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Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012
) was an English
amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...
who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter.
Moore was president of the
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association (BAA) 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 collaborati ...
; co-founder and president of the
Society for Popular Astronomy; author of over seventy books on astronomy; and presenter of the world's longest-running television series with the same original presenter,
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''
The Sky at Night
''The Sky at Night'' is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013. The latter date ...
'' (from 1957). He became known as a specialist in
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
observation and for creating the
Caldwell catalogue
The Caldwell catalogue is an astronomical catalogue of 109 star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies for observation by amateur astronomers. The list was compiled by Patrick Moore as a complement to the Messier catalogue.
While the Messier catal ...
. Idiosyncrasies such as his rapid diction and
monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string or wire. The other ...
made him a popular and instantly recognisable figure on British television.
Outside his field of astronomy, Moore was known for his role on the video game television show ''
GamesMaster''. Moore was also a self-taught
xylophonist
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in the ...
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
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
and a supporter of the
UK Independence Party
The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest par ...
, and he served as chairman of the short-lived anti-immigration
United Country Party. He served in the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
Early life
Moore was born in
Pinner
Pinner is a London suburb in the London borough of Harrow, Greater London, England, northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 31,130 in 2011.
Originally a med ...
,
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
, 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
Bognor Regis (), sometimes simply known as Bognor (), is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns i ...
, 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.
[ In press.] He developed an interest in astronomy at the age of six and joined the
British Astronomical Association
The British Astronomical Association (BAA) 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 collaborati ...
at the age of eleven.
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
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string or wire. The other ...
after an
oculist
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...
told him his right eye was weaker than his left. Three years later, he claimed, he began wearing a full set of
dentures
Dentures (also known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and are supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable ( removable partial denture o ...
.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Moore joined the
Home Guard
Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense.
The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...
in East Grinstead where his father had been elected
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...
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 and completed training at
RAF Moncton in
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
as a navigator and pilot. Returning to England in June 1944, he was commissioned as a
pilot officer and was posted to RAF
Millom
Millom is a town and civil parish on the north shore of the estuary of the River Duddon in southwest Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, England. It is situated just outside the Lake District National Park, about north of Barrow-in-Furnes ...
in
Cumberland, where he claimed to have been a navigator in the crew of a
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its ...
bomber, engaged in
maritime patrol {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities.
Maritime patrol refers to ac ...
ling and bombing missions to mainland Europe, though in fact he was still in training at Millom and was only posted to
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...
five days before 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.
Career in astronomy
After the war, Moore rejected a grant to study at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
, citing a wish to "stand on my own two feet".
He wrote his first book, ''Guide to the Moon'' (later retitled ''Patrick Moore on the Moon'') in 1952 and it was published a year later.
He was a teacher in
Woking and at
Holmewood House School
Holmewood House School is an IAPS independent, co-educational preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3–13, in Langton Green, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The building is a Decimus Burton mansion, originally called Mitchells, rebuilt in 18 ...
in
Langton Green
Langton Green is a village in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, England, lying around two miles west of the town centre along the A264. It is located within the parish of Speldhurst although it has its own church on the village green—the Grade ...
from 1945 to 1953.
His second book was a translation of a work of French astronomer
Gérard de Vaucouleurs
Gérard Henri de Vaucouleurs (25 April 1918 – 7 October 1995) was a French astronomer.
Life and career
Born in Paris, he had an early interest in amateur astronomy and received his undergraduate degree in 1939 at the Sorbonne in that city. ...
(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'', the first of numerous
young adult fiction
Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults.
The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...
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 a 12½ inch
reflector telescope
A reflecting telescope (also called a reflector) is a telescope that uses a single or a combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century by Isaac Newton as an alternati ...
at his home, which he kept into his old age.
He developed a particular interest in the
far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth, opposite to the near side, because of synchronous rotation in the Moon's orbit. Compared to the near side, the far side's terrain is rugged, with a multitu ...
, 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 was in a debate about the existence of
flying saucer
A flying saucer (also referred to as "a flying disc") is a descriptive term for a type of flying craft having a disc or saucer-shaped body, commonly used generically to refer to an anomalous flying object. The term was coined in 1947 but has g ...
s 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
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
's ''
Pelléas et Mélisande'' was chosen and used throughout the programme's existence.
The programme was originally named ''Star Map'' before ''
The Sky at Night
''The Sky at Night'' is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013. The latter date ...
'' 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 a near-fatal bout of
food poisoning caused by eating a contaminated goose egg and was replaced for that episode by
Chris Lintott
Christopher John Lintott (born 26 November 1980) is a British astrophysicist, author and broadcaster. He is a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford. Lintott is involved in a number of popular scie ...
. Moore appears in the ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' 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 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
Luna 3, or E-2A No.1 ( rus, Луна 3}) was a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1959 as part of the Luna programme. It was the first mission to photograph the far side of the Moon and the third Soviet space probe to be sent to the neighborhood of th ...
probe, and to show them live on air. Less successful was the transmission of the
Luna 4
''Luna 4'', or E-6 No.4 (Ye-6 series), sometimes known in the West as Sputnik 26, was a Soviet spacecraft launched as part of the Luna program to attempt the first soft landing on the Moon. Following a successful launch, the spacecraft failed t ...
probe, which ran into technical difficulties and around this time Moore famously swallowed a large fly; both episodes were live and Moore had to continue regardless. He was invited to visit the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, where he met
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. T ...
, the first man to journey into
outer space
Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
.
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 the sky.
In 1965, he was appointed director of the newly constructed
Armagh Planetarium in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, a post he held until 1968. His stay outside England was short partly because of the beginning of
The Troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...
, 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 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 his post in Armagh. During the NASA Apollo programme, presenting on 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
Apollo 9 (March 313, 1969) was the third human spaceflight in NASA's Apollo program. Flown in low Earth orbit, it was the second crewed Apollo mission that the United States launched via a Saturn V rocket, and was the first flight of the ful ...
and
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969) was a human spaceflight, the fourth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, and the second (after Apollo8) to orbit the Moon. NASA described it as a "dress rehearsal" for the first Moon landing, and ...
missions, and a commenter, with
Cliff Michelmore
Arthur Clifford Michelmore (11 December 1919 – 16 March 2016) was an English television presenter and producer.
He is best known for the BBC television programme '' Tonight'', which he presented from 1957 to 1965. He also hosted the BBC's t ...
and
James Burke, for
BBC television's coverage of the Moon landing missions.
Moore could not remember his words at the "
Eagle has landed" moment, and the BBC has 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 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
The Apollo program was a United States human spaceflight program carried out from 1961 to 1972 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which landed the first astronauts on the Moon. The program used the Saturn IB and Saturn ...
12 to
17.
He was elected a member of the
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...
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 the 1970s and 80s, he reported on the
Voyager and
Pioneer programs, often from
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
headquarters. At this time he became increasingly annoyed by
conspiracy theorists
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
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 was "what is the difference between
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
and
astrology
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
?" 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 the public his observatory.
He compiled the
Caldwell catalogue
The Caldwell catalogue is an astronomical catalogue of 109 star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies for observation by amateur astronomers. The list was compiled by Patrick Moore as a complement to the Messier catalogue.
While the Messier catal ...
, 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
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...
, though he later said the BBC's better-funded ''
Horizon'' team "made a complete hash of 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
''Total Eclipse of the Sun'' is a 1999 EP released by the German experimental/industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten. It was their first release recorded with their new line-up featuring Jochen Arbeit and Rudi Moser (formerly of Die Haut) and w ...
."
![Lintott, Moore, May](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Lintott%2C_Moore%2C_May.jpg)
Moore was a BBC presenter for the
total eclipse in England in 1999, though the view he and his team had from
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
was obscured by cloud. Moore was the patron of the
South Downs Planetarium & 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
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, with Moore depicted as a
Time Lord
The Time Lords are a fictional ancient race of extraterrestrial people in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', of which the series' main protagonist, the Doctor, is a member. Time Lords are so named for their command ...
and featured special guests, amateur astronomers
Jon Culshaw (impersonating Moore presenting the first ''The Sky at Night'') and
Brian May
Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...
. 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, the
Astronomer Royal
Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the Astronomer Royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the Astronomer Royal for Scotland dating from 1834.
The post ...
.
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.
Activism and political beliefs
Moore was known for his conservative political views. 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
New Britain was a minor British right-wing political party founded by Dennis Delderfield in 1976.Boothroyd, David, ''Politicos Guide to the History of British Political Parties'' (2001), p. 207. The party was de-registered in November 2008.
F ...
in 1980. He campaigned for the politician
Edmund Iremonger at the
1979 general election, as they agreed the French and Germans were not to be trusted.
Iremonger and Moore gave up political campaigning after deciding they were
Thatcherites.
Moore campaigned on behalf of Douglas Denny (
UKIP
The UK Independence Party (UKIP; ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of Parliament and was the largest p ...
) for the
Chichester constituency in
2001.
A
Eurosceptic, he was a supporter and patron of the UK Independence Party.
Moore briefly supported the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
in the 1950s, though condemned the
Liberal Democrats, saying he believed they could alter their position radically and that they "would happily join up with the
BNP or the
Socialist Workers Party ... if
y doing sothey could win a few extra votes."
He admired the
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP) is a political party established in the United Kingdom in 1982 by the musician David Sutch, also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Lord Sutch". It is notable for its ...
and was briefly their financial adviser.
He wrote in his autobiography that
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...
– a
constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
headed by a prince – had the best political system in the world. Moore was a critic of the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
, and said "the world was a safer place when
Ronald Reagan was in the White House".
Proudly declaring himself to be
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
(rather than British) with "not the slightest wish to integrate with anybody",
he stated his admiration for British politician
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, author, linguist, soldier, philologist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (1950–1974) and was Minister of Health (1 ...
. 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
In the dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (1949), by George Orwell, the Thought Police (''Thinkpol'') are the secret police of the superstate of Oceania, who discover and punish ''thoughtcrime'', personal and political thoughts unapproved ...
/
Politically Correct Brigade". He wrote that "homosexuals are mainly responsible for the spreading of
AIDS (the
Garden of Eden is home of
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
, not
Adam and Steve)".
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
The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty are the four ministries of the government of Oceania in the 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', by George Orwell.
The use of contradictory ...
'' he banished female newsreaders into Room 101.
Moore cited his opposition to
fox hunting,
blood sport
A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities char ...
s and
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
to rebut claims that he had ultra right-wing views.
Though not 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:
Other interests and popular culture
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
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...
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 a temporary sensation of
weightlessness
Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight. It is also termed zero gravity, zero G-force, or zero-G.
Weight is a measurement of the force on an object at rest in a relatively strong gravitational fie ...
.
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
Bognor Regis (), sometimes simply known as Bognor (), is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns i ...
, which was initially held in Selsey.
Moore appeared in other television and radio shows, including the
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
panel show ''
Just a Minute''. From 1992 until 1998, he played the role of
GamesMaster, a character who knew everything about video games, in the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
television series ''
GamesMaster''. GamesMaster would issue video game challenges and answered questions about cheats and tips. The show's host,
Dominik Diamond
Paul Dominik Diamond (born 31 December 1969) is a Scottish television and radio presenter and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the original presenter of Channel 4's video gaming programme '' GamesMaster'', as host of ''The Dominik Diamo ...
, 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
The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940–12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their eponymous television com ...
'' and on the
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working ...
show, and broadcast with
Kenneth Horne
Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne, (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969) was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh ...
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
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it ...
'', and a lead role in the
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
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
''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps.
The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...
'' and ''
Face the Music'', and in the ''
Q.E.D.'' episode "Round Britain Whizz".
He expressed appreciation for the
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
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
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in the ''Doctor Who'' episode "
The Eleventh Hour" in 2010, which was
Matt Smith
Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC series '' Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targaryen in the HBO series '' House of the Dr ...
's debut as the
Eleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As with previous incarnations of the Doct ...
. 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
Christopher Magnus Howard "Kit" Pedler (11 June 1927 – 27 May 1981) was a British medical scientist, parapsychologist and science fiction author.
Biography
He was the head of the electron microscopy department at the Institute of Ophthalmolo ...
.
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 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
Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action. The leg spinner's normal delivery causes the ball to spin from right to left (from the bowler's perspective) when the ball bounces on the ...
bowler, he 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
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
in 1975.
Until forced to give up because of
arthritis, Moore was a keen
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
and accomplished
xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...
player, having first played 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
A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.
Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...
, and performed a duet with
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish people, Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015.
Early life
Glennie was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire in Sco ...
.
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
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
playing ''
The Swan
A swan is a bird of the genus ''Cygnus'' (true swans) or ''Coscoroba'' (coscoroba swans).
Swan, swans, or The Swan may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Film and television
* ''The Swan'' (1925 film), a 1925 silent film
* ''The Swa ...
'' by
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...
on the violin (no recording was made). In 1981 he performed a solo xylophone rendition of the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
' "
Anarchy in the U.K." in a
Royal Variety Performance
The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
. He did not enjoy most popular music: when played ten modern
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
songs by such artists as
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
,
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
and
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
, in a 2009 interview with journalist
Joel McIver
Joel McIver (born 10 February 1971) is a British author. His best-known work is ''Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica'', first published in 2004 and appearing in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of Bla ...
, he explained, "To my ear, all these songs are universally awful."
Before encountering health problems he was an extensive traveller, and had visited all seven continents, including Antarctica; he said his favourite two countries were
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
and Norway. On 7 March 2006 he was hospitalised and fitted with a
pacemaker because of a cardiac abnormality.
He was a friend of
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
guitarist and astrophysicist
Brian May
Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...
, who was an occasional guest on ''The Sky at Night''. May bought Moore's Selsey home in 2008, leasing it back to him for a
peppercorn rent
In legal parlance, a peppercorn is a metaphor for a very small cash payment or other nominal consideration, used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. It is featured in ''Chappell & Co Ltd v Nestle Co Ltd'' (960AC 87) ...
the same day to provide financial security. May, Moore and
Chris Lintott
Christopher John Lintott (born 26 November 1980) is a British astrophysicist, author and broadcaster. He is a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford. Lintott is involved in a number of popular scie ...
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
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
. 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 was intended as a money-making venture and practical joke on UFO believers;
[Allan, C. and Campbell, S. ''Flying Saucer from Moore's?'', ''Magonia'' v. 23 (July 1986): pp 15–18] 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
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. T ...
, and the first man on the moon,
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.
...
.
In March 2015, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a 45-minute play based on the life of Moore, ''The Far Side of the Moore'' by Sean Grundy, starring
Tom Hollander
Thomas Anthony Hollander (; born 25 August 1967) is an English actor. As a child Hollander trained with the National Youth Theatre and was later involved in stage productions as a member of the Footlights and was president of the Marlowe Soci ...
as Moore and
Patricia Hodge
Patricia Ann Hodge, OBE (born 29 September 1946) is an English actor. She is known on-screen for playing Phyllida Erskine-Brown in '' Rumpole of the Bailey'' (1978–1992), Jemima Shore in ''Jemima Shore Investigates'' (1983), Penny in '' Mira ...
as his mother.
Moore is portrayed by
Daniel Beales in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series ''
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
''.
Honours and appointments
![Sir Patrick Moore (14867817772)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Sir_Patrick_Moore_%2814867817772%29.jpg)
In 1945, Moore was elected a
(FRAS), and in 1977 he was awarded the society's
Jackson-Gwilt Medal
The Jackson-Gwilt Medal is an award that has been issued by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) since 1897. The original criteria were for the invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques; for achievement ...
. In 1968, he was appointed an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(OBE) and promoted to a
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
(CBE) in 1988. In 1999 he became the Honorary President of the East Sussex Astronomical Society, a position he held until his death. Moore was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
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
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematic ...
(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
The Society for the History of Astronomy is an organisation based in the United Kingdom that promotes research into the history of astronomy. It publishes a research journal called ''The Antiquarian Astronomer'' and a regular ''Bulletin''.
The s ...
. Also in 2002,
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 A ...
presented him with a
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
(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
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_labe ...
and its Department of Physics and Astronomy, and was awarded an Honorary
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...
(HonDSc) degree in 1996 and a Distinguished Honorary Fellowship in 2008, the highest award that the university can bestow.
Personal life and death
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 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 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
''Kraut'' is a German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as an ethnic slur for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. Its earlier meaning in English was as a synonym for sauerkraut, a traditional Cen ...
is a dead Kraut".
Moore said he was "exceptionally close" to his mother Gertrude,
a talented artist who shared his home at
Selsey
Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about eight miles (12 km) south of Chichester in West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea. It is bounde ...
, West Sussex, which was decorated with her paintings of "bogeys" – little friendly aliens – that she produced and sent out annually as the Moores' Christmas cards. Moore wrote the foreword for his mother's 1974 book, ''Mrs Moore in Space''.
On 9 December 2012, Moore died aged 89 at his home in Selsey. On 9 December 2014 it was reported that the
Science Museum, London
The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019.
Like other publicly funded ...
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 a 12.5-inch
reflecting telescope
A reflecting telescope (also called a reflector) is a telescope that uses a single or a combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century by Isaac Newton as an alternati ...
.
Bibliography
Moore wrote many popular books. From 1962 to 2011 he also edited the long-running annual ''Yearbook of Astronomy'', He was also editor for many other science books in that period. He also wrote
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
novels for children; and under the pen-name R. T. Fishall, wrote humorous works. The list below is therefore not exhaustive.
* ''A Guide to the Moon'', 1953,
* ''
Mission to Mars
''Mission to Mars'' is a 2000 American science fiction adventure film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Jim Thomas, John Thomas, and Graham Yost, and suggested by Disney's theme park attraction of the same name. The film depicts the first ...
'', 1955
* ''The Planet Venus'', 1956
* ''
The Voices of Mars'', 1957
* ''A Guide to the Planets'', 1960,
* ''Stars and Space'', 1960
* ''A Guide to the Stars'', 1960, Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 60-7584
* ''Oxford Children's Reference Library Book 2: Exploring the World'', 1966
* ''The Amateur Astronomer's Glossary'', 1966 (reprinted as ''The A-Z of Astronomy'')
* ''Moon Flight Atlas'', 1969
[Moore, Patrick. ''Moon Flight Atlas'' Hardcover. 48 pages. SBN 54005064-4. First published in Great Britain in 1969 by George Philip, & Son Ltd. 98 Victoria Road, N.W.10.]
* ''Observer's Book of Astronomy'', 1971,
* ''Challenge of the Stars'', 1972,
* ''Can You Speak Venusian?'', 1972,
* ''How Britain Won the Space Race'', 1972 (with
Desmond Leslie
Desmond Arthur Peter Leslie (29 June 1921, London – 21 February 2001, Antibes, France) was a British pilot, film maker, writer, and musician. He was the younger son, and youngest child, of Shane Leslie (a first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill), ...
)
* ''Mastermind'' (Book 1), (edited by Boswell Taylor), the sections on Astronomy, 1973, republished 1984,
* ''Next Fifty Years in Space'', 1976,
* ''Astronomy Quiz Book'', 1978,
*
The Scott Saunders series (six juvenile science fiction novels), late 1970s
* ''Bureaucrats: How to Annoy Them'' (humour) (writing as R.T.Fishall), 1982,
* ''New Observer's Book of Astronomy'', 1983,
* ''Armchair Astronomy'', 1984,
* ''Travellers in Space and Time'', 1984,
* ''Stargazing: Astronomy Without A Telescope'', 1985,
* ''Explorers of Space'', 1986,
* ''The Astronomy Encyclopaedia'', 1987,
* ''Astronomers' Stars'', 1987,
* ''Television Astronomer: Thirty Years of the "Sky at Night"'', 1987,
* ''Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars'', 1988,
* ''Space Travel for the Under Tens'', 1988,
* ''The Universe for the Under Tens'', 1990,
* ''Mission to the Planets'', 1991,
* ''New Guide to the Planets'', 1993,
* ''The Sun and the Moon (Starry Sky)'', 1996,
* ''The Guinness Book of Astronomy'', 1995,
* ''The Stars (Starry Sky)'', 1996,
* ''The Sun and the Moon (Starry Sky)'', 1996,
* ''The Planets (Starry Sky)'', 1996,
* ''Eyes on the Universe: Story of the Telescope'', 1997,
* ''Exploring the Earth and Moon'', 1997,
* ''Philip's Guide to Stars and Planets'', 1997,
* ''Brilliant Stars'', 1997,
* ''Patrick Moore on Mars'', 1998,
* ''Patrick Moore's Guide to the 1999 Total Eclipse '', 1999,
* ''Countdown!, or, How nigh is the end?'', 1999,
* ''Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars'', 2000,
* ''The Star of Bethlehem'', 2001,
* ''80 Not Out: The Autobiography'', 2003,
* ''2004 The Yearbook of Astronomy'', 2003, (editor)
* ''Our Universe: Facts, Figures and Fun'', 2007,
* ''Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy'', 2011, Cambridge University Press, and
See also
*
Jack Horkheimer
Jack Horkheimer (born Foley Arthur Horkheimer; June 11, 1938 – August 20, 2010) was the executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium. He was best known for his astronomy show '' Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler'', which started airi ...
, host of the astronomy show ''Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer'' (American counterpart)
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Bang! The Complete History of the Universe by Brian May, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Patrick
1923 births
2012 deaths
20th-century British astronomers
21st-century British astronomers
Amateur astronomers
Astronomy in Ireland
BAFTA winners (people)
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
English science fiction writers
Schoolteachers from Surrey
English television presenters
Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society
Honorary Fellows of the Royal Society
Knights Bachelor
Legion of Frontiersmen members
People from Pinner
People from Selsey
Royal Air Force officers
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
UK Independence Party people
Xylophonists
English autobiographers
Official Monster Raving Loony Party
English male novelists
20th-century English novelists
20th-century English male writers
English male non-fiction writers
British Home Guard soldiers
Schoolteachers from Kent