GamesMaster Sir Patrick Moore dies aged 89

Sir Patrick Moore — astronomer, broadcaster and, in gaming circles, the GamesMaster in the British television show of the same name — "passed away peacefully ... this afternoon" at his home in Selsey, West Sussex, his friends and colleagues said in a statement to the BBC. He was 89.

GamesMaster ran on Channel 4 from 1992-1998 and was the first ever U.K. television show dedicated to video games. The program featured game reviews and game challenges where players would compete against one another for the title of GamesMaster Champion. Sir Patrick Moore appeared on the show in pre-recorded segments as the Games Master.

Moore also wrote dozens of books on astronomy and his research was used by the U.S. and Russia in their space programs. He first appeared on the television show The Sky at Night in 1957 and last appeared in an episode broadcast on Monday.