Sir Patrick Moore Dies at Age 89

Astronomer, author and television personality Sir Patrick Moore has died. He was 89. A statement from friends and staff from the long-running BBC television show “The Sky at Night,” said Moore “passed away peacefully” at his home in in the UK. He had been hospitalized last week and after “it was determined that no further treatment would benefit him, and it was his wish to spend his last days in his own home, Farthings, where he today passed on, in the company of close friends and carers and his cat Ptolemy.”

Moore presented “The Sky At Night” for over 50 years, making him the longest-running host of the same television show ever. He also wrote dozens of books on astronomy.

Moore was said to be “an inspiration to generations of astronomers,” and was on “The Sky at Night” right up until the most recent episode.

“His executors and close friends plan to fulfil his wishes for a quiet ceremony of interment, but a farewell event is planned for what would have been Patrick’s 90th birthday in March 2013.”

Chris Lintott, co-presenter and co-author with Moore, told Universe Today that even though Moore was based in the UK, his appeal was international.

“I remember being at the IAU and finding that astronomers from all over the world were queuing up to thank him for sparking their interest,” Lintott said via email. “He also brought amateurs and professionals together, treating everyone as an equal.”