He was able to convey his personal enthusiasm for astronomy in a way that made The Sky at Night very inspirational. I'm so sad he's gone, he and his show will be missed.
I often wondered about the contradictions behind this man. He was a fierce right-wing activist with exceedingly hostile views towards pretty much anyone (gays, foreigners, women, you name it), yet he was also a brilliant scientist, a gifted musician, a captivating entertainer, an conscientious animal rights advocate. Being a Kraut myself, I have no doubt that he would have killed me with a smile on his face if presented with the opportunity in a socially acceptable context, yet it's difficult to imagine this immense hatred he was capable of when you see the warmth, wit, and friendliness he routinely displayed when hosting his show from his own home, surrounded by scientist friends, with his beloved cat on his lap.
I'm glad though I didn't ever hear him speak on these issues personally, so my most significant memory of him will always be the one of the friendly scientist granddad explaining the sky at night to kids in awe of the universe, like me.
There's a nice write up by Martha Henson of her personal encounter with Patrick Moore. It ended with this:
"We sometimes forget that people in the public eye are as nuanced, messy and complicated as any of the rest of us, and we shouldn’t expect them to be otherwise. We can be grateful for Patrick Moore’s kindness and great work in popularising astronomy and angry about his views at the same time." -- http://marthasadie.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/an-encounter-wit...
I often wondered about the contradictions behind this man. He was a fierce right-wing activist with exceedingly hostile views towards pretty much anyone (gays, foreigners, women, you name it), yet he was also a brilliant scientist, a gifted musician, a captivating entertainer, an conscientious animal rights advocate. Being a Kraut myself, I have no doubt that he would have killed me with a smile on his face if presented with the opportunity in a socially acceptable context, yet it's difficult to imagine this immense hatred he was capable of when you see the warmth, wit, and friendliness he routinely displayed when hosting his show from his own home, surrounded by scientist friends, with his beloved cat on his lap.
I'm glad though I didn't ever hear him speak on these issues personally, so my most significant memory of him will always be the one of the friendly scientist granddad explaining the sky at night to kids in awe of the universe, like me.