On April 26, 1957, at 10:30 PM the BBC aired a new show which was to become the longest running television program in TV history, "THE SKY AT NIGHT". Described as "a programme for astronomy enthusist", with it’s monocoled host Patrick Moore, " THE SKY AT NIGHT’s" fifty year run put it and it’s presenter in the Guinness Book of Records. The monthly program is now in it’s fifty- first year.
Patrick Caldwell-Moore was born on March fourth 1923. At age six he became interested in astronomy, and by age eleven he was elected to the British Astronomical Association. During World War II he served in the RAF Bomber Command as a navigator.
After the war, Moore set up a 12.5 inch home made reflecting telescope in the front garden of his home at Selsey in Sussex. ( The British don’t have yards, they have gardens.) He was interested in the Moon, especially the parts seen only during libration. Libration was Galileo’s last important discovery, the Moon appears to wobble as it flies. Galileo announced his discovery in 1632, and it was viewed as a verification of Kepler’s laws. He is also given credit for noticing in 1637 that the Moon appears to nod, this information he wrote in a letter to a colleague. Because it always keeps one face to us we should only see fifty percent of the Moon, because of libration we see fifty- nine percent. This extra nine percent view of the Moon would become Patrick Moore’s domain.
Seven days after apogee the Moon slows slightly in it’s orbit allowing us to see past the western limb just a bit. Here Moore discovered Mare Orientale, the Eastern Sea. Shouldn’t it be the Oxidental Sea? Or Western Sea? No, until 1961 lunar east and west were the same as east and west directions on Earth. With the possibility of men standing on the Moon lunar east and west were flipped. Otherwise to an astronaut standing on the Moon the sun would rise in the west.
In 1959 Patrick Moore was paid a visit by the Russians. They needed accurate information on those seldom seen parts of the Moon to correlate the first pictures taken of the far side of the Moon by Lunik 3. Patrick Moore’s sketch books had the most accurate drawings available of those areas. Later Moore would do the same for NASA of features on the near side. Again this was the best information available until orbital mapping of the lunar surface.
Moore can say he has met the first man to fly, Orville Wright, and the first man to walk on the Moon, Neil Armstrong. As a Lieutenant in navigation school, he played the piano accompanying Albert Einstein on the violin. This chosen piece was " The Swan" by Saint Saens. Moore is described as a self taught, accomplished muscian whose favorite insturment is the xylophone.
Patrick Moore’s web site credits him with writing over one hundred books. He shuns technology, and all were written on his 1908 vintage Woodstock typewriter.
Sky watch for April:
01-07 Watch for the Zodical light, visible in dark skys our lattitude.
04 Waning crescent Moon near Venus at sunrise. Venus extremely low on the horizon.
05 New Moon
08 The crescent Moon is located in the Pleiades in the west at dusk.
11-12 The Moon passes close to Mars, closest at midnight.
14-15 The Moon is to the right of Saturn and Regulus, to the lower left on the 15th.
19 The Moon is near the bright star Spica at dusk.
20 Full Moon
21 The Moon is below Antares before dawn
26-28 Look for Mars below and left of Pollux, its twin in color and brightness.
27 Jupiter shines above the Moon before dawn
28 Last quarter Moon
