Simon Lewis

Some people leave behind accomplishments. Others leave behind people whose lives are changed because they took the time to care. Astronomer and astrophotographer Simon Lewis did both. 

The news came in the way these things often do—sudden, hard to take in. Simon Lewis, President of the Canterbury Astronomical Society, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on March 19, 2026, at the age of 60.

Even writing that still doesn’t feel quite real.

Simon wasn’t just someone involved in astronomy. He carried it with him. You could see it in the way he spoke, the way he taught, and the way he made time for people. There was a steadiness to him, a natural sense of humor, and a genuine warmth that never felt forced. He didn’t try to put himself at the center. He put the experience there, and then made room for others to step into it.

We knew Simon through his work as an Explore Alliance Ambassador and through his role with the Canterbury Astronomical Society. But like most things in astronomy, what mattered wasn’t the title. It was everything around it. The conversations before a broadcast. The thoughtful way he answered even the simplest questions. He treated every question as if it mattered, because to him, it did.

He had been doing this for a long time. From his early days in the south of the UK, guided by a family mentor, to building his life under the skies of New Zealand, Simon never lost that original sense of curiosity. He didn’t drift into routine. He stayed engaged. Present. Interested.

And he genuinely enjoyed it.

There was a lightness about him. Not careless, just the kind of ease that comes from doing something you truly care about. You could hear it in his voice. You could see it in how he interacted with others. He made people feel welcome, and that’s something not everyone knows how to do.

We have spent many nights standing beside telescopes with people seeing the sky for the first time. You learn to recognize the moment when something shifts, when it becomes real.

Simon lived for that moment. Not for himself, but for others.

He knew when to step in and guide, and just as importantly, when to step back and let the experience settle in. That takes patience. It takes awareness. And it takes a kind of generosity that you don’t often see.

There will be people there who knew him in many different ways—family, friends, colleagues, and members of the astronomy community. But I think they’ll all recognize the same thing. Simon had a way of being with people that left a lasting impression.

For those of us who knew him, even through this shared work, there is now a space where his presence used to be. Not something you can point to. But something you feel.

Many of us in astronomy believe we are made of the same elements as the stars, and in time, we return to that larger whole. There’s some comfort in that.

The next time we out under the night sky, we know we’ll think of him. And we’ll probably take a little more time with the person standing next to the telescope. Answer one more question. Let the moment last just a bit longer.

That feels like the right way to carry this forward. Simon did that.

And all of us at Explore Scientific will miss him—as we expect many will—for his warmth, his steady presence, his sense of humor, and the simple way he made people feel glad to be there.

Simon Lewis was an astrophotographer and lecturer based in Darfield, in the southern part of New Zealand. His interest in astronomy began early, mentored by a family member while he was living in the south of the UK. By the age of fourteen, he had become an active amateur radio operator, focusing on space-related communication such as aurora, meteor scatter, and moon bounce. He successfully made contact with the MIR space station, the International Space Station, and space shuttle missions.

In 1984, Simon moved to Scotland, where the aurora visible from the Highlands deepened his interest in the night sky. This led naturally into astrophotography, which became a central part of his life, especially after he emigrated to New Zealand in 2008.

When not working from his home observatory, Simon organized public lectures and outreach events through the Canterbury Astronomical Society and contributed regularly to astronomy broadcasts.

He played a leading role in outreach programs for both adults and children, helping introduce people from around the world to the southern skies. Through lectures, writing, and hands-on guidance, he helped others understand not just what they were seeing, but why it mattered.

Simon also wrote beginner guides on astrophotography and astronomy, along with equipment reviews and educational articles, always with the goal of helping others take their next step into the night sky.