Much research has been written about the role an individual can play in science. Patrick Moore's biography is full of interesting events and facts. There are fewer and fewer such people on our planet.
Difficult childhood
A citizen of the British Crown, Sir Patrick Moore has lived a long and fulfilling life. He had to observe or participate in many historically significant events. An extraordinary person, whose behavior and views do not fit into existing standards, was distinguished by extraordinary views and colossal efficiency. He was not afraid and did not hesitate to be branded as politically incorrect. The lifestyle that the famous astronomer adhered to can hardly serve as a role model for ordinary people in the street.
Patrick Moore was born on March 4, 1923 in the family of an ordinary accountant. Parents at that time lived in London. The father was a physically strong and athletic person. He was extremely pragmatic in everyday life, and did not show interest in sciences, including astronomy. The boy showed his first interest in music and the starry sky thanks to his mother. Being a romantic and sublime nature, mother, in contrast to her father, strove to instill in her sick son a taste for art.
In 1929, the Moore family moved to Sussex. The reason was that the child was constantly ill and the doctors advised the parents on the climatic living conditions. For several years, Patrick was ill and could not attend school. The teachers studied with him at home. Examining the attic of the new house, the boy found a book called "The History of the Solar System", which was published in the 19th century. Six-year-old Patrick carefully studied the tattered volume and became interested in astronomy for the rest of his life.
Especially for Patrick, his parents wrote out the Bulletin of the Astronomical Society. Since he had to spend a lot of time in bed, a room was equipped for him in the attic with a large window through which young Moore looked at the sky at night. The young man was accepted as a member of the Astronomical Society when he was eleven years old. Two years later, he delivered his first lecture to the distinguished assembly of British astronomers. Evaluating his son's enthusiasm, his father gave him a 1908 typewriter for work. This machine served Patrick until the end of his days.
Professional track
It is important to emphasize that Patrick did not have time to get an academic education. World War II began when he was barely 17 years old. Despite health problems, the young man made sure that he was called up to serve in the air force. He calculated and plotted routes for bombers during combat missions. After the end of the war, Moore took up astronomy in earnest. As a first step, he calculated the layout of a mirror telescope. I ordered the main units and elements from the nearest workshops. Then he personally assembled the product and installed it in his garden.
Patrick began making regular moon observations. Day after day, year after year. The astronomer compiled maps of the lunar surface, which were used by specialists from other fields of activity. When analyzing the data obtained during the flight of the Soviet orbital station "Luna-3", astronomers used the atlas of the lunar surface, created by Moore. The famous astronomer, as an expert, participated in the preparation of the American Apollo program, which envisaged landing on the surface of a natural satellite of the Earth.
It is important to note that Patrick Moore made a huge contribution to the popularization of astronomy. For more than fifty years he served as the permanent host of the TV program "Night Sky" on the BBC channel. The scientist's work was noted by entering into the Guinness Book of Records. An adequate reaction also followed from the official authorities: the Queen of Great Britain knighted him. Since 2001, the astronomer should be contacted by Sir Patrick Moore.
Creative activity
He not only watched the moon and other celestial objects. The astronomer wrote scientific articles, popular essays, and science fiction novels. Over the course of an active period of his life, more than 170 works came out from under his pen. It is interesting to emphasize that Moore typed his manuscripts on a typewriter, which his father gave him as a child. The author did not use a computer for these purposes for reasons of principle.
In the mid-60s, Patrick worked for several years as director of a planetarium in the Irish city of Armagh. On weekends, residents came here with families to listen to the brilliant lectures of a professional astronomer.
Hobbies and personal life
In his free time from astronomy, Moore studied music. He has composed over a hundred works. The most famous was the march, which he dedicated to Halley's comet. Patrick has been friends with famous musician Brian May for many years. In partnership with him, several pieces of music and the novel "Space Tourist" were recorded.
There is nothing to tell about the astronomer's personal life. Back in the war, he met a girl named Lorna. She served as a nurse. For three years, they communicated as husband and wife. Once, during a raid by enemy aircraft, the spouse died. Patrick could not find a worthy replacement for her and remained a bachelor forever. Moore passed away in December 2012 at the age of 90.
