Astronomer Patrick Moore dies aged 89

British astronomer Sir Patrick Moore, renowned for his work mapping the Moon's surface, died Sunday at the age of 89, his friends and staff announced.

The astronomer "passed away peacefully at 12:25pm", at his home in Selsey on the southern English coast, they said in a statement.

"After a short spell in hospital last week, it was determined that no further treatment would benefit him, and it was his wish to spend his last days in his own home."

Moore presented BBC television’s landmark The Sky at Night programme for more than 50 years, making him the longest-running presenter of a single show in broadcasting history.

His old-fashioned appearance and rapid-fire delivery endeared him to television viewers.

The BBC said Moore’s mapping of the moon commanded international respect and was used by both the early Russian and American space programmes.