Nicolae Donici
| Nicolae Donici | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
1874 Petricani |
| Died | Paris |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodoxy |
Nicolae Donici (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 Heidleberg 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.
