bur st ▁of ▁black ▁hole ▁candidate ▁X - ray ▁nova ▁V 4 0 4 ▁C yg ni ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁several ▁of ▁Mark ▁Arm strong ' s ▁UK ▁super n ova ▁discover ies . ▁He ▁is ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁hum orous ▁and ▁polit ically ▁incorrect ▁astronom y ▁tal ks , ▁which ▁number ▁well ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 . ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁he ▁discovered ▁a ▁nova ▁in ▁the ▁And rom eda ▁Gal axy ▁( Mess ier ▁ 3 1 ). ▁ ▁M ob ber ley ▁fil med ▁a ▁three - hour ▁interview ▁with ▁the ▁pro l ific ▁astronom ical ▁discover er ▁George ▁Al cock ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁only ▁complete ▁video ▁interview ▁ever ▁granted ▁by ▁Al cock . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁the ▁late ▁Ken ▁G ow ard , ▁M ob ber ley ▁carried ▁out ▁detailed ▁research ▁into ▁the ▁astronom ical ▁life ▁and ▁teles cop es ▁of ▁the ▁stage ▁and ▁screen ▁com ed ian ▁Will ▁Hay , ▁who ▁fam ously ▁discovered ▁a ▁white ▁spot ▁on ▁Sat urn ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁M ob ber ley ▁and ▁G ow ard ' s ▁research ▁on ▁this ▁subject ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Astronom ical ▁Association ▁as ▁a ▁paper ▁entitled ▁Will ▁Hay ▁( 1 8 8 8 ▁- ▁ 1 9 4 9 ) ▁and ▁his ▁teles cop es . ▁▁ ▁M ob ber ley ▁travel led ▁the ▁world