Patrick Moore did more than anyone in history to get people interested in the stars. As the face of The Sky at Night, he introduced millions to the wonders of the night sky and in the process set a television record, by becoming the world's longest-serving presenter on the same programme.
Thanks to his passion for astronomy, ruffled appearance and slightly eccentric manner, Patrick's persona made him a celebrity among the general public and a household name in the UK, where he was the only amateur astronomer most people had heard of, while his books and magazine articles gained him recognition the world over.
Alfred Patrick Caldwell-Moore was born on 4 March 1923, the only child of Captain Charles Trachsel Caldwell-Moore MC, who had served in the army, and Gertrude Moore (nee White), who trained as an opera singer in Italy.
Patrick grew up in Sussex - first in Bognor Regis and later in East Grinstead. He went to prep school for one term when he was eight, but his formal schooling was limited by the heart problems he suffered up to the age of 16. While this seemed to have put paid
