Henryk Arctowski
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Henryk Arctowski | |
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Born | |
Died | February 21, 1958 Bethesda, Maryland, United States | (aged 86)
Resting place | |
Nationality | Polish, Belgian, American |
Alma mater | University of Liège Sorbonne University |
Known for | in charge of scientific observations on the Belgian Antarctic Expedition |
Spouse | Arian Jane Addy |
Scientific career | |
Fields | oceanography, geology, geophysics |
Institutions |
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Henryk Arctowski (15 July 1871 – 21 February 1958; Polish pronunciation: [ˈxɛnrɨk art͡sˈtɔfskʲi]), born Henryk Artzt, was a Polish scientist and explorer.
Living in exile for a large part of his life, Arctowski was educated in Belgium and France. He was one of the first humans to winter in
Several geographical features, the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station and a medal of the National Academy of Sciences are named in his honor. The ashes of Arctowski and his wife were later brought to Poland, as he had asked in his will.
Early life
Henryk Arctowski was born in Warsaw on 15 July 1871 to the Artzt family, whose ancestors came to Poland in the 17th century from Württemberg. As a pupil in the German-occupied part of Poland, he was prosecuted for speaking Polish in school, so his parents sent him to Liège. In 1888 he started studying mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Liège, and chemistry and geology at the Sorbonne. Upon completion in 1893, he returned to Liège where he worked in the laboratory of professor Spring in the chemistry department until 1869.[1] In 1893, to emphasize his Polishness, Artzt asked the Belgian government for permission to change his name to Arctowski.
Belgian Antarctic Expedition
In 1895 he applied to participate in the
Brussels and New York
After his return from the Antarctic he lived in Brussels, analyzing the results of the expedition at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, at that time headed by Lecointe, the second-in-command of the expedition. Besides publishing, he presented lectures on the expedition, both in Belgium and abroad. On a lecture tour in London he met the American actress and opera singer Arian Jane Addy, whom he married in March 1909. During this period he obtained the Belgian nationality. Around that time it was mentioned (including in letters by Ernest Shackleon) that he was considering another Antarctic expedition, but this did not take place.
In 1909 he moved with his wife to New York, where he headed the science division of the New York Public Library from 1911 to 1919.[1] In 1915 he became an American citizen.[2]
Arctowski joined The Explorers Club in New York in 1920.
Return to Poland
In 1920 he returned to newly independent Poland. Prime minister
Exile in the United States
He accepted a position as a research associate at the Smithsonian and continued doing research until his death, even when he was obliged to resign in 1950 due to an illness. He died in Bethesda, Maryland.[1][3]
Tributes
His name has been given to a phenomenon in which a halo resembling a rainbow, with two other partial arcs symmetrical to the main one, forms around the sun as light is refracted through ice crystals in the atmosphere.
In recognition of his work and his contribution to science, his name has been given to a number of geographical features:
In Antarctica:
In Spitsbergen:
- Arctowskifjellet (Mt. Arctowski)
- Arctowskibreen (Arctowski glacier)
The Polish research station on King George Island, Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station, is also named after him.
His widow established the Arctowski Medal through the Henryk Arctowski Fund, awarded every two years by the National Academy of Sciences for "studies in solar physics and solar-terrestrial relationships."[4]
The Polish Navy named its survey ship ORP Arctowski after him.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-90-209-8613-6.
- ^ a b Pinkowski, Edward (2009). "Arctowski, Henryk". The Pinkowski Files. Poles in America Foundation, inc. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- ^ a b "Henryk Arctowski, expert on weather" (PDF). New York Times. AP. February 23, 1958. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- ^ "Arctowski Medal". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2013-04-19.