Star Gazer Host Dies, Jack Horkheimer Dead At 72

By: Mary Smith
08/21/2010 08:34 PM ET

Star Gazer host dies, Jack Horkheimer Dead At 72. Jack Horkheimer was the host of Public Television’s Star Gazer for several decades. Horkheimer was also the executive director of the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium.

Jack Horkheimer died died Friday afternoon of a respiratory ailment. He was 72. In an e-mail to staff, museum officials said they were “very saddened to have just learned that our resident Star Gazer, Jack Horkheimer, passed away today after being ill for quite some time.”

Host of PBS stations nationwide, he created a show called “Star Gazer” that inspired millions of people. Horkheimer was very good at what he did, and created a love of the stars for generations of enthusiasts. He was internationally recognized pioneer in popularizing naked-eye astronomy.

Horkheimer was also a recognized media celebrity, often being the foremost commentator on all astronomy related happenings nationwide. The “Star Gazer” show was a weekly TV series that ran for more than 30 years. It was based on naked eye astronomy.

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