Aleksander Wolszczan
Encyclopedia
Aleksander Wolszczan AUD (born 29 April 1946 in Szczecinek
, Poland) is a Polish astronomer
. He is the co-discoverer of the first extrasolar planet
s and pulsar planet
s.
in 1969 and received his PhD
in 1975 at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
), He moved in 1982 to the U.S.
to work at Cornell
and Princeton University
. Later he became an astronomy professor at Pennsylvania State University
, where he currently teaches. From 1994 to 2008 he was also a professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
. He is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
.
Working with Dale Frail
, Wolszczan carried out astronomical observations from the Arecibo Observatory
in Puerto Rico
which led them to the discovery of the pulsar
PSR B1257+12
in 1990. They showed in 1992 that the pulsar is orbited by two planets. Their orbits are 0.36 and 0.47 AU
respectively. This was the first confirmed discovery of planets outside the Solar System
(over seven hundred are known today).
In 1996, Wolszczan was awarded the Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize
by the American Astronomical Society
, and in 2002, he was pictured on a Polish postage stamp.
In 2003 Maciej Konacki
and Wolszczan determined the orbital inclinations of the two pulsar planets, showing that the actual masses are approximately 3.9 and 4.3 Earth masses.
of the former People's Republic of Poland
.
Szczecinek
Szczecinek [] is a city in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland with some 39,777 inhabitants . Previously in Koszalin Voivodeship , it has been the capital of Szczecinek County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
, Poland) is a Polish astronomer
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. He is the co-discoverer of the first extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
s and pulsar planet
Pulsar planet
Pulsar planets are planets that are found orbiting pulsars, or rapidly rotating neutron stars. The first such planet to be discovered was around a millisecond pulsar and was the first extrasolar planet to be confirmed as discovered.-Pulsar planets:...
s.
Scientific career
Wolszczan was educated in Poland (MScMSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
in 1969 and received his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1975 at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń is located in Toruń, Poland. It was named after Nicolaus Copernicus who was born in this town in 1473.-The beginnings of higher education in Toruń:...
), He moved in 1982 to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to work at Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. Later he became an astronomy professor at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he currently teaches. From 1994 to 2008 he was also a professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń is located in Toruń, Poland. It was named after Nicolaus Copernicus who was born in this town in 1473.-The beginnings of higher education in Toruń:...
. He is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Warsaw, is one of two Polish institutions having the nature of an academy of sciences.-History:...
.
Working with Dale Frail
Dale Frail
Dale A. Frail is an astronomer working at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico. He was born in Canada, spent much of his childhood in Europe, and his professional career has been based in the United States.-Career:...
, Wolszczan carried out astronomical observations from the Arecibo Observatory
Arecibo Observatory
The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope near the city of Arecibo in Puerto Rico. It is operated by SRI International under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
which led them to the discovery of the pulsar
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the lighthouse effect and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name...
PSR B1257+12
PSR B1257+12
PSR B1257+12, sometimes abbreviated as PSR 1257+12, is a pulsar located roughly 2000 light-years from the Sun. In 2007, it was confirmed that three extrasolar planets orbit the pulsar.- Pulsar :...
in 1990. They showed in 1992 that the pulsar is orbited by two planets. Their orbits are 0.36 and 0.47 AU
Astronomical unit
An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance....
respectively. This was the first confirmed discovery of planets outside the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
(over seven hundred are known today).
In 1996, Wolszczan was awarded the Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize
Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize
The Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize is awarded every other year by the American Astronomical Society in recognition of an outstanding research contribution to astronomy or astrophysics of an exceptionally creative or innovative character...
by the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
, and in 2002, he was pictured on a Polish postage stamp.
In 2003 Maciej Konacki
Maciej Konacki
Dr. Maciej Konacki is a Polish astronomer, notable for his tentative discovery of HD 188753 Ab, a possible planet discovered in a three star system. The planet would be similar to Jupiter.- Education :...
and Wolszczan determined the orbital inclinations of the two pulsar planets, showing that the actual masses are approximately 3.9 and 4.3 Earth masses.
Involvement with the security service
On 17 September 2008 Wolszczan acknowledged earlier allegations that from 1973 until 1988 he had been a paid informer of the Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Służba Bezpieczeństwa), the Communist secret policeSecret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
of the former People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
.
See also
- Pulsar planetPulsar planetPulsar planets are planets that are found orbiting pulsars, or rapidly rotating neutron stars. The first such planet to be discovered was around a millisecond pulsar and was the first extrasolar planet to be confirmed as discovered.-Pulsar planets:...
- Extrasolar planetExtrasolar planetAn extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
- List of extrasolar planets