‘Star Gazer’ Jack Horkheimer dies

The host of Public Television’s “Star Gazer” show, Jack Horkheimer, died on August 20, 2010. Originally called the ‘Star Hustler,’ the program ran for 30 years and Horkheimer’s craggy voice combined with his flamboyant, show-biz style made him a unique and internationally recognized pioneer in popularizing naked-eye astronomy. Horkheimer was 72 and died of a respiratory ailment, according to a spokesman for the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium, where Horkheimer was the executive director for over 35 years.

Museum officials said Horkheimer was the “foremost commentator on all astronomy related happenings nationwide. His show reached millions of people, helping to create a love of the stars for several generations of enthusiasts.”

Above is his final show. Horkheimer took advantage of the internet and made his shows available on You Tube. But the show’s original name, “Star Hustler” caused a problem when people did internet searches, as the adult magazine “Hustler” usually showed up at the top of search engines. As a result, the producers renamed the show “Star Gazer” to avoid any confusion or sending any unintended traffic Hustler’s way.

Horkheimer’s appearances on the show were always marked with his opening line, “Greetings, greetings, fellow star gazers!” and his signature closing line, “Keep looking up!”