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Michal Kamienski

 

Kamienski Michal

(24.11.1879 – 18.04.1973)



Astronomer; founder of the Polish comet scientific school



Michal Kamienski was born in Cherikov district of the province of Mogilev. In 1903, he was graduated from the University of St.-Petersburg, received degrees of Master of Astronomy and Master of Geodesy in 1910. He was working in the Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory from 1903 until 1908. In 1909–1914, Kamienski was a scientific associate in a hydrographic department of the Russian Navy. In 1914–1920, he was an astronomer of a naval port of Vladivostok. Since 1919, Kamienski was in charge of a naval observatory which he organized there. One year later he received an invitation from a hydrographic department of the Imperial Japanese Navy and started working in Tokyo. In 1922, Kamienski moved to Poland. Since 1923, he became a Professor of Astronomy, was a head of astronomical observatory of the University of Warsaw until 1939. Since 1945, the astronomer worked in Krakow, came back to Warsaw in 1963. He is the author of scientific works on astrometry, comet astronomy, geomagnetism, hydrology, meteorology and the history of astronomy. He managed to build a highly accurate numerical theory of a motion of the Wolf I Comet considering perturbations from six planets (the Wolf–Kamienski Comet). In 1931, Kamienski found out that non-gravitational perturbations can cause not just a secular acceleration, but also a secular deceleration in comet motion. The astronomer worked out a new method of estimation of planet perturbations of comet orbits and applied it for the studying of Halley’s Comet motion throughout several thousand years. He created and issued comprehensive astronomical tables for a detection of time and geographic latitude, published synoptic charts of Eastern Siberia. He also set up a chain of the centers for observation on the Arctic ice from Vladivostok and up to Bering Strait. Michal Kamienski was a Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Creativity in Krakow (1927), a member of the Polish Astronomical Society (1923), Honorary Member of the Royal Astronomical Society (1927).



Works:

1. Halley’s Comet in the Time of Hammurabi // Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 1960. Vol. 70. P. 304–313.

Literature:

1. Bielicki M. Michal Kamienski // Postepy Astronomii. 1973. T. XXI, zesz. 4.

2. Witkowski J. M. Kamienski M. // Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. 1974. Vol. 15. P. 48–50.

 

 

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