Sir Patrick Moore has passed on.

Sad news but what a productive life !
I never had the pleasure of meeting him but had several conversations on the phone with him.
He always answered the phone himself although somehow it always sounded like he was taking the phone from his housekeeper.
'Patrick here ' he would say loudly then mumble , but he was always most helpful. He was delighted to be part of my Astronomical Sketching Exhibition at Blackrock Castle Observatory , Birr Castle Science Center and Dunsink Observatory back in 2009.

I have a letter from him, in which he says he is writing to me to say sorry he did not have time to write to me due to
his wretched wartime spinal injury. In the letter he invites me to ring him instead.

A legend , a gentleman , massive input to astronomy - RIP Sir Patrick Moore

Deirdre Kelleghan
Vice Chair IFAS

One of the very few people in the public eye I would have loved to have met.

He has inspired and directed many generations of stargazer and explorer and I can well remember watching The Sky at Night as a Child.

I also remember seeing him on BBC (for a charity show?) playing the Xylophone!
And very well too

I know that in recent years Patrick's eyesight had failed miserably....just when such great new visual discoveries and images were being made.

Patrick, wherever you are, I hope it's has a great Cosmic view!!

A true Giant of a Man!

Rest in peace Sir Patrick Moore.....

There will be a special obituary programme for Patrick tomorrow night at 10:35 on BBC 1
This message from Pete Lawrence via Twitter

Dr Brian May has set up a tribute page Tribute Page for Sir Patrick Moore You can leave your personal message there.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Vice Chair IFAS

Oddly enough, my very first introduction to Patrick Moore was seeing him on the telly playing the xylophone... Sky at Night was way too late for me to watch when I was still in short pants and it was in an era when "repeats" where unheard of (as was colour...). I think he could've been on Blue Peter or something similar. Still, I stayed up to watch the very next episode...

Like many, I never met the man but he was an inspiration mostly because I think The Sky at Night was a programme produced for the 'common man' and not one of those 'Open University' shows that had you scatching your head within 30 seconds (either because of the topic or wondering who on God's Earth let the presenter out in a kaleidoscopic tank-top).

Whilst Patrick had the mad monacle, he could explain and discuss any topic at a level that at least 98% of the population could understand and for that, he made astronomy both interesting and accessible. That, I think, was his secret.

I like this:

May he go forth in the sunrise boat,
May he come to the port in the sunset boat,
May he go among the imperishable stars,
May he journey in the Boat of a Million Years.

–The Book of Going Forth by Daylight (Theban recension, ca. 18th Dynasty)


Dave

RIP Sir Patrick Moore

The sky at night is on tonight, bbc1 at middnight, filmed just before he died apparently, I have a skybox and can series link when possible, I usually can with this program but I've noticed that there is no series link now, is there going to be a sky at night in February ?