RIP Leonard Nimoy: Friends and fans mourn iconic Star Trek actor

From close friends and colleagues to the millions of fans he inspired from afar, much of theworld is in mourning today followingthe death of Leonard "Spock"Nimoy.

The legendary actor, author andhonourary geek grandfatherdied onFriday morning of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 83.

While younger generations may better recognizeNimoy from his various cameo appearances on shows such asThe Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory, the long-standing pop culture icon was best known for playing Spock on the original Star Trek series from 1966 to 1969.

As news of Nimoy's death circulated around the web, Star Trek alumni from films and iterations of the series both old and new took to Twitter with their condolences many of them using Spock'swell-known Vulcan proverb "Live long and prosper" to pay respects.

NASA paid tribute to Nimoy bytweeting a photo of the actor visiting its Palmdalefacilities with several other cast members from theStarTrek television series, which has long been credited with stoking the public's interest in space exploration and science fiction.

Artists from far beyond the realm of sci-fi are also remembering Nimoy on Twitter, many of themthanking him for the entertainment andinspiration he provided, as well as his dedication to the craft of acting.

The largest outpouring of Nimoy-relatedtweets has come from fans. Some are sharing quotes, some are sharing his favourite work, and some are sharing photos of themselves flashing his trademark Vulcan salute.