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75-437: The term was popularized by American author H. A. Rey and British astronomer Patrick Moore in the 1950s. The name can be found in constellation guidebooks as far back as 1913. The Austrian astronomer Oswald Thomas described these stars as Grosses Dreieck (Great Triangle) in the late 1920s and Sommerliches Dreieck (Summerly Triangle) in 1934. The asterism was remarked upon by Joseph Johann von Littrow , who described it as

150-458: A British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for services to television. He was patron of Torquay Boys' Grammar School in south Devon. Moore had a long association with the University of Leicester and its Department of Physics and Astronomy and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (HonDSc) degree in 1996 and a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship in 2008, the highest award that

225-615: A peppercorn rent the same day to provide financial security. May, Moore and Chris Lintott co-wrote a book Bang! The Complete History of the Universe . In February 2011, Moore completed (with Robin Rees and Iain Nicolson) his comprehensive Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy for Cambridge University Press . In 1986, he was identified as the co-author of a book published in 1954 called Flying Saucer from Mars , attributed to Cedric Allingham , which

300-463: A 12.5-inch reflecting telescope . Moore wrote many popular books. From 1962 to 2011, he also edited the long-running annual Yearbook of Astronomy and was editor for many other science books in that period. He also wrote science fiction novels for children and wrote humorous works under the pen-name R. T. Fishall. The list below is therefore not exhaustive. British Astronomical Association The British Astronomical Association ( BAA )

375-494: A 12½ inch reflector telescope at his home, which he kept into his old age. He developed a particular interest in the far side of the Moon , a small part of which is visible from Earth as a result of the Moon's libration ; the Moon was his specialist subject throughout his life. Moore described the short-lived glowing areas on the lunar surface and gave them the name transient lunar phenomena in 1968. His first television appearance

450-662: A dinosaur, but I would remind you that dinosaurs ruled the Earth for a very long time. He wrote in his autobiography that Liechtenstein – a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince – had the best political system in the world. Moore was a critic of the Iraq War , and said "the world was a safer place when Ronald Reagan was in the White House". Moore cited his opposition to fox hunting , blood sport and capital punishment to rebut claims that he had ultra-right-wing views. Though not

525-484: A few decades ago. The vastness of the night sky, together with the sheer number of amateur observatories, mean that BAA members are often the first to pick up new phenomena. In recent years, the Association's leading supernova hunter, Tom Boles (President 2003–5), has discovered over 150 supernovae. He now holds the world record for the greatest number of such events discovered by any individual in history. More recently

600-494: A global network of planetary observers through the JUPOS collaboration . The Association's longest standing publication is its journal, published six times a year and sent to all members. Once a year, the Association also publishes a handbook which comprises an almanac for the following year. Electronic bulletins are issued to give more immediate notice by email of discoveries, astronomical news and BAA meetings. The Association operates

675-522: A large fly; both episodes were live, and Moore had to continue regardless. He was invited to visit the Soviet Union , where he met Yuri Gagarin , the first man to journey into outer space . For the fiftieth episode of The Sky at Night , in September 1961, Moore's attempt to be the first to broadcast a live direct telescopic view of a planet resulted in another unintended 'comedy episode', as cloud obscured

750-699: A meeting of the Birmingham Natural History and Philosophical Society it was proposed to form a Midland Branch of the BAA. Support proved to be less than had been envisioned and there are no reports of any activity after 1903. What would become the BAA Western Australia Branch started as the Western Australian Astronomical Society in 1912. When difficulties were encountered in the mid nineteen-twenties Prof. Ross highlighted

825-783: A member of its Council; he was the founding editor of the Society's monthly magazine Spaceflight , first published in 1956. He made the Sir Patrick Moore Medal to recognise outstanding contributions to the Society. In 1968, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and promoted to a Commander (CBE) in 1988. In 1999, he became the Honorary President of the East Sussex Astronomical Society,

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900-517: A navigator and pilot. Returning to England in June 1944, he was commissioned as a pilot officer and was posted to RAF Millom in Cumberland , where he claimed to have been a navigator in the crew of a Vickers Wellington bomber, engaged in maritime patrolling and bombing missions to mainland Europe, though in fact he was still in training at Millom. He was only posted to Bomber Command five days before

975-470: A near-fatal bout of food poisoning caused by eating a contaminated goose egg and was replaced for that episode by Chris Lintott . Moore appears in the Guinness World Records book as the world's longest-serving TV presenter having presented the programme since 1957. From 2004 to 2012, the programme was broadcast from Moore's home when arthritis prevented him from travelling to the studios. Over

1050-676: A position he held until his death. Moore was knighted for "services to the popularisation of science and to broadcasting" in the 2001 New Year Honours . In 2001, he was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society (HonFRS), the only amateur astronomer ever to achieve the distinction. In June 2002, he was appointed as the Honorary Vice-president of the Society for the History of Astronomy . Also in 2002, Buzz Aldrin presented him with

1125-498: A school subject, it's going to be taught badly, like everything else these days, and enthusiasm is going to be killed. Because of his long-running television career and eccentric demeanour, Moore was widely recognised and became a popular public figure. In 1976 it was used to good effect for an April Fools' Day spoof on BBC Radio 2 , when Moore announced a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event that meant that if listeners could jump at that exact moment, 9.47 a.m. they would experience

1200-580: A significant role in the founding of the Association was English astronomer E. Walter Maunder , with the help of his brother Frid Maunder and William H. Maw . The first meeting of the Association was held on 24 October 1890, with 60 of the initial 283 members in attendance. Initially it was decided to run the association with a provisional 48-member Council that included four women: Margaret Huggins , Elizabeth Brown , Agnes Clerke and Agnes Giberne . The society formed several observing Sections for specialised topics in astronomy. Elizabeth Brown , possibly

1275-634: A temporary sensation of weightlessness . The BBC received many telephone calls from listeners alleging they experienced the sensation. He was a key figure in the establishment of the International Birdman event in Bognor Regis , which was initially held in Selsey. Moore appeared in other television and radio shows, including the BBC Radio 4 panel show Just a Minute . From 1992 until 1998, he played

1350-484: A vegetarian, he held "a deep contempt for people who go out to kill merely to amuse themselves." He was an animal lover, supporting many animal welfare charities (particularly Cats Protection ). He had a particular affinity for cats and stated that "a catless house is a soulless house". Moore was opposed to astronomy being taught in schools. In an interview, he said: You see, anyone who is interested in astronomy will gravitate to it, as I did. If you start teaching it as

1425-636: A wide range of observing Sections which specialise in particular branches of astronomy, welcoming observers and astronomy enthusiasts of all abilities in a spirit of collaboration and mutual help. It also founded and supports the Campaign for Dark Skies , a UK-wide campaign against excessive light pollution . In 2022, after seventy-nine years of leasing office space from the Royal Astronomical Society , in Burlington House , Piccadilly , London

1500-511: Is an affiliate organisation now called Sydney City Skywatchers to better reflect its location and membership. A West of Scotland Branch was established by an inaugural meeting held on 23 November 1894, to be based in Glasgow. In 1905 authority was granted to enrol members from the whole of Scotland, but it was not until 1937 that the name was changed to "Scottish Branch". In 1954 the Branch seceded from

1575-449: The Apollo 8 mission, he declared that "this is one of the great moments of human history", only to have his broadcast interrupted by the children's programme Jackanory . He was a presenter for the Apollo 9 and Apollo 10 missions, and a commenter, with Cliff Michelmore and James Burke , for BBC television's coverage of the Moon landing missions. Moore could not remember his words at

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1650-677: The Astronomer Royal . It was reported in January 2012 that because of arthritis and the effects of an old spinal injury, he was no longer able to operate a telescope. However, he was still able to present The Sky at Night from his home. Moore briefly supported the Liberal Party in the 1950s, though later condemned the Liberal Democrats , saying he believed they could alter their position radically and that they "would happily join up with

1725-744: The BNP or the Socialist Workers Party  ... if [by doing so] they could win a few extra votes." In the 1970s, he was chairman of the anti-immigration United Country Party , a position he held until the party was absorbed by the New Britain Party in 1980. He campaigned for the politician Edmund Iremonger at the 1979 general election , as the two men agreed the French and Germans were not to be trusted. Iremonger and Moore gave up political campaigning after deciding they were Thatcherites . He also admired

1800-582: The British Astronomical Association at the age of 11. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and briefly taught before publishing his first book on lunar observation in 1953. Renowned for his expertise in Moon observation and the creation of the Caldwell catalogue , Moore authored more than seventy astronomy books. He hosted the world's longest-running television series with

1875-524: The Eleventh Doctor . In the 1960s, Moore had been approached by the Doctor Who story editor Gerry Davis to act as a scientific advisor on the series to help with the accuracy of stories, a position ultimately taken by Kit Pedler . A keen amateur chess player, Moore carried a pocket set and was vice president of Sussex Junior Chess Association. In 2003, he presented Sussex Junior David Howell with

1950-880: The Home Guard in East Grinstead, where his father had been elected platoon commander. Records show that he enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in December 1941 at age 18 and was not called up for service until July 1942 as an Aircraftman , 2nd Class. After basic training at various RAF bases in England, he went to Canada under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan . He completed training at RAF Moncton in New Brunswick as

2025-596: The Manchester Astronomical Society . In 1891, a group of amateurs in Australia began discussing the idea of setting up branches of the BAA in their own country. What would become the New South Wales Branch was established in 1895 and would be the only one to survive for more than a brief period. This branch became the second oldest astronomy organisation in Australia and is still in existence. It

2100-571: The Morecambe and Wise show, and broadcast with Kenneth Horne only a few days before Horne's death. He had a minor role in the fourth radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , and a lead role in the BBC Radio 1 sci-fi play, Independence Day UK in which amongst other things, Moore fills in as a navigator. Among other shows, he appeared in It's a Celebrity Knockout , Blankety Blank and Face

2175-642: The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and was briefly their financial adviser. A Eurosceptic , he was a supporter and patron of the UK Independence Party , and campaigned on behalf of Douglas Denny, the UKIP candidate for the Chichester constituency in 2001 . Moore was known for his conservative political views. Proudly declaring himself to be English (rather than British) with "not

2250-513: The Radio Times magazine, "We must take care. There may be another war. The Germans will try again, given another chance." He also said, in the same interview, that "the only good Kraut is a dead Kraut". Moore said he was "exceptionally close" to his mother Gertrude, a talented artist who shared his home at Selsey , West Sussex, which was decorated with her paintings of "bogeys" – little friendly aliens – that she produced and sent out annually as

2325-517: The " Eagle has landed " moment, and the BBC lost the tapes of the broadcast. A homemade recording reveals that the studio team was very quiet during the landing sequence, leaving the NASA commentary clear of interruptions. Some 14 seconds after "contact" Burke says "They've touched". At 36 seconds, he says, "Eagle has landed". Between 53 and 62 seconds, he explains the upcoming stay/no-stay decision, and NASA announces

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2400-621: The "conspicuous triangle" in the text of his atlas (1866), and Johann Elert Bode connected the stars in a map in a book in 1816, although without label. These are the same stars recognized in the Chinese legend of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl , a story dating back some 2,600 years, celebrated in the Qixi Festival . The stars also bear ceremonial significance in the related celebrations of Tanabata , Chilseok , and Thất Tịch, derived from Qixi. In

2475-469: The 1970s and 80s, he reported on the Voyager and Pioneer programs , often from NASA headquarters. At this time he became increasingly annoyed by conspiracy theorists and reporters who asked him questions such as "Why waste money on space research when there is so much to be done here?". He said that when asked these type of questions "I know that I'm dealing with an idiot." Another question that annoyed him

2550-596: The BAA has worked increasingly with international partners. Modern communications allow astronomers in different time zones around the world to hand over the monitoring of variable stars and planetary weather systems to colleagues on other continents as the Sun comes up, resulting in a 24-hour watch on the sky. For example, the Association's Variable Star Section works closely with the American Association of Variable Star Observers , meanwhile its Jupiter Section works with

2625-760: The BAA to form the Astronomical Society of Glasgow . In 1896 an East of Scotland Branch was formed. This Branch was dissolved due to lack of support on 3 October 1902. In 1897 a second Australian Branch was formed by 13 members living in Victoria. At the London AGM of 1907 the President noted that "the Victoria Branch appears to be in a moribund condition". The Victoria Branch was re-established in 1951 (as 'The Victorian Branch'), but only lasted until 1963. In 1901 at

2700-609: The Moon ) in 1952, and it was published a year later. He was a teacher in Woking and at Holmewood House School in Langton Green in Kent from 1945 to 1953. His second book was a translation of a work of French astronomer Gérard de Vaucouleurs (Moore spoke fluent French). After his second original science book, Guide to the Planets , he wrote his first work of fiction, The Master of the Moon ,

2775-637: The Moore by Sean Grundy, starring Tom Hollander as Moore and Patricia Hodge as his mother. Moore is portrayed by Daniel Beales in the Netflix series The Crown . In 1945, Moore was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS), and in 1977 he was awarded the society's Jackson-Gwilt Medal . He was also a long-time Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and

2850-650: The Moores' Christmas cards. Moore wrote the foreword for his mother's 1974 book, Mrs Moore in Space . On 9 December 2012, Moore died of sepsis and heart failure, at his home in Selsey. On 9 December 2014, it was reported that the Science Museum, London had acquired a large collection of his objects and manuscripts and memorabilia, including The Sky at Night scripts, and about 70 of his observation books, over more than 60 years, and manuscripts for astronomy and fiction books, and

2925-516: The Music , and in the Q.E.D. episode "Round Britain Whizz". Moore expressed appreciation for the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Star Trek , but stated that he had stopped watching when "they went PC - making women commanders, that kind of thing". Despite this he made a cameo appearance in the Doctor Who episode " The Eleventh Hour " in 2010, which was Matt Smith 's debut as

3000-768: The Planetarium, Moore travelled to Japan to secure a Goto Mars projector . He helped with the redevelopment of the Birr Telescope in the Republic of Ireland. He was a key figure in the development of the Herschel Museum of Astronomy in Bath . In June 1968, he returned to England, settling in Selsey after resigning from his post in Armagh. During the NASA Apollo programme, presenting on

3075-615: The T1 stay at 90 seconds after contact. At 100 seconds, the recorded sequence ends. Thus, any real-time comment Moore made was not broadcast live, and the recording ends before Burke polls the studio team for comment and reaction. Moore participated in TV coverage of Apollo missions 12 to 17 . "Patrick was the last of a lost generation, a true gentleman, the most generous in nature that I ever knew, and 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

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3150-401: The World. These include:- The Association held monthly meetings in London, but also established branches to cater for members who could not attend London activities and desired to meet in their own areas. The first of these was the Northwestern Branch which served members in the Northwest of England, centred on Manchester. The Branch was formed in 1892, in 1903 it seceded from the BAA to form

3225-418: The age of six and joined the British Astronomical Association at the age of 11. He was invited to run a small observatory in East Grinstead at the age of 14, after his mentor, William Sadler Franks – who ran the observatory – was killed in a road accident. At the age of 16, he began wearing a monocle after an oculist told him his right eye was weaker than his left. During World War II , Moore joined

3300-464: The association moved out. In October 1890, the BAA was formed to support amateur astronomers in the UK. In many ways it is a counterpart to the Royal Astronomical Society - which primarily supports professional observers - and the two organisations have long shared the same premises. The idea for this organisation was first publicly proposed by Irish astronomer William H. S. Monck in a letter published in The English Mechanic on 12 July. Playing

3375-401: The best young chess player award on Carlton Television 's Britain's Brilliant Prodigies show. Moore had represented Sussex in his youth. Moore was an enthusiastic amateur cricketer, playing for the Selsey Cricket Club well into his seventies. He played for the Lord's Taverners , a cricketing charity team, as a bowler with an unorthodox action. Though an accomplished leg spin bowler , he

3450-401: The end of the war in Europe. After the end of hostilities, Moore became an adjutant and then an Area Meteorological Officer, demobilising in October 1945 with the rank of flying officer . After the war, Moore rejected a grant to study at the University of Cambridge , citing a wish to "stand on my own two feet". He wrote his first book, Guide to the Moon (later retitled Patrick Moore on

3525-476: The first The Sky at Night ) and Brian May . On 6 May 2007, a special edition of The Sky at Night was broadcast on BBC One to commemorate the programme's 50th anniversary, with a party in Moore's garden at Selsey, attended by amateur and professional astronomers. Moore celebrated the record-breaking 700th episode of The Sky at Night at his home in Sussex on 6 March 2011. He presented with the help of special guests Professor Brian Cox , Jon Culshaw and Lord Rees ,

3600-404: The first of numerous young adult fiction space adventure books (including the late 1970s series the Scott Saunders Space Adventure ); he wrote a more adult novel and a farce titled Ancient Lights , though he did not wish either to be published. Moore also translated the book Quanta by J Lochak and Andrade E Silva, published in 1969, from the French. While teaching at Holmewood, he set up

3675-477: The instrument at the age of 13. He composed a substantial corpus of works, including two operettas . Moore had a ballet, Lyra's Dream , written to his music. He performed at a Royal Command Performance , and performed a duet with Evelyn Glennie . In 1998, as a guest on Have I Got News for You , he accompanied the show's closing theme tune on the xylophone and as a pianist, he once accompanied Albert Einstein playing The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns on

3750-499: The local neighbourhood of the sun. However, Deneb is a white supergiant star over 100 times as distant, and one of the most luminous stars in the entire galaxy. Patrick Moore Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore ( / ˈ k ɔː l d w ɛ l / ; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012 ) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter. Moore's early interest in astronomy led him to join

3825-505: The magic of astronomy, inspired every British astronomer, amateur and professional, for half a century. There will never be another Patrick Moore. But we were lucky enough to get one." — Brian May , speaking shortly after Moore's death He was elected a member of the International Astronomical Union in 1966; having twice edited the Union's General Assembly newsletters. He attempted to establish an International Union of Amateur Astronomers, which failed due to lack of interest. During

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3900-491: The mid- to late-20th century, before inertial navigation systems and other electronic and mechanical equipment took their places in military aircraft, United States Air Force navigators referred to this asterism as the "Navigator's Triangle". From mid -to-tropical northern latitudes : From mid- southern latitudes , the asterism is in the north during the culmination season described above. Both Altair and Vega are bluish-white, rapidly-rotating A-type main sequence stars in

3975-498: The night sky scientifically was championed by George Alcock , who discovered five comets and five novae using nothing more than a pair of binoculars. The BAA continues to contribute to the science of astronomy, even despite modern competition from space-based telescopes and highly automated professional observatories. Modern digital sensors, coupled with techniques such as lucky imaging , mean that even modest amateur equipment can rival what professional observatories could have achieved

4050-533: The only woman in England at the time to own her own observatory, became Director of the Solar Section. The Association was presented with or bequeathed various astronomical instruments, but lacked the funds to build their own observatory. A total of 477 instruments were acquired during the first 117 years since the Association was founded. In addition to members making independent arrangements there have been several more or less officially organised expeditions to observe several total solar eclipses in various parts of

4125-400: The original presenter, BBC 's The Sky at Night , from 1957 until his death in 2012. Idiosyncrasies such as his rapid diction and monocle made him a popular and instantly recognisable figure on British television. Moore was co-founder and president of the Society for Popular Astronomy . Outside his field of astronomy, Moore appeared in the video game television show GamesMaster . Moore

4200-418: The programme." In January 1998, a tornado destroyed part of Moore's garden observatory; it was subsequently rebuilt. Moore campaigned unsuccessfully against the closure of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in 1998. Among Moore's favourite episodes of The Sky at Night were those that dealt with eclipses , and he said, "there is nothing in nature to match the glory of a total eclipse of the Sun ." Moore

4275-412: The public his observatory. He compiled the Caldwell catalogue , of 109 star clusters , nebulae, and galaxies for observation by amateur astronomers. In 1982, asteroid 2602 Moore was named in his honour. In February 1986, he presented a special episode of The Sky at Night on the approach of Halley's Comet . However, he later said the BBC's better-funded Horizon team "made a complete hash of

4350-517: The role of GamesMaster , a character who knew everything about video games, in the Channel 4 television series GamesMaster . GamesMaster would issue video game challenges and answered questions about cheats and tips. The show's host, Dominik Diamond , said that Moore did not understand anything he said on the show but recorded his contributions in single takes. Moore was a keen amateur actor, appearing in local plays. He appeared in self-parodying roles, in several episodes of The Goodies and on

4425-426: The sky. In 1965, he was appointed director of the newly constructed Armagh Planetarium in Northern Ireland , a post he held until 1968. His stay outside England was short partly because of the beginning of The Troubles , a dispute Moore wanted no involvement in. He was appointed Armagh County secretary of the Scout movement but resigned after being informed that Catholics could not be admitted. In developing

4500-459: The slightest wish to integrate with anybody", he stated his admiration for British politician Enoch Powell . Moore devoted an entire chapter ("The Weak Arm of the Law") of his autobiography to denouncing modern British society, particularly "motorist-hunting" policemen, sentencing policy, the Race Relations Act , Sex Discrimination Act and the " Thought Police / Politically Correct Brigade ". He wrote that "homosexuals are mainly responsible for

4575-655: The spreading of AIDS (the Garden of Eden is home of Adam and Eve , not Adam and Steve )". In 2007, in an interview with Radio Times , he said the BBC was being "ruined by women", commenting that: "The trouble is that the BBC now is run by women and it shows: soap operas, cooking, quizzes, kitchen-sink plays . You wouldn't have had that in the golden days." In response, a BBC spokeswoman described Moore as being one of TV's best-loved figures and remarked that his "forthright" views were "what we all love about him". During his June 2002 appearance on Room 101 he banished female newsreaders into Room 101. I may be accused of being

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4650-400: The university can bestow. World War II had a significant influence on Moore's life – he said his only romance ended when his fiancée Lorna, a nurse, was killed in London in 1943 by a bomb which struck her ambulance. Moore subsequently remarked that he never married because "there was no one else for me ... second best is no good for me ... I would have liked a wife and family, but it

4725-454: The violin (no recording was made). In 1981 he performed a solo xylophone rendition of the Sex Pistols ' " Anarchy in the U.K. " in a Royal Variety Performance . He did not enjoy most popular music: when played ten modern rock songs by such artists as Hawkwind , Muse and Pink Floyd , in a 2009 interview with journalist Joel McIver , he explained, "To my ear, all these songs are universally awful." Before encountering health problems, he

4800-457: The years, he received many lucrative offers to take his programme onto other networks but rejected them because he held a ' gentlemen's agreement ' with the BBC. In 1959, the Russians allowed Moore to be the first Westerner to see the photographic results of the Luna 3 probe and to show them live on air. Less successful was the transmission of the Luna 4 probe, which ran into technical difficulties and around this time, Moore famously swallowed

4875-445: Was knighted in 2001. Moore was born in Pinner , Middlesex , on 4 March 1923 to Capt. Charles Trachsel Caldwell-Moore MC (died 1947) and Gertrude (née White) (died 1981). His family moved to Bognor Regis , and subsequently to East Grinstead where he spent his childhood. His youth was marked by heart problems, which left him in poor health, and he was educated at home by private tutors. He developed an interest in astronomy at

4950-425: Was "what is the difference between astronomy and astrology ?" Despite this he made a point of responding to all letters delivered to his house, and sent a variety of standard replies to letters asking basic questions, as well as those from conspiracy theorists, proponents of hunting and ' cranks '. Despite his fame, his telephone number was always listed in the telephone directory and he was happy to show members of

5025-400: Was a number 11 batsman and a poor fielder . The jacket notes to his book "Suns, Myths and Men" (1968) said his hobbies included "chess, which he plays with a peculiar leg-spin, and cricket." He played golf and won a Pro-Am competition in Southampton in 1975. Until forced to give up because of arthritis , Moore was a keen pianist and accomplished xylophone player, having first played

5100-494: Was a BBC presenter for the total eclipse in England in 1999 , though the view he and his team had from Cornwall was obscured by cloud. Moore was the patron of the South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre , and he attended its official opening in 2001. On 1 April 2007, a 50th anniversary semi-spoof edition of the programme was broadcast on BBC One , with Moore depicted as a Time Lord . It featured special guests, amateur astronomers Jon Culshaw (impersonating Moore presenting

5175-439: Was also a self-taught xylophonist and pianist, as well as an accomplished composer. He was an amateur cricketer, golfer and chess player. In addition to many popular science books, he wrote numerous works of fiction. He was an opponent of fox hunting , an outspoken critic of the European Union and a supporter of the UK Independence Party , and he served as chairman of the short-lived anti-immigration United Country Party . He

5250-451: Was an extensive traveller and had visited all seven continents, including Antarctica ; he said his favourite two countries were Iceland and Norway. On 7 March 2006 he was hospitalised and fitted with a pacemaker because of cardiac dysrhythmia . Moore was a friend of the Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May , who was an occasional guest on The Sky at Night . May bought Moore's Selsey home in 2008, leasing it back to him for

5325-475: Was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers . Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaboration with professional colleagues. Among the BAA's first presidents was Walter Maunder , discoverer of the seventeenth century dearth in sunspots now known as the Maunder Minimum which he achieved by analysing historical observations. Later, this spirit of observing

5400-430: Was in a debate about the existence of flying saucers following a spate of reported sightings in the 1950s; Moore argued against Lord Dowding and other UFO proponents. He was invited to present a live astronomy programme and said the greatest difficulty was finding an appropriate theme tune; the opening of Jean Sibelius 's Pelléas et Mélisande was chosen and used throughout the programme's existence. The programme

5475-401: Was intended as a money-making venture and practical joke on UFO believers; Moore never admitted his involvement. Moore believed himself to be the only person to have met the first aviator, Orville Wright , the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin , and the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong . In March 2015, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a 45-minute play based on the life of Moore, The Far Side of

5550-479: Was not to be." In his biography of Moore, Martin Mobberley expressed doubts over this account, as it was not possible to identify Lorna, saying that Moore told varying stories about her. In his autobiography, he said that after sixty years, he still thought about her, and because of her death, "if I saw the entire German nation sinking into the sea, I could be relied upon to help push it down." In May 2012, Moore told

5625-570: Was originally named Star Map before The Sky at Night was chosen in the Radio Times . On 24 April 1957, at 10:30 pm, Moore presented the first episode about the Comet Arend–Roland . The programme was pitched to casual viewers up to professional astronomers, in a format which remained consistent from its inception. Moore presented every monthly episode except for one in July 2004 when he suffered

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