Black presentation box inscribed 'C.B.E.', awarded to Patrick Moore

Black presentation box inscribed 'C.B.E.', containing a spare ribbon and instructions on how to wear the badge of the third class of an order. Awarded to astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore when he was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1988.

Sir Patrick Moore (1923–2012) hosted the BBC’s The Sky at Night for over 50 years, commencing on 26 April 1957. The programme was one of Britain’s longest-running TV shows (and the longest run by the same presenter). In 1969 he was part of the BBC commentary team that described the Moon landings.

He was best known for his popularisation work, and described himself as an amateur astronomer as he never had formal training. However, his astronomical observations were significant in their own right; both NASA and the Soviet space authorities used his lunar atlas to prepare for robotic and crewed missions to the Moon.