British astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore died on Sunday at his home in England at the age of 89, according to The Associated Press.

No specific cause of death was given but he had been confined to a wheelchair and was reportedly experiencing heart problems, according to a statement released Sunday. The report also noted that Moore was briefly hospitalized last week but that he wished to spend his final days at home. He died at his home located in the town of Selsey in southern England. He never married and had no children. 

Moore was well-known for his astronomy BBC television show "The Sky at Night," which has been on air since 1957. He was the longest-running host of the same television show ever and he missed hosting only one episode because of an illness caused by food poisoning. In the latest episode, which aired Sunday, Moore discussed the planet Mercury and the NASA spacecraft Messenger that was sent to study it. 

"Over the past few years, Patrick, an inspiration to generations of astronomers, fought his way back from many serious spells of illness and continued to work and write at a great rate, but this time his body was too weak to overcome the infection which set in a few weeks ago," the statement said, which was signed by staff members and friends. "His executors and close friends plan to fulfill his wishes for a quiet ceremony of interment, but a farewell event is planned for what would have been Patrick's 90th birthday in March 2013." 

Moore published more than 60 books on astronomy including one in collaboration with Brian May, the guitarist from the band Queen, and Clyde W. Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto, according to The New York Times. In his autobiographical essay posted on the BBC website, Moore described meeting first man on the moon Neil Armstrong, Orville Wright, Albert Einstein ("worthy to rank with Newton"), and Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. 

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