Nicolae Donici

Nicolae Donici
Born	1874 Petricani, Romania
Died	1960 Paris, France

Nicolae Donici (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈla.e ˈdonit͡ʃʲ]; 1/13 September 1874, Chişinău (currently the Republic of Moldova) - 1960, Puget-Theniers, Alpes-Maritimes, France) was a Romanian astronomer born in Bessarabia. Nicolae Donici (Donitch) was born into an old family of Romanian nobles from Bessarabia in the Petricani region of Chişinău. He graduated from the University in Odessa (Ukraine). Subsequently, he served as state clerk in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Concomittantly he had his own private observatory. He conducted research in countries such as Spain, Russia, Portugal, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria and USA. He was an honorary member of the Romanian Academy and doctor honoris causa of the University of Heidelberg and of the Coimbra Institute in Portugal. His main scientific interest were the Sun and its eclipses, planetary astronomy, zodiacal light. The Astronomical observatory in Dubăsarii Vechi (Bessarabia), directed by Nicolae Donici enjoyed a number of astronomers from everywhere: the German: Emanuel von der Pahlen, the Russian emigrants: Lev Ocoulitch and Andrei Baikov. Donitch was a member of the International Union for Solar research, of the International Astronomical Union (since its first Congress in 1922), of the Romanian Academy (since 1922). In 1948 he was excluded from the Academy by communist authorities of Romania. He refugeed to France (Nice) where he continued to work in the collaboration with Henri Chrétien and other French astronomers. In 1991 he was reestablished to the Romanian Academy. He was married to Maria Perks. The asteroid 9494 Donici is named after him. The most important publications were signed as Donitch

Photo

• A group of Russian astronomers in 1920 during the Civil War. The second from the right - Nicolas Donici

Main works

• ADS NASA
• The Library of Congress

About him

• A.A. Baikov (1886-1958), A.Gaina. The astronomer - N.N. Donitch