RIP Sir Patrick Moore [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Castaras

2012-12-09, 09:37 AM

"He 'passed away peacefully at 12:25 this afternoon' at his home in Selsey, West Sussex." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20657939)

Big loss for astronomy. He was one of the people that got me interested in Astrophysics and Astronomy. Met him when I was about 8, and have a picture with him still hanging back at my parent's house.

RIP. He will be missed.

Mercenary Pen

2012-12-09, 10:58 AM

His contributions to the playing of xylophones will also be missed.

GrlumpTheElder

2012-12-09, 11:19 AM

Very sad news - I Saw a picture of him with a kitten yesterday... Amazing how much of an impact he had on so many people

The Succubus

2012-12-09, 11:22 AM

I had the rare pleasure of being invited to his home when I was about 12 or 13. He was an absolutely wonderful host and we went out to his observatory in his back garden. I had a look at Mars through his enormous telescope and he encouraged me to sketch what I saw. Later on, he gave my sister a brief lesson in how to play the xylophone and signed a couple of astronomy books for us.

It's one of my fondest memories from childhood. :smallsmile:

factotum

2012-12-09, 12:07 PM

Sad news. :smallfrown:

nedz

2012-12-09, 12:17 PM

It is sad, he will be missed.

I watched the latest Sky at Night in the week and he was looking a little frail, but that's been true for a while.

CurlyKitGirl

2012-12-09, 12:28 PM

:smallfrown:
RIP, you were a great astronomer and presenter, and an inspiration to many.

Dad loves this guy, and I don't think he knows yet.

TaiLiu

2012-12-09, 03:52 PM

A pity.

I never met him, but his monocle wearing was indeed "fearlessly eccentric."

Morph Bark

2012-12-09, 04:12 PM

Checking out some appearances, doubtless I'd've been a fan had I been born British.

To infinity and beyond, Mr Moore!

Scowling Dragon

2012-12-09, 04:20 PM

Lady time claims another one. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ26McpKN1o&feature=g-high-u) :smallfrown:

Archonic Energy

2012-12-09, 06:57 PM

Add yet I still remember him as the "gamesmaster" from the show with Dominic diamond.

Lensman

2012-12-10, 03:36 AM

He was the face of astronomy for as long as I can remember. (He also wrote a handful of science fiction novels which I read as a child). He will be sorely missed.

GnomeFighter

2012-12-10, 04:16 AM

The Succubus

2012-12-10, 05:31 AM

Another hero gone :(

I will always remember watching sky at night and being entranced by his enthusiasm and knowledge. Between him and David Attenborough I learnt far more about, and got far more enthusiasm for, science than any teacher before the age of 16.

Very much this. When you meet someone that has a true passion for a broad and complex subject, its infectious. Patrick Moore leaves behind a great legacy with encouraging a new generation of astronomers.

Traab

2012-12-10, 08:37 AM

You know, its funny, I came here thinking a Bond actor had died. I get confused easily. :smallredface:

The Succubus

2012-12-10, 10:11 AM

You know, its funny, I came here thinking a Bond actor had died. I get confused easily. :smallredface:

You may have been thinking of Patrick McGoohan. He was prominent actor in the Sixties and starred in the Prisoner and Danger Man. Both had similarities with Bond.

If it helps, one Patrick spent time staring at big white spheres, the other spent time being chased by them.

Traab

2012-12-10, 10:33 AM

You may have been thinking of Patrick McGoohan. He was prominent actor in the Sixties and starred in the Prisoner and Danger Man. Both had similarities with Bond.

If it helps, one Patrick spent time staring at big white spheres, the other spent time being chased by them.

Heh, no, I was thinking of Sir Roger Moore. Too damn many Moore knights! No more moores dangit!

dehro

2012-12-10, 03:17 PM

mind you, he'd have been a brilliant casting choice for playing M.. or even a villain

Mercenary Pen

2012-12-10, 07:32 PM

mind you, he'd have been a brilliant casting choice for playing M.. or even a villain

Why are you stroking a xylophone Blofeld?

Traab

2012-12-10, 11:31 PM

Why are you stroking a xylophone Blofeld?

"No Mister Bond, I expect you to look at the sky." Nah, that doesnt flow right, and it was SO CLOSE to working with the line!

Castaras

2012-12-11, 04:29 AM

"Mister Bond, have you ever taken a look at the heavens?"
"What relevance does this have to anything?"
"Well, if you were to take a look now, you would see the meteor that I have calculated to be the exact size to destroy you, without being so destructive as to destroy much more. Good bye, mister bond. Enjoy the star gazing."

The Succubus

2012-12-11, 04:42 AM

Hmmm, you could always go with the classics:

"Mr Bond, I have strapped to the chair at the base of the world's most powerful optical telescope. As you gaze through the viewfinder, you can see Curiousity exploring the soils of Mars. This is science Mr Bond and it will slay you sure as sunrise. As night fades and the sun creeps up into view of the telescope, the amplified light will pass through the scope, generating a beam unmatched by even the most powerful industrial lasers."

"Do you expect me to do astronomy?!"

"No, Mr Bond, I expect you to fry. Come, Ptolemny."

Scowling Dragon

2012-12-11, 04:50 AM

Though....wasn't the man an outspoken homaphobe?

The Succubus

2012-12-11, 04:57 AM

No.

He had very strong feelings on European countries, which is understandable after his fiancee was killed driving an ambulance in WWII. He was heartbroken over it and never remarried or dated. He has also made comments about German people but as he was one of the few recently living people to have met Einstein (they even played a musical duet together!) he clearly didn't tar all German people as being evil otherwise he wouldn't have met him.

I've no doubt that some of his personal views on the world were extremely old fashioned but if you stop and think about when he was raised and taught right from wrong - it was a completely different world to the one we're in now.

To the best of my knowledge, he never had any strong feelings one way or the other about homosexuality. /shrug

Scowling Dragon

2012-12-11, 05:07 AM

I understand, but Im just bugged sometimes by when a person dies, all their sins are forgiven. And suddenly their a saint.

I didn't even KNOW anything about Patric Moore until he died. He seems like an alright guy.

The Succubus

2012-12-11, 05:13 AM

Believe me, we're *very* aware of that in the UK, following fallout from Jimmy Saville.

But you can hardly expect people to say "Oh, he might have done some good stuff but what we're going to do instead is dig up every single piece of dirt we've got on the guy because his grieving relatives will love us for that."

Scowling Dragon

2012-12-11, 05:18 AM

Well I don't KNOW the guy. The only fallout that I have felt was a video from weeble.

If he was somehow important to my life then I would think differently.

The Succubus

2012-12-11, 05:23 AM

As I said earlier in this thread, I *did* know the guy, very, very briefly and he was every bit as charming and odd as he's portrayed in reports. I've skimmed through a few of them and it seems he invited quite a few other families to visit him for an evening's astronomy. I'd need some pretty damning evidence before I'd change my opinion on him.

But anyways, I believe we were discussing how he'd make a rather good Bond villain.

nedz

2012-12-11, 07:16 AM

"You see this telescope Mr. Bond ? Well it's not quite what it seems. What you don't know is that I've rigged up this powerful laser at the eyepiece — so that it's beam is amplified by the optical array — and now I can shoot down any satellite in the sky. Oh, and I know where to find them, I've been observing them for years. So now, I'm going to test this apparatus on you, Mr. Bond — prepare to die!"

Traab

2012-12-11, 08:51 AM

"You know Mister Bond, I am almost jealous of you. You are about to achieve something I have wanted for all of my life. I am going to launch you into space. Who knows? Some day far from now, you may even get to approach the stars I love so much. Alas, my budget would not allow for a spacesuit for you. Or even a capsule. I guess strapping you to this rocket will have to do. Goodbye, Mister Bond."

dehro

2012-12-11, 09:25 AM

this thread has taken a weird turn..
really funny though..

The Succubus

2012-12-11, 09:38 AM

We really need another Patrick Moore to inspire people. Did you know today is the 40th anniversary of the last Moon landing? The last time a human being landed on something that wasn't Terran soil?

:smallfrown:

dehro

2012-12-11, 09:54 AM

nedz

2012-12-11, 01:22 PM

factotum

2012-12-11, 05:59 PM

ISS ?

It's just a giant spacecraft in low earth orbit--hardly setting foot on other worlds, now is it? Heck, if all those confident predictions made around the time of the moon landings were correct, we'd have colonies on Mars by now...

nedz

2012-12-11, 09:10 PM

It's just a giant spacecraft in low earth orbit--hardly setting foot on other worlds, now is it? Heck, if all those confident predictions made around the time of the moon landings were correct, we'd have colonies on Mars by now...

We'd all be wearing Silver Spandex Suits as well :smallbiggrin:

To be fair we do have a colony of Robotic Cars on Mars.

Castaras

2012-12-12, 05:43 AM

Don't forget us girls will all have purple hair as well.

factotum

2012-12-12, 07:42 AM

Don't forget us girls will all have purple hair as well.

Great...I now have a picture of you in my head with metallic purple hair. This is a look I think you should use for the next meetup! :smallwink:

Mercenary Pen

2012-12-12, 11:15 AM

Great...I now have a picture of you in my head with metallic purple hair. This is a look I think you should use for the next meetup! :smallwink:

Needs appropriate costuming though...:smallbiggrin: