Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and broadcaster, dies aged 89 | Hacker News Reader

Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and broadcaster, dies aged 89

bbc.co.uk

172 points1337biz29 comments

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.

The show will most likely continue, with Chris Lintott presenting instead,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Lintott

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...

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.

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.

"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.

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

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.

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

Hi,

I'm just East of Chichester in Barnham.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Moore#Activism_and_poli...

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

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.

What are HN comment threads if not a place to express opinions?

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)

Nothing wrong with facts. I'd rather get a balanced view of someone than the spin.

Look at what they did to Steve jobs! The guy was an asshole. I dont celebrate the life of assholes.

He was a member of UKIP, a party that wants to remove Britain from the EU. Hardly the same as xenophobia.

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.

Patrick Moore plays the xylophone no more - RIP.

A true legend. RIP.

Hero

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