Thankyou Sir Patrick Moore

I've just taken a look out at the Night Sky with tears in my eyes and on my cheeks. Orion, The Pleiades, Venus instantly recognisable to me. An amazing wondrous spectacle to marvel at.

Thanks to Sir Patrick Moore's correspondence with me about 30 years ago, my childhood love and amazement of astronomy grew and became sustained into adulthood. I am very saddened by his passing today.

As someone 'off the telly' who would send short typed letters back to me, it felt so pleasing, so encouraging to have him reply in such a sincere manner. From days before internet, with just 3 TV channels, he was the closest thing to an astronomer engaging social media for that day: the letter.

Thankyou Sir Patrick, you brought the heavens a little closer and better illuminated my understanding of astronomy. You'll be missed.