Jānis Ikaunieks (28 April 1912

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

– 27 April 1969 Riga) was a Latvian

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

, who studied the characteristics of the

red giant A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0.3–8 solar masses ()) in a late phase of stellar evolution. The stellar atmosphere, outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius large and the surface t ...

s, and, in particular

carbon star A carbon star (C-type star) is typically an asymptotic giant branch star, a luminous red giant, whose Stellar atmosphere, atmosphere contains more carbon than oxygen. The two elements combine in the upper layers of the star, forming carbon monox ...

s. He founded the ''Latvian Astronomical Society'' and the popular science magazine ''The Starry Sky'' and was the first director of the Baldone Observatory at

Baldone Baldone (; ) is a town in Ķekava Municipality, in the Semigallia region of Latvia. The town is famous for its sulfur water springs and was a spa resort. Viktors Arājs was born here in 1910. Gallery File:Mercendarbes muiža.jpg, Mencendarb ...

near Riga,

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Biography

The main objects of Ikaunieks’ scientific investigations were red giants, and particularly carbon stars. He defended (1951) his thesis ''Kinematics and spatial distribution of carbon stars'' () at the P. K. Sternberg State Astronomical Institute of the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), supervisor MSU prof. P. Parenago, and as the very first LAS astronomer received a scientific degree – Cand. of Phys&Math Sciences. Just there in Moscow, on 3 April 1969, Ikaunieks defended his doctoral thesis «Исследование звёзд красных гигантов» (Investigations of the stars – red giants).Jānim Ikauniekam – 90. UZZIŅA-hronoloģija. Sastādījušas Daube I., Pundure I. – „ZvD", 2002, Pavasaris, nr. 175, Pielikums, 10 il. https://web.archive.org/web/20081005190401/http://www.astr.lu.lv/Zvd/J_IK_Uzz-hronol.htm His monograph «Углеродные звёзды» (rus., 1971, coauthor Z. Alksne) translated in the USA (Carbon Stars. Z. K. Alksne and Ya. Ya. Ikaunieks; translated and edited by John H. Baumert. – Tucson, Arizona: Pachart Publishing House, 1981. – 182 p.). He died in 1969, and was laid to rest on the territory of Baldone Observatory.

The Starry Sky

He was the initiator and also editor-in-chief of the Astronomical Calendar (in Latvian) and the popular science quarterly ''The Starry Sky'' ().

Baldone Astrophysical Observatory

Ikaunieks was instrumental in founding the Baldone Observatory (), located approximately 5 kilometers from the town of

Riekstukalns, southwest of Riga. In 1958 he became its first director until his death in 1969. It belongs to the

Latvian Academy of Sciences The Latvian Academy of Sciences (, ) is the official science academy of Latvia and is an association of the country's foremost scientists. The academy was founded as the ''Latvian SSR Academy of Sciences'' (). It is located in Riga. The curren ...

(LAS) and is often referred to as ''Astrophysical Observatory of the Institute of Astronomy'',

University of Latvia University of Latvia (, shortened ''LU'') is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia () was founded on Se ...

). The asteroid 274084 Baldone, discovered by

Kazimieras Černis Kazimieras Černis (born November 11, 1958, Vilnius) is a Lithuanian astronomer and astrophysicist, active member of the IAU, and a prolific discoverer of minor planets and comets. In 2012, he discovered 420356 Praamzius, a trans-Neptunian obje ...

and Ilgmars Eglitis was named for the town of Baldone and its nearby observatory.

Awards and honors

* In 1967, Ikaunieks was awarded the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

, the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union, for outstanding merits and intense work in popularization of scientific achievements. * Asteroid 284984 Ikaunieks, discovered by Latvian astronomers

and Ilgmārs Eglītis at Baldone Observatory in 2010, was named in his memory. The official was published by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Funct ...

on 7 February 2012 (). * IYA2009 commemorative Latvia stamp valued at Ls 0.50 features a portrait of Ikaunieks, Schmidt telescope, and galaxy M31.Alksnis A. Latvijas Pasta pirmās astronomijai veltītās pastmarkas. – "ZvD" 2009, Vasara, nr. 204, 15.-16.lpp. http://www.lu.lv/zvd/2009/vasara/latvijas-pasta-pirmas-astronomijai-veltitas-pastmarkas/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikaunieks, Janis 1912 births 1969 deaths Latvian astronomers Scientists from Riga Soviet astronomers