Sir Patrick Moore, 'The Sky at Night' and Modern Astronomy in the UK

ABEL, BA RSTOW ADN LINTOTT: PATRICK MOORE Sir Patrick Moore, ‘The Sky at Night’ and modern astronomy in the UK Paul Abel, Chris Lintott and Martin Barstow remember Patrick Moore and a controversial, but very popular topic in the the part he played in shaping today’s vibrant astronomical community. 1950s: flying saucers. Obscure photo graphs and reported contacts with uncannily human- ll of the astronomical community was and carefully crafted charts of obscure lunar looking aliens from Venus, Mars, Jupiter – Downloaded from saddened to hear the news of the death features near the limb were all meticulously anywhere but here – had been the subjects of Aof Patrick Moore on 9 December 2012, recorded in dozens of logbooks. This scientific books and television in the US and UK. The at the age of 89. Patrick was always the first to narrative was frequently interrupted with com- BBC decided to get in on the act, and produce demur from any professional status in astron- plaints about cloud, eyepieces being dropped a TV debate. Finding believers to talk about omy, describing himself as a broadcaster or, and trees obscuring his views of Saturn. their experiences and recent vacations to the http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/ first and foremost, a writer. Yet he has prob- Moon was not difficult, but finding a voice of ably had the largest influence of any individual Visual observers rationality, reasonable yet likeable, had proved on astronomy research in the UK, through the In those pre-space-age days, much effort was a challenge. Fortunately the producer of this generations he inspired. Many of his obituaries spent mapping the libration areas and visual programme, Paul Johnstone, had just the man recorded his life and his broadcasting contribu- observers made rapid strides. Patrick often in mind. Notorious for his lack of faith in “all tions, but few, if any, considered how his pres- claimed discovery of what is now Mare forms of flying crockery” Patrick pre- ence has shaped modern astronomical research Orientale; the claim is somewhat sented the argument against. in the UK. For A&G we felt it appropriate to dubious (a German observer, Later on, Johnstone was remember Patrick’s life in this context, from our Fritz, recorded it in 1906; invited by the BBC to make perspective as astronomical colleagues, present- for details see Baum and a monthly programme, at University of Leicester on April 23, 2014 ers and participants in The Sky at Night. Whitaker 2007 JBAA initially to be called There will be few astronomers active for 117 129) but there is no Star Map, to present whom The Sky at Night has not been ever- doubt that he was an astronomy to the present in their professional careers – indeed, accomplished observer, public. Clearly for most of us it has been a constant throughout famously submitting Patrick had made our lives. From its first broadcast in April 1957 maps to assist the space an impression until January 2013, Patrick presented every pro- agencies in lunar explora- since Johnstone gramme except one, when he suffered a bout of tion. Prior to the launch of asked him food poisoning from a duck egg. His record for The Sky at Night Patrick had the longest presenter of any one show is unlikely been accompanying Hugh Percy to be beaten. Patrick’s excitable presentation, Wilkins to the Meudon refractor enormous passion for astronomy and uncanny in Paris, to look for small craters ability to present complicated astronomical on the lunar surface. He spent hun- ideas in terms of simple everyday things, made dreds of hours behind the eyepiece of him an instant hit with viewers. There was no- his own telescopes and those of large one like him on the television, with his manic observatories around the world. This sense of energy and near-encyclopedic knowl- observing experience gave him both edge of astronomy. Even in black and white, Pat- the authority and the confidence to rick shone brightly on the screen, urging people speak on the subject he lived for. to get their binoculars, telescopes or whatever It is interesting to note that they had to hand and take part in astronomy. The Sky at Night was not This important message, that astronomy was Patrick’s first foray into accessible and open to everyone, has stimulated television. In fact his first many generations of scientists. television broadcast had When The Sky at Night was born, in April been concerned with 1957, Patrick was already a prominent member of the British Astronomical Association. His Patrick Moore, own research came early in life, as an observer photographed for his well known for his lunar and planetary obser- presidency of the BAA vations. His excellent drawings of the planets 1982–1984. (C BAA 1985) A&G • June 2013 • Vol. 54 3.37 ABEL, BA RSTOW ADN LINTOTT: PATRICK MOORE to be the presenter and he went along to Lime fessional astronomy didn’t entirely agree with Grove studios – now long demolished – to record him. The respect he received from his profes- the first episode. The programme was to run for sional colleagues at the IAU and elsewhere a few months to see how it went. The formula came from his firm grounding in the science established, a simple mix of professional and of the subject. He was a member of the Inter- amateur astronomy aimed at a general audience, national Astronomical Union for many years, is still used today, more than 55 years later. was recognized by the Royal Astronomical In many ways, both Patrick and The Sky at Society with a special millennium award and Night came along at the right time. The space its education prize is named in his honour. He age was just beginning and the exploration of At the celebration of 55 years of The Sky at Night. was eventually elected an honorary fellow of space, both manned and robotic, promised the Royal Society, at around the same time as much and delivered more; Patrick was there of the outer solar system, revealing the planets he received his knighthood, which was one of to report it. In October 1959, Russian probe and their moons as bizarre and alien places. the few events that left the arch-communicator Lunik 3 became the first spacecraft to send Patrick hopped back and forth between the utterly speechless, at least for a few seconds. images from the far side of the Moon and, at US and the UK to report on the discovery of Patrick’s popularization of our subject meant Lime Grove, Patrick presented these images for volcanoes on Io, and the impenetrable he was known internationally as well as the first time: images he had always wanted to atmosphere of Titan. Each time at home, but he also worked within see. The first manned missions followed within the Voyagers encountered a new His the IAU. He served for years on Downloaded from a few years, developing into the race to the world, Patrick was there at books‘‘ and the solar system nomenclature Moon and culminating in the Apollo missions. JPL in Pasadena to report the his devotion to committee, and edited the With his extensive knowledge, Patrick assisted discoveries. Into the 1990s, astronomy ensured general assembly’s news- NASA in finding suitable landing sites and was Patrick followed as the fleets paper in Argentina in 1991. we were all savaged a mainstay of BBC coverage. When Neil Arm- of Mars probes. Magellan, That editorship marked http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/ strong returned from the Moon, Patrick made Galileo and Cassini reached by the astronomy what might well have been sure he got a Sky at Night interview with him: distant worlds. bug the greatest journalistic feat of further inspiration for budding astronomers. ’’ Patrick’s career: the final edition In the 1960s robotic exploration of the solar UK missions of the paper reported – with photos system began with flybys of Venus and Mars. It was not only the exciting images and – on a fire in the conference venue, which Patrick and the other BAA amateur astronomers discoveries from the spectacular NASA plan- had completely prevented access. Fleet Street had already recorded the waxing and waning of etary missions which Patrick brought to his would have been proud! No such drama marked the martian polar caps, not to mention the faint audience, but more “home grown” discover- the general assembly in Manchester in 2000, and elusive markings of Venus. There was wild ies with space astronomy missions, covering when Patrick served as assistant editor to his speculation about what secrets these worlds new wavebands in the X-ray, ultraviolet and protégé, John Mason. at University of Leicester on April 23, 2014 might hold. Spacecraft swinging by Venus soon infrared. UK-led missions such as Ariel 5 and established that it was the closest place to hell international collaborations including IUE Historian of astronomy yet found. Similarly, Mars, once thought to be a and IRAS featured extensively. A particular Patrick also had a role as a historian of astron- harsher Earth, turned out to be cold and appar- feature of Patrick’s approach was to involve omy, and his survey of pre-Voyager Neptune ently sterile. Dark markings thought to be veg- expert guests from these missions as well as a was especially well regarded, but it was his etation were little more than darker deserts and plethora of other scientists. Harlow Shapley, the hundred-plus other books as well as his inescap- arid plains; Lowell’s canals had finally gone. first astronomer to make an estimate of the size able presence on The Sky at Night that inspired Patrick summed up these findings in the 1969 of the Milky Way, was one of his early guests.

Load more