[AndyJackson]

this is sad news. A great obituary for a great astronomer.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[MikeD]

Very sad — Sandage is a giant in astrophysics.

[Hebrews 11:6]

It was my privilege and pleasure to know Allan personally. He was a kind, gracious and fun person.

Allan was the central character in Dennis Overbye's bestselling mid-80s book, Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos. An interesting subplot of the book was the author's puzzlement at and exploration of Sandage's burgeoning Christian faith, which is how I got to know him. At the instigation of Dr. Hugh Ross (who was then on-staff prior to founding Reasons to Believe), Allan began attending Sierra Madre [CA] Congregational Church, where I had the distinct pleasure of instructing him (and others) in the New Believers' Class. We enjoyed the irony of me introducing God's spiritual realm to the man who had seen farthest in His physical universe.

I've been intending to re-read Lonely Hearts and now I shall.