Jānis Ikaunieks


Jānis Ikaunieks was a Latvian astronomer, who studied the characteristics of the red giants, and, in particular carbon stars. 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 near Riga, Latvia.

Biography

The main objects of Ikaunieks’ scientific investigations were red giants, and particularly carbon stars. He defended 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, 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». His monograph «Углеродные звёзды» translated in the USA.
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 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 Baldone 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 asteroid 274084 Baldone, discovered by Kazimieras Černis and Ilgmars Eglitis was named for the town of Baldone and its nearby observatory.

Awards and honors