h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29245828

I hope you, your mom and Ian are doing well.

Oh thank you, I really enjoyed that!Yes we're all doing well although I've lost my last Auntie this week (she had been ill a long time) and Mum was a bit surprised that she's outlived her sister-in-law as she was "only 91" (Mum is about to turn 95).

One of the voices in the clip belongs to the woman who has taken over from the late Sir Patrick Moore on the monthly "The Sky at Night" BBC programme for amateur astronomers.

I would never have thought of teaming Slade with an image from space, but it worked!

The Horsehead Nebula was the first deep object I ever saw - my grandma bought me The Observer's Book of Astronomy by Patrick Moore for my 11th birthday after I talked to her about the moon. I remember being astounded at the sight of its beauty and I read that book from cover to cover (we didn't have astronomy lessons at school). I asked our science teacher if we could have a lesson and he planned one, but it was just a description of our Solar System which I already knew - the other pupils didn't seem bothered or captured (although one of them does attend my local astronomy club so maybe a seed was sewn then). I remember how the excitement factor gathered pace in the run-up to the moon landing in 1969 (I was 14 then) I was so excited my Dad let me stay up with him and my older brother to watch it live on TV and there was talk of little else in school.

I can barely remember a time "before" astronomy for me and now I enjoy writing about it

Thanks again