I had no idea! How did I not know this?!
Today I came across the terribly sad news that Sir Patrick Moore passed away on the 9th of December 2012.
This quirky showman of astronomy inspired many a child to take up astronomy with his infectious enthusiasm.
Although
describing himself as an "amateur astronomer", his work in mapping the
moon was used by the USA and the Soviet Union as reference for moon
landings.
His monocled face and smashing British accent will be
sadly missed and leaves a void that will be extremely hard to fill. His
legacy however, will live on.
Good night, sir.