PATRICK MOORE - THE PEOPLE'S ASTRONOMER 

The world's most celebrated amateur astronomer Patrick Moore recently visited Vancouver. Author of more books than he can remember, his early book "The Moon", based on his own visual observation through telescopes, has been acknowledged universally as the bible of lunar geography. For me it was a happy reunion: we had met and both been on South African television during back-to-back programs years ago in Johannesburg. Even then his dry humor could easily have carved him another career as a comedian. Although he was a pilot in the Royal Air Force, his chief claim to fame is that he was, and still is, the host of the longest running program on BBC-TV, called "The Sky Tonight", which started in the early 1950s. This appears to be a world record. Patrick Moore was the Director of the Armagh Planetarium in Northern Ireland in the days when a planetarium was the cutting-edge of celestial observation. He chases all the eclipses, along with his Vancouver friend Ian McLennan who is addicted to the same hobby. Former Deputy Commissioner General for the UN Pavilion at both EXPO 86 and Brisbane 88, McLennan is currently Executive Director of the Burnaby Science and Technology Foundation. McLennan and Moore first met in 1968 in Belfast just as the Irish discontent started to flare.

Moore, a consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on astronaut training, recently gave a lecture on his life as an astronomer at the Macmillan Planetarium in Vancouver. A witty, colorful and abundantly-informed speaker on everything off this planet he gave his world-famous talk describing the universe in 1,200 seconds. He then continued to impress and entertain an obviously receptive audience for almost another hour.

McLennan, now organizing the Burnaby foundation, of which more will soon be heard, was previously Director of the Kodak-supported Rochester planetarium in New York, the Rochester Museum and Science Centre, and Director of Ontario Place, Toronto (I could go on but suffice to say either of these gentlemen's resumes could serve as wall insulation for a large house). Both Moore and McLennan are living examples of those rare people who choose a career and follow it to unusual lengths with continuing enthusiasm over many years.

More information: Patrick Moore, OBE, "Farthings", 39 West St., Selsey, Sussex, UK.

Ian McLellan, Executive Director, Burnaby Science + Technology Foundation, Rogers Cantel Tower Metrotown, Ste. 800 - 4710 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4M2. Phone: 604/430-3330. Fax: 604/430-3380.

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