

Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and broadcaster, dies aged 89 - 1337biz
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20657939

======
Udo
He was able to convey his personal enthusiasm for astronomy in a way that made
The Sky at Night very inspirational. I'm so sad he's gone, he and his show
will be missed.

I often wondered about the contradictions behind this man. He was a fierce
right-wing activist with exceedingly hostile views towards pretty much anyone
(gays, foreigners, women, you name it), yet he was also a brilliant scientist,
a gifted musician, a captivating entertainer, an conscientious animal rights
advocate. Being a Kraut myself, I have no doubt that he would have killed me
with a smile on his face if presented with the opportunity in a socially
acceptable context, yet it's difficult to imagine this immense hatred he was
capable of when you see the warmth, wit, and friendliness he routinely
displayed when hosting his show from his own home, surrounded by scientist
friends, with his beloved cat on his lap.

I'm glad though I didn't ever hear him speak on these issues personally, so my
most significant memory of him will always be the one of the friendly
scientist granddad explaining the sky at night to kids in awe of the universe,
like me.

~~~
adrianhoward
There's a nice write up by Martha Henson of her personal encounter with
Patrick Moore. It ended with this:

 _"We sometimes forget that people in the public eye are as nuanced, messy and
complicated as any of the rest of us, and we shouldn’t expect them to be
otherwise. We can be grateful for Patrick Moore’s kindness and great work in
popularising astronomy and angry about his views at the same time."_ \--
[http://marthasadie.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/an-encounter-
wit...](http://marthasadie.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/an-encounter-with-patrick-
moore-people-are-complicated/)

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dazzawazza
Totally inspirational figure in my life. I read many of his books as a kid and
watched the Sky At Night every month.

He wasn't a figure without controversy, his views on women in science were
firmly rooted in the 1920s but overall he was a giant figure in Astronomy.

Few people will ever contribute so much for so little personal gain.

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oracuk
I will miss Sir Patrick Moore, he represented a side of British life that is
rarely as celebrated as it should be.

Was he a flawed man? I suspect he was.

Were his politics reprehensible? I think so.

But was he a media icon of his time who contributed to the advancement of
science and education? Absolutely.

None of the people I admire have ever been perfect, I'm okay with that.

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keithpeter
_"I have come across many people who have bought their binoculars from railway
lost-property offices, though naturally one has to be doubly careful"_ \-
Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars, Patrick Moore

There is for me something whimsical about Moore's writing. I find that quality
attractive in his work, which is very much of his time and background.

As the BBC article linked to mentions, Moore's writing spans the time when
people thought there might actually be changes in the Moon's surface to recent
times with the discoveries of Hubble.

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fluxon
I enjoyed earlier episodes, in which he featured the projects, sightings,
discoveries, and photographs of many amateur astronomers, and later episodes
where he remained staunchly supportive of education and amateur exploration of
astronomy and indeed all the sciences. I hope the BBC rotates more episodes of
the show online for widespread free viewing. Too much to hope that they would
ever seed them as torrents, a la beta.NRK.no

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linker3000
His house is about 10 miles away from mine. I saw him in passing a few times
when 'in town'. He was a wonderful local figure and will be missed near and
far.

~~~
BenjaminDyer
Nice to meet another "South Coaster" on HN :)

~~~
linker3000
Hi,

I'm just East of Chichester in Barnham.

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matthewrudy
Sad as it may be. I will always remember him as GamesMaster. RIP

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simonswords82
Games Master was a huge part of my childhood. On from that the work this man
did to educate the masses on astronomy was second to none. Back to the stars
you go Sir, rest in peace.

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adrianhoward
Haven't watched this months Sky at Night yet - not sure that I want to now.
Very sad news.

While I love his science writing which is fantastic I still have a rather soft
spot for his juvenile SF. "Spy in Space" (a Scott Saunders Space Adventure)
was the first novel I bought with my own money at age 7.

~~~
billpg
There's a point where the co-presenter says they will catch the next solar
eclipse after lamenting they missed the recent one.

Looking again, I have to wonder if he (Chris Lintott) knows he (Patrick Moore)
was too ill to survive that long.

~~~
adrianhoward
_Looking again, I have to wonder if he (Chris Lintott) knows he (Patrick
Moore) was too ill to survive that long._

I think for the last five years it seemed like Moore made a side comment about
not being around to see the results of X telescope building programme or Y
space probe.

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josscrowcroft
Wow - I've long aspired to be as "fearlessly eccentric" as SPM. What an
incredible man, and hopefully a lasting legacy. What a guy! RIP.

~~~
macspoofing
I'd be careful because in this case his eccentricism is a polite way of
glossing over some of his antiquainted views. He had an amazing life but he
never stopped being a man of his time.

~~~
philjohn
To be fair, some of his antiquated views stemmed from a deep personal tragedy.

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rjknight
Very sad. His "Astronomy for the under-tens" was, for a while, my very
favourite book. Every so often I think of getting a telescope and re-learning
all of the things I learned from that book - perhaps now is the time?

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xbryanx
Hrm...some of his "eccentric" views should be viewed for what they are,
xenophobia and sexism of the most boring sort.

[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1550903/Patrick-
Moore...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1550903/Patrick-Moore-
complains-women-ruining-BBC.html)
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Moore#Activism_and_poli...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Moore#Activism_and_political_beliefs)

He might have been a fantastic astronomer, but let's not use his death to laud
this claptrap as cute eccentricity.

~~~
vixen99
It would be nice if this kind of lofty smear on a man who has just died, could
be avoided on HN. You imply that we know, understand and agree that Moore was
indeed xenophobic and sexist - as if a) this is inarguable presumably from the
links you offer b) we all agree on what these terms actually mean in relation
to Moore's views.

What you are really doing is giving us your opinion. Why should we care about
that unless you're going to make a specific arguable point and HN is hardly
(my impression anyway) the venue for that. He was English so try a comment in
the Daily Mail.

~~~
xbryanx
I don't see it as a smear in the slightest. I see it as remembering him for
what he stood by and for. My reading of his interviews suggests that he
wouldn't have disagreed with my comments, he just would have thought there
wasn't anything wrong with his position. I find that somewhat even more
despicable, but yes, it's just my personal opinion, but I aim to be
persuasive. Hence the confidence in my opinion.

As to my disrespectful timing, pish posh. I hope that my detractors and
friends remember me for what I stood for after my death. I despise the rosy
shade of forgetfulness that is afforded close friends and public figures after
their death. Sure, I don't think I'm going to mail this comment as a postcard
to his family members, but I think a website where immigration reform and
gender issues come up regularly is a pretty good place to voice this point of
view.

edit: spelling fix (am > aim)

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Turing_Machine
I grew up in the U.S., so I didn't get to see his television program, but his
books provided many hours of pleasure when I was a kid. The ability to make
real learning so enjoyable is a rare gift. He will be missed.

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looki
Patrick Moore plays the xylophone no more - RIP.

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phames
A true legend. RIP.

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Julianhearn
Hero

