Photo: wenn.com
Queen guitarist Brian May has paid tribute to Sir Patrick Moore, calling him irreplaceable.
Speaking to ITV, May called the atronomer a "dear friend and a kind of father figure to me."
He continued: "Patrick will be mourned by the many to whom he was a caring uncle, and by all who loved the delightful wit and clarity of his writings, or enjoyed his fearlessly eccentric persona in public life."
The astronomer passed away yesterday (December 9) at his home Farthings following his most recent bout of illness.
"Patrick is irreplaceable," the guitarist continued. "There will never be another Patrick Moore. But we were lucky enough to get one."
The eccentric British figure had previously fought off serious illness on several occassions, continuing to write at a great rate and star in The Sky At Night.
A self-taught xylophonist and pianist, Moore was one of the longest-lasting British television figures thansk to the long-running programme The Sky At Night and his eccentrically British personality.
In 2006 May and Moore worked together to write Bang! The Complete History of the Universe.
May completed his PhD thesis in astrophysicsphysics, entitled A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud and gradutaed in 2008.
This year saw may join the campaign against the proposed badger cull in the UK, celebrating a victory when the cull was scrapped.
But he recently drew criticism when it emerged that he had allowed deer to be culled on his property in Dorest.
Speaking to The Sun, May's gamekeeper said: "I shot 23 mainly young, healthy animals. I do it for sport."
May subsequently stated that he no longer allowed any animals to be culled on his grounds.
"I was new to forest management. I was advised it improved the health of the deer population."
Brian May on stage with Adam Lambert
The world famous guitaruist also claimed that he'd inherited the practice fo deer culling when he brought the property and, having allowed it to continue for several months, made the decision to stop it.
Patrick Moore's executors have said that they will act in accordance with his wishes for a small, private internment, but that a memorial event will be planned to coincide with his birthday in March next year.
Photos: Queen and Adam Lambert, live in London
