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Comets
Czech & Slovak comet discoverers
Ľubor Kresák
prof. RNDr. Ľubor Kresák, DrSc., (1927-1994),
well known Slovak astronomer, became the first professor of astronomy in Slovak Republic.
He studied meteors, minor planets and comets and connections between them.
Ľubor Kresák was born on August 23, 1927, in Topolčany, Slovakia. His
interest in astronomy started during his high school studies. Although
being student at that time, he participated in the team of observers
lead by Antoním Bečvář in Skalnate Pleso Observatory to watch
the meteor shower of Draconids in October 1946. Possibly this experience had influenced
his interest in meteors and comets for a lifetime. He attended Charles
University in Prague, where he received his title RNDr. by thesis
"Structure, mass and age of Comet Halley meterorid stream".
After graduation he started to work at Skalnate Pleso Observatory.
In April 1951, soon after he joined a team of renowned comet hunters
of that time (Mrkos, Pajdušáková and Bečvár) he became fourth Slovak
discoverer by catching a new comet, later known as Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák.
He found his second comet in 1954 - Kresák-Peltier. During his work
in High Tatras he studied comets, meteors and minor planets. Besides
this observations he started to give lectures at University in Prešov.
He had been teaching there during period of 1952 - 1955.
Kresák left Skalnaté Pleso Observatory in 1955 when he started
to work at Astronomical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava,
where he remained until his retirement. He followed his field of search from
Skalnate Pleso. He also continued his pedagogic activities - he lectured at
Comenius University in Bratislava.
He got married Margita Vozárova (also astronomer), they meet first at
Skalnate Pleso Observatory, where they worked together. When he moved from there,
she followed Lubor to Bratislava. They got one daughter Katarina.
Foto: M.Tichý
from left to right: Margita Kresáková, Brian Marsden, Jana Tichá and Ľubor Kresák
Kresák is an author of almost 200 scientific papers. The well known is
his work about comets and also his theory about Tunguska meteor.
Thanks to his works, he gradualy "climbed" higher and higher on his academic career ladder and in 1993 he
finaly received the title Professor of astronomy, as first astronomer in Slovakia.
Soon after his graduation he became a member of
International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1952. He held important positions
in directory of IAU for many years, to name just the position of Vicepresident
between years 1979-1985.
Besides his activities in international astronomy organizations and scientific works, he
had educated a future generation of Slovak astronomers. He consulted
thesis for many of them. They liked him for his friedly attitude, he
could easily motivated them and because he everytime got some useful advices for them.
Lubor Kresak and Margita Kresaková belong to a small married couples
of astronomers, where both members discovered an own comet. Except
Kresak´s only another two husband-wife couple
achiveve this: A. Mrkos with Ľ. Pajdušáková, G. Shajn with P. Shajn.
Ľubor Kresák was gifted with a perfect memory, he did not need any comet catalog,
he stored everything about comets in his head. He died suddenly on January 20, 1994
in Bratislava.
Asteroid 1942 AB
discovered by K. Reinmuth on January 14, 1942 at Heidelberg was named to his honour
(1849) Kresák.
(1489) Kresák = 1942 AB
Discovered 1942 Jan. 14 by K. Reinmuth at Heidelberg.
Named in honour of
Ľubor Kresák (1927-1994), astronomoer at Slovak Academy o Sciences in Bratislava. Well-known
for his theoretical works on meteors and the question of their relationships with comets and minor planets,
he has alos been an observer at thre Skalnaté Pleso Observatory, where in 1951 he rediscovered
short-periodic comet now knows as Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák. he was president of IAU
Commission 20 for the period 1973-1976.
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List of comets discovered by Ľubor Kresák
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Comet
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Designation
of discoveries
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Date
of discovery
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Brightness
at discovery
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Previous
designation
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Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák |
41 P
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1951 Apr 24
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10 magn.
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1951 d
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Kresák-Peltier |
C/1954 M2
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1954 Jun 26
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10 magn.
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1954 d
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References:
magazine Kozmos 2/1994, p. 3
www.osobnosti.sk
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