponent of fox hunting and had a passion for cats, many of which, over the years sprawled happily across the papers on his desk while he worked. His wartime experiences left him with a strong antipathy to the European ideal and he became an enthusiastic member of the UK Independence party.

Hobby He was also, briefly, the finance minister for the Monster Raving Loony Party, of whom he said "They had an advantage over all the other parties, in that they knew they were loonies." He wrote more than 70 books during his lifetime, most of the manuscripts banged out on a 1908 manual typewriter. The space enthusiast had an abhorrence of new technology. With his boundless energy and many interests, Patrick Moore could have made a fortune, but he said his astronomy would have suffered. He called it his hobby, not his work. But many renowned professionals were first inspired by his infectious enthusiasm. Buzz Aldrin, the pilot on the Apollo 11 moon landing, paid him this tribute in a BBC interview in 2009.

"Astronomy has grown in leaps and bounds and it's people like Patrick who have been able to put it into perspective so that ordinary people understand the enormity of the universe." The Sky At Night faces the axe one year after Sir Patrick Moore's death - Telegraph TV and Radio The Sky At Night faces the axe one year after Sir Patrick Moore's death The Sky At Night could be withdrawn by the BBC by the end of the year, a decision which has sparked anger and concern among viewers. Sir Patrick Moore presented The Sky At Night from its first episode in April 1957 until January 2013 Photo: PAUL GROVER Follow The monthly astronomy programme was famously presented by Sir Patrick Moore from its first episode in April 1957 until January 2013, following Sir Patrick's death in December 2012 aged 89. He presented a total of 721 episodes, missing only one filming during July 2004 after he suffered severe food poisoning. Subsequently, the show is the longest-running TV series with the same presenter in the world.

Sir Patrick reported on NASA's Apollo moon missions during 1969 and the UK's total solar eclipse in 1999. Scientists Lucie Green and Chris Lintott have presented the show since February. The BBC told the Daily Mail discussions over the programme's future are ongoing, and that it will continue to be broadcast until at least December. Related Articles The night sky in August 2013 01 Aug 2013 A BBC spokesman said last night: "The Sky At Night is on air until the end of the year. Plans for subsequent series are being discussed." Fans reacted angrily to the broadcasters' announcement, with many taking to Twitter to express their disgust. one user tweeted "Please tell me it is a mistake that the #bbc is dropping #skyatnight!" [SIC], whilst another declared: "The programme which inspired many generations of astronomers, professional and amateur, must continue." A petition has been started on the internet in an attempt to save the show. Entitled The BBC: Please do not axe The Sky At Night, the document has attracted 1,397 signatures at the time of writing.

Queen guitarist Brian May last week confirmed that plans to convert Sir Patrick's beloved West Sussex home into an astronomy centre would no longer be going ahead. May, a close friend of the astronomer, said the presenter would be commemorated in a section of the Science Museum, London. The Sky at Night presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock: 'In space, race doesn't matter' The space scientist who is about to replace Patrick Moore on how Spock, Sherlock Holmes and physics inspired her<p>As a child, space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock was allowed to stay up late and watch one programme, <a href="" title="">The Sky at Night</a>. She mainly grew up in light-polluted London, unable to see much outside the window of her family's council flat in Camden, but still she had a fascination with space.

Some long winter nights, walking home from school across Hampstead Heath, she would look up and think, "Patrick talked about that constellation, I can see it now."</p><p><a href="" title="">Patrick Moore</a> presented the astronomy programme for more than 50 years; from next month, <a href="" title="">Aderin-Pocock will present the series</a>, with astrophysicist <a href="" title="">Chris Lintott</a>, in a new monthly slot on BBC4. "It's a wonderful opportunity, but with a bit of fear and trepidation as well," she says. "[Patrick] was just such an iconic figure.

There is no way I could fill his shoes, it's just trying to continue the legacy really."</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Factual TV The Sky at Night faces BBC axe BBC to review future of astronomy show – first broadcast in 1957 – less than a year after the death of Sir Patrick Moore<p>One of the BBC's longest-running TV shows, The Sky at Night, faces the axe less than a year after the death of the man who made it famous, Sir Patrick Moore.</p><p>The future of the series, which first aired in 1957, will be reviewed at the end of the year, prompting an angry protest from fans on Twitter and an <a href="" title="">online petition that had attracted more than 2,000 signatures by Tuesday morning</a>.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> BBC Sir Patrick Moore and the case of the missing trousers Five months after his death, friends remember eccentricity of man who presented The Sky at Night for 55 years<p>The stars came out again for Sir Patrick Moore five months after his death, twinkling in projections on the walls of the BBC's Radio Theatre, and in the guests who came to celebrate

 the life and work of the presenter of The Sky at Night, the world's longest running television programme.</p><p>Guests and contributors included pinup science presenter Professor Brian Cox, the astronomer royal, Lord Rees, and Jon Culshaw, whose impression of Moore is so uncanny it made friends' hair stand on end.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Brian May angered by Sunday Times report about Sir Patrick Moore's house Guitarist attacks newspaper's 'dustbin sniffing' after it says he bought house so astronomer had a secure home until death<p>The Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May has denounced the Sunday Times for "dustbin sniffing", after reports that he bought Sir Patrick Moore's house four years ago, above its market value, so the veteran astronomer could continue living in his own home until his <a href="" title="">death a week ago</a>, aged 89.</p><p>In a statement to the Guardian, May said it was too soon to decide the future of the house, Farthings, a part Tudor thatched cottage in Selsey, West Sussex, crammed with Moore's scientific and personal possessions, which he had hoped could become a

 centre for young astronomers.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Letter: Patrick Moore's visual radio <p>In the late 1970s, as producer of an April Fools' Day edition of the BBC World Service magazine programme Outlook, I was keen to introduce something suitably daft.

Among the suggestions I received was one from the BBC's Paris correspondent, who came up with a brilliant "exclusive" on the imminent restoration of the French monarchy, and one from <a href="" title="Patrick Moore obituary">Patrick Moore</a>, who immediately suggested "visual radio".</p><p>Word came down from above that I could only use one of these suggestions but the decision was taken out of my hands when I learned that Patrick was already on his way up to London from Selsey, West Sussex.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore The day my son met Patrick Moore | Ian Katz The astronomer had plenty of advice for a career in science, but my nine-year-old wanted to know what it was like to swallow a fly<p>Since <a href="" title="">Patrick Moore's death</a> a succession of astronomers and scientists have recalled how <a href="" title="">they were inspired by childhood encounters with the (literally) larger-than-life celestial explorer and xylophonist</a>.

My nine-year-old son Jake may have&nbsp;the distinction of being the last child who will be able to say the same.</p><p>A little over a month ago Jake and I wangled a brief audience with the great man and his monocle. <a href="" title="">The co-authors of his new book, Chris Lintott and Brian May</a>, were there too, but even selling more albums than the Beatles doesn't count for much when you are in the presence of a national treasure. Plainly there was just one star in the cluttered study of Moore's Sussex cottage.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Did Patrick Moore inspire you to look up to the heavens? | Open thread Tell us about the first time you saw a constellation, and what effect the stars have had on you<p>As an astronomer, Patrick Moore helped map the moon, and as a broadcaster and longstanding presenter of The Sky at Night, he is credited with inspiring generations of eager star gazers.

Writing <a href="" title="">in the Guardian</a>, Brian May described Moore, who died yesterday aged 81, as an inspiration to "every British astronomer, amateur and professional for half a century".</p><p>Comment is free would like to hear its readers' most vivid memories of star gazing. Can you remember the first time you saw a constellation? What's the clearest night sky you've ever seen? What effect have the stars had on you? And did Moore inspire you to look up to the heavens?</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Patrick Moore: gentleman, astronomer and master of the universe | Brian May An inspiration to thousands in his personal life and to millions through his 50 years of unique broadcasting<p>For many years Patrick has been a dear friend and a kind of father figure to me. I am going to miss him terribly, as are all his close friends and colleagues; and the world has lost a treasure that can never be replaced.</p><p>Patrick was the last of a generation, a true gentleman, the most generous that I ever knew; an inspiration to thousands in his personal life and to millions through his 50 years of unique broadcasting.

It's no exaggeration to say that Patrick, in his tireless and ebullient communication of the magic of astronomy, inspired every British astronomer, amateur and professional, for half a century.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Sir Patrick Moore: the eccentric amateur who became a TV star Astronomers and friends salute colourful presenter of The Sky at Night who died at home after a short illness<p>No one in modern times can have inspired more people to look beyond the horizon and up into the heavens at something far, far, greater than themselves than the astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore, who died after a short illness at home on Sunday, in the company of friends, carers and a cat called Ptolemy.</p><p>Moore led the BBC programme, The Sky at Night, with his unmistakable brand of eccentric authority for more than 50 years, the longest a television host has ever presented the same programme.

He was an amateur astronomer: he held no university degrees, and was never employed as a professional scientist, but his knowledge was deep and up to date.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Sir Patrick Moore obituary Astronomer, television personality, British eccentric and a great populariser of science<p>Sir Patrick Moore, who has died aged 89, had the air of a crusty, uncompromising bachelor and slightly dotty boffin who could have walked straight out of a Victorian or Edwardian novel. An amateur but distinguished astronomer, star of television programmes including GamesMaster, prolific author, composer and manic xylophone player, he was a true, quite unselfconscious British eccentric – and a populariser of science without equal in an era of great but often abstruse discovery.</p><p>In his capacity as an astronomer, he helped map the moon and was for more than half a century until his death the presenter of BBC TV's <a href="" title="">The Sky at Night</a>, missing only a single episode through illness, in July 2004.

The following year the programme spawned a monthly magazine.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Small ask | Young readers' questions Aged 10 or under? Got a question that needs answering? We put it to an expert for you. This week: Sir Patrick Moore<p><strong>Sir Patrick Moore replies</strong><em> </em>No one does. People who study the things you can see in the sky are called astronomers. Look up when the sky is dark and clear, and you will see the stars. They look like small, twinkling points of light, but really they are suns. And our sun, which seems so brilliant during the daytime, is also a star, but is much closer than the stars we see at&nbsp;night. Never look straight at the sun or you will hurt your eyes.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Patrick Moore: My family values The astronomer and broadcaster talks about his family<p><strong>I was diagnosed at the age of five</strong> with a heart problem and that was the end of my family's plans for my education. The idea was that I would go to prep school, then Eton College and then Cambridge University.

I never got to any of them by sheer bad luck. I was educated at home by private tutors; I had one term&nbsp;at school when I was eight, but that was all. Consequently, I didn't have many friends, and my childhood was fairly solitary.</p><p><strong>I was born in Pinner, Middlesex</strong>, and grew up first in Bognor and then in East Grinstead. My mother was very artistic. She used to be a singer and had a great sense of humour. We were very close. I'm sure she was protective because of my heart problems. I inherited my musicality from her but not the art.

When my father died I said to her: "Well, you have no one now and neither have I, so let's stick together." When she died, in 1991, it was one of the most terrible days of my life.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Patrick Moore Sir Patrick Moore: Astronomer who presented ‘The Sky At Night’ for over half a century | The Independent Sir Patrick Moore: Astronomer who presented ‘The Sky At Night’ for over half a century Sunday 9 December 2012 13:29 BST Click to follow Moore's lunar observations were used by the Soviet Union space programme GETTY IMAGES Patrick Moore was a unique phenomenon in British astronomy. He was widely known from his long-running TV series The Sky at Night, first broadcast in 1957, as the authority on all matters astronomical. The science of astronomy owes a great deal to his substantial efforts and unstinted enthusiasm in popularising astronomy for over half a century – he was the acceptable face of astronomical science. If speaking to public audiences on astronomy, it was politic to establish early that one did indeed know Patrick Moore.

Moore was perhaps the last in the great British tradition of significant contributions to science by distinguished amateurs, and was fiercely proud of his amateur status. He was born in Pinner, Middlesex in 1923, the son of Capt Charles Caldwell-Moore and his wife Gertrude, a professional opera singer. Because of childhood illness, he was unable to take up a place at Eton and the intervention of the Second World War prevented his going, as planned, to Cambridge University. His education was therefore undertaken at home, his mother being of great influence in developing his musical talents and astronomical interests. Moore has related how, coming across a book, The Story of the Solar System, that belonged to his mother, he became completely hooked on astronomy at the age of six, so beginning a love affair lasting 83 years. At the age of 11 he was admitted as a member of the British Astronomical Association. Moore was in a line of astronomers such as Williams Herschel and Huggins whose education was largely home-based. By a certain economy with the truth, Moore enlisted in the RAF in 1940, serving as a Navigator in Bomber Command.

On discharge from the RAF, he entered the world of education for seven years, giving that up to be a freelance writer in 1952. He became a prolific writer of books (in excess of 100) and the doyenne of the public presentation of astronomy. Moore was fascinated by the Moon and, through dedication to observing, became a highly respected lunar observer. In these days of planetary exploration of space, it is hard to realise the previous difficulties experienced by those involved in identifying and mapping small lunar features. Fine detail was often obliterated for an observer by the turbulence of the Earth’s atmosphere (known as “seeing”) and a good observer had to utilise a few fleeting seconds of reduced turbulence – “good seeing” – to obtain new features or confirm previous observations. Very often, alleged detail proved spurious and debate between observers could be harsh and acrimonious. Out of such debate, a degree of consensus could be reached. Moore’s talent as an observer was recognised quickly by HP Wilkins, Director of the Lunar Section of the British Astronomical Association, Wilkins’ view of Moore’s ability being well-documented in his book Our Moon, of 1954.

Moore had a particular talent for observing those features on the far side of the Moon that were brought into view from time to time by the phenomenon of libration. Wilkins had produced a large-scale map of the Moon (the map represented the Moon’s diameter at 300 inches) in 1946. This map was reproduced in book format in 1951. Moore worked with Wilkins to update the map with his more recent lunar observations. After Wilkins’ death in 1960, Moore finished the update using his own, Wilkins’ and the observations of others to bring out the revised second edition by Wilkins and Moore in 1961. This achievement of the lunar observer’s skill was timely given the interest in sending spacecraft to the Moon and Moore was immensely proud of the fact that Wilkins and Moore was used by the Russians to identify lunar features on their epoch-making pictures of the Moon from space. It is an irony that space observations made lunar mapping by terrestrial observers redundant.

By the 1960s Moore was becoming a recognised television personality, having begun The Sky at Night for the BBC in 1957, just before the launch of Sputnik 1 in October that year. Moore’s timing was again impeccable: what delights, what overturns of long accepted concepts took place in the years and decades that followed. In 1957 few would have thought that 40 years later, for that long-lived programme, Moore would do a tourist description of a flyover of the surface of Venus from the results of radar mapping. He had a gift for simple presentation of complex and difficult ideas and technologies. He knew the professional astronomical community well and kept up a flow of astronomers to explain and enlarge upon the latest findings. Again, it is hard today, when colour television and sophisticated computer simulation are developed to such high standards, to explain just how much Moore achieved in those early days of black and white. His presentational skills and sheer enthusiasm brought astronomy to many for whom science was otherwise a closed book. People were enthused and excited by the torrent of discovery in astronomy unleashed by the sheer technical ability to work without the constraint of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Moore was a prolific author, writing at least one book a year. His books conveyed his overarching love of, and enthusiasm for, astronomy. He was at his best on topics of a Solar System nature, but he tackled all aspects of astronomy. He wrote for the under-10s on astronomy and space; he wrote a textbook on astronomy for GCSE students. He also wrote on non-astronomical matters. One of Moore’s very worthwhile undertakings was his editorship of the Yearbook of Astronomy, which he had sustained since 1962. About half of the yearbook is given over to star charts, the Moon and planets together with celestial events (eclipses, comets, meteors, etc) and a monthly guide on what to see in the sky. This would have been an excellent publication in itself – and a testament to the dedication and knowledge of Gordon Taylor – but Moore also commissioned a set of articles for each yearbook on a range of astronomical topics: history, specific objects and so on written by distinguished, young and old, amateur and professional, astronomers.

Through his writing Moore expanded the enthusiasm engendered by his Sky at Night programmes and gave many a young (and old) person an abiding interest in astronomy. Moore did not marry, the love of his life having been killed in an air raid in the Second World War, but his “family” became those talented young people he liberally encouraged to consider a career in professional astronomy. There are a significant number of today’s UK astronomical elite who received Moore’s generous, often highly personalised, support and encouragement. Yet in his autobiography, 80 Not Out, he describes himself as “The Reluctant Teacher”! However, his encouragement of young people is perhaps the greatest of his many astronomical achievements. Moore was also an accomplished musician. From an early age he composed and he played several instruments of which the xylophone was a favourite. Several of his compositions were given public performance, for example his operas Perseus and Andromeda (1975) and Theseus (1982); and his tone poem Phaethon’s Ride, and he once performed on the xylophone at a Royal Variety Performance.

As well as being a member of the British Astronomical Association from 1934, Moore was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1949. In 1953 he was among a small number of people who founded the Junior Astronomical Society (now the Society for Popular Astronomy). He was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Jackson-Gwilt Medal in 1977 in recognition of his achievements in the popularisation of astronomy and was awarded the society’s Millennium award in 2000 in recognition of an outstanding lifetime’s work in furthering the public understanding of astronomy. In 1979 he received the prestigious Roberts-Klumpke medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. He received Honorary DScs from the universities of Lancaster in 1974, Hertfordshire (then Hatfield Polytechnic) in 1989), Birmingham in 1990), Leicester in 1995), North Staffordshire in 1995) and Portsmouth in 1998). His overseas honours were numerous. In 2001 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society.

He was appointed OBE in 1968 and CBE in 1988, and was knighted in 2001. It is clear from this recognition how much Moore was appreciated by the public and his profession alike. During the 1991 General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Buenos Aires, I had asked Moore to edit the 10 issues of the General Assembly Newspaper, Cruz del Sur. We both recognised this would not be an easy task; his only stipulation was that he should be assisted by Dr John Mason. I am not at all sure what this tells us about Patrick and John, for they agreed to the same task, but with roles reversed, for the 2000 General Assembly in Manchester. I was delighted to have such a dream team on board. What neither of us then knew was that on the penultimate morning of the Assembly, a fire in the underground car park would fill the building housing the conference centre with thick oily smoke, rendering it unusable.

It was to take the fire brigade well into the afternoon before the fire was out and it was deemed safe enough for a limited number of people to enter the building without breathing apparatus to reclaim the essential data bases used by the Union and assembly organisation. Somehow Moore eluded the eye of officialdom (and it cannot be said that he was a slight figure) and slipped in with the permitted few. He emerged with his discs containing the bulk of the final issue of Cruz del Sur. He had undertaken to deliver 10 issues, and despite the fire, a full issue No 10 awaited participants on the final day of the Assembly, enlivened by some rather typical Moore-style journalism on the upheavals of the previous day. That episode, encapsulates for me, the professionalism, the determination of Patrick Moore, always driven by his passionate dedication to the science of astronomy. We are deeply saddened that we will no longer have Patrick’s humour, music, and above all his enthusiasm, which was truly astronomical.

Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, astronomer, writer, broadcaster and xylophonist: born Pinner, Middlesex 4 March 1923; presenter, The Sky at Night 1957-; Director, Armagh Planetarium 1965-68; President, British Astronomical Association 1982-84; Honorary FRS 2001; OBE 1968, CBE 1988; Kt 2001; died 9 December 2012. Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and broadcaster, dies aged 89 - BBC News BBC News Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and broadcaster, dies aged 89 9 December 2012 Media captionSir Patrick Moore's contribution to the world of astronomy British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore has died, aged 89. He "passed away peacefully at 12:25 this afternoon" at his home in Selsey, West Sussex, friends and colleagues said in a statement. Sir Patrick presented the BBC programme The Sky At Night for over 50 years, making him the longest-running host of the same television show ever.

He wrote dozens of books on astronomy and his research was used by the US and the Russians in their space programmes. Described by one of his close friends as "fearlessly eccentric", Sir Patrick was notable for his habit of wearing a monocle on screen and his idiosyncratic style. Through his regular monthly programmes he was telling us what to look for and what was out there and that was a real inspiration Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Space scientist Sky at Night colleague's tribute Sky At Night profile of Sir Patrick Tributes paid to Sir Patrick Moore Sir Patrick presented the first edition of The Sky at Night on 24 April 1957. He last appeared in an episode broadcast on Monday. A statement by his friends and staff said: "After a short spell in hospital last week, it was determined that no further treatment would benefit him, and it was his wish to spend his last days in his own home, Farthings, where he today passed on, in the company of close friends and carers and his cat Ptolemy.

"Over the past few years, Patrick, an inspiration to generations of astronomers, fought his way back from many serious spells of illness and continued to work and write at a great rate, but this time his body was too weak to overcome the infection which set in, a few weeks ago. "He was able to perform on his world record-holding TV programme The Sky at Night right up until the most recent episode . "His executors and close friends plan to fulfil his wishes for a quiet ceremony of interment, but a farewell event is planned for what would have been Patrick's 90th birthday in March 2013." 'Father figure' Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore was born at Pinner, Middlesex on 4 Mar 1923. Heart problems meant he spent much of his childhood being educated at home and he became an avid reader. His mother gave him a copy of GF Chambers' book, The Story of the Solar System, and this sparked his lifelong passion for astronomy. Analysis By David ShukmanScience editor, BBC News Sir Patrick Moore was the voice of the space age.

I recall as a child not following every detail of that famously rapid patter but I never minded - because like everyone who watched his broadcasts I was swept along by his extraordinary energy and excitement. Here was someone who could catch the mood of a world enthralled by a heady mix of discovery and achievement. With rockets launching satellites and then astronauts above Earth and beyond, there was no greater enthusiast to chronicle and illuminate an exhilarating new era of exploration. Generations grew up with Patrick Moore as their guide and he proved hugely influential. Astronomy was no longer a niche activity. The man with the monocle had touched people who had never even thought of stargazing. When war came he turned down a place at Cambridge and lied about his age to join the RAF, serving as a navigator with Bomber Command and rising to the rank of Flight Lieutenant. But the war brought him a personal tragedy after his fiancee, Lorna, was killed when an ambulance she was driving was hit by a bomb. He never married. Sir Patrick, who had a pacemaker fitted in 2006 and received a knighthood in 2001, won a Bafta for services to television and was a honorary fellow of the Royal Society.

He was a member of the UK Independence party and, briefly, the finance minister for the Monster Raving Loony Party, and attracted some controversy for his outspoken views on Europe and immigration . Media captionFellow scientists speak of how Sir Patrick inspired a generation His other TV credits include the role of Gamesmaster in the 1990s computer games show of the same name. BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh said Sir Patrick's appearance sometimes aroused as much comment as his astronomy: "He was six-foot-three, and was once described as having 'an air of donnish dishevelment', with his raised eyebrow, scarcely-brushed hair and poorly-fitting suits. "His enthusiasm was unstoppable, and on occasions he would talk at 300 words a minute." Queen guitarist Brian May, who published a book on astronomy written with Sir Patrick, described him as a "dear friend, and a kind of father figure to me". He said: "Patrick will be mourned by the many to whom he was a caring uncle, and by all who loved the delightful wit and clarity of his writings, or enjoyed his fearlessly eccentric persona in public life. "Patrick is irreplaceable. There will never be another Patrick Moore.

But we were lucky enough to get one." Television presenter and physicist Professor Brian Cox posted a message on Twitter saying: "Very sad news about Sir Patrick. Helped inspire my love of astronomy. I will miss him!" The acting director general of the BBC, Tim Davie, said his achievements at the corporation "were unmatched", adding that Sir Patrick will be missed by his "countless fans". UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "Since I first met Sir Patrick when he dominated a UKIP stage in 1999, he has been a friend and an inspiration - not only to us in UKIP, but across the country and around the world. Today we have seen the passing of a true great, and a true Englishman." Media captionThe Sky At Night through the years And Dr Marek Kakula, public astronomer at Royal Observatory in Greenwich, described him as a "very charming and hospitable man". "When you came to his home he would always make sure you had enough to eat and drink. He was full of really entertaining and amusing stories.

"There are many many professional astronomers like me who can actually date their interest in astronomy to watching Patrick on TV, so his impact on the world of professional astronomy as well as amateur is hard to overstate."

Question: In which year did Patrick Moore present the first episode of ‘The Sky At Night’ on television?
Answer: 1957