Sir Patrick Moore, 89, Dies At Home The astronomer and broadcaster dies peacefully at home in Sussex after losing his battle with an infection. Fill 2 Copy 11 Created with Sketch. Sunday 9 December , UK. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Why you can trust Sky News. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter.
Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. The Russians were about to launch Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. Moore's programme recorded most of the rapid developments in the space field.
The Russian Lunik 3's first pictures of the far side of the moon were quickly on the air, and when Lunik 4 missed the moon by 5, miles and all the British astronomers delegated to watch it were defeated by bad weather, Moore had "one of my first experiences of what is known in broadcasting jargon as padding". His ability to think on his feet, and to talk so fast that critics were never quite sure of what they heard, was vital. With one exception after his teaching days — his directorship of Armagh Planetarium in Northern Ireland — Moore was never an employee.
Often hard-up, dependent on battered old cars and bicycles, he gave his time readily to a large number of international organisations including his honorary membership of the Astronomic Society of the USSR. He maintained loose links with Russian astronomers, in spite of many obstacles when the cold war was still on. He captained the local cricket team, and was a formidable bowler until he had to have an artificial knee.
One explanation for his use of a monocle in later life was the eye injury he suffered when fielding in the slips at too great an age. In the late s he formed his own political party, the United Country Party, for those who had "common sense" and who wanted an end to inflation, rubbish rotting in the streets and immigration. In the s he announced that he would not back the Tories again because they were in favour of hunting.
He founded the Halley Club after the comet , which had no subscription, no rules, no aims or objects. He described it himself as the "most useless club in the world — after the European Parliament, of course", and went on to support Ukip. Though his opposition to immigration and, latterly, Britain becoming "a dumping ground" for economic as distinct from political refugees, alienated many leftwingers, he was too patently against human or animal suffering and too scatter-gun in his beliefs to make such critics more than mildly uncomfortable.
His attitude to party politics in general was indicated by his flirtation with the Monster Raving Loony Party on the grounds that they "had one advantage over all the other parties — they knew they were loonies". His highly individualistic attitude to organisations in general was well summed up when he once observed, "I'm thinking of starting the Politically Incorrect School of Sociology — and the acronym says it all.
His tireless work explaining the wonders of the universe - punctuated by his mantra of scientific inquiry, "We just don't know" — was altogether more creditable and important.
I think it's a safe bet that Moore kindled a passion for astronomy in untold thousands of amateurs over the years. He will be sorely missed. Got me interested me in astronomy Corresponded since that time with him. Last year I sent him a tektite I also have some of his typed letters an signatures and 2 of books. The 1st one I read by him "Your Book of Astronomy". After 4 years of looking in used book stores I found it!!..
He sent me one a bit worn a 2nd update of it,I think, with editors marks on corrections he should make.. He will be missed for sure RIP Sir Patrick! Log in to Reply. Growing up in the UK some 50 years ago, Patrick Moore kindled my interest in Astronomy that has stayed with me my entire life.
He is to be thanked for his many contributions to amateur astronomy and will be sadly missed. I'm only 12, and I didn't know who this person was. After reading about it a bit more, I realize what the did for a lot of people. He looks like he was a really good person, and I would have done anything to meet him. Not even a supernova could have brightened the night that Sr Patrick Moore passed away.
I met him at the embassy of Chile in London in , and he was the only true "excellency" of the audience! My first Patrick Moore book was "Watchers of the Stars".
I was only nine years old when I borrowed it from my local library.
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