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Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore has paid tribute to science fiction legend Sir Arthur C Clarke, after his death at the age of 90.
The famous writer died at his home in Sri Lanka after suffering from breathing problems, said an aide to the author, Rohan De Silva.
He was the author of more than100 books, most famously 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Sir Patrick said: "He was a great visionary, a brilliant science fiction writer and a great forecaster.
The writer was well known for making uncanny predictions about the future, foreseeing the use of satellites, space travel and mobile phones in his novels.
Sir Patrick said:"He foresaw communications satellites, a nationwide network of computers, interplanetary travel, he said there would be a man on the moon by 1970 - while I said 1980 - and he was right."
The pair had been friends since meeting at the British Interplanetary Society in its early years in the 1930s.
"I spoke to him only a couple of weeks ago - I knew he had been ill and I was rather concerned for him," he said.
Born in Minehead, Somerset, the author spent the last 50 years in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, where he indulged his passion for underwater exploration.
His fiction was informed by the scientific research he first undertook while working for the RAF in World War Two.
In 1945 Sir Arthur published a paper called Extra-terrestrial Relays in which he first set out the principles of communication with satellites orbiting the earth- an idea that became reality 25 years later.
He worked with scientists and engineers in the US in the development of spacecraft and launch systems.
Sir Arthur's work, which led to the global satellite systems used now, brought him numerous honours and academic recognition.
Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres above the equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union.
Read our feature on Arthur C. Clarke and discover how his ideas and visions have shaped our imagination and influenced our scientific thought.
A true great mind and the one of the farthers of Sci FI...
The famous writer died at his home in Sri Lanka after suffering from breathing problems, said an aide to the author, Rohan De Silva.
He was the author of more than100 books, most famously 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Sir Patrick said: "He was a great visionary, a brilliant science fiction writer and a great forecaster.
The writer was well known for making uncanny predictions about the future, foreseeing the use of satellites, space travel and mobile phones in his novels.
Sir Patrick said:"He foresaw communications satellites, a nationwide network of computers, interplanetary travel, he said there would be a man on the moon by 1970 - while I said 1980 - and he was right."
The pair had been friends since meeting at the British Interplanetary Society in its early years in the 1930s.
"I spoke to him only a couple of weeks ago - I knew he had been ill and I was rather concerned for him," he said.
Born in Minehead, Somerset, the author spent the last 50 years in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, where he indulged his passion for underwater exploration.
His fiction was informed by the scientific research he first undertook while working for the RAF in World War Two.
In 1945 Sir Arthur published a paper called Extra-terrestrial Relays in which he first set out the principles of communication with satellites orbiting the earth- an idea that became reality 25 years later.
He worked with scientists and engineers in the US in the development of spacecraft and launch systems.
Sir Arthur's work, which led to the global satellite systems used now, brought him numerous honours and academic recognition.
Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres above the equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union.
Read our feature on Arthur C. Clarke and discover how his ideas and visions have shaped our imagination and influenced our scientific thought.
A true great mind and the one of the farthers of Sci FI...
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