Michał Hłuszniewicz
Michał Hłuszniewicz (Russian: Михаил Осипович Глушневич, Lithuanian: Mykolas Hlusnevičius; 1797 – 21 July 1862) was an astronomer of the Russian Empire who was the sixth director of the Vilnius University Astronomical Observatory (1843–1848).
Biography
[edit]Michał Hłuszniewicz was born in 1797 in Minsk. His brother Antoni Hłuszniewicz was a doctor and émigré activist. Their father ran a private boys' school in the city.[1] After graduating from a gymnasium in Minsk, Hłuszniewicz studied mathematics at Vilnius University from 1814 to 1818. He achieved his magister degree in philosophy in 1818. Among his teachers was Jan Śniadecki.[2][1]
In 1819 he became an adjunct professor, and later assistant to Piotr Sławinski, the director of the Vilnius University Astronomical Observatory.[3] Hłuszniewicz succeeded Sławinski as the observatory's director in 1843, holding the title until 1848. Hłuszniewicz participated in Carl Friedrich Tenner's triangulation of Lithuania and other surrounding areas[4] for which he was awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus with a ring.[5] As an astronomer, Hłuszniewicz observed planets, occultation of the Moon, eclipses of Jupiter's moons, and asteroids. He also continued publishing the observatory's magazine (called Extrait des observations faites à l’observatoire de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences à Vilna), which was established during Sławinski's time.[3] Observations were also published in Astronomische Nachrichten.[5]
Hłuszniewicz lived modestly and gave much of his wealth to the poor. He belonged to the Society for the Support of Poor University Students. He kept about a tenth of his pension for himself and gave the rest to poor widows and orphans.[1]
Hłuszniewicz died on 21 July 1862 in Vilnius. He was buried near the city's Church of St. Stephen.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Dziewulski, Władysław (1937). Michał Hłuszniewicz (1797 – 1862). Warszawa: Komisja Pedagogiczna. pp. 1–5.
- ^ Warnke, Agnieszka. "The Learned Man's Eye & Lenses: The Hidden Talents of Jan Śniadecki". culture.pl. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Makariūnienė, Eglė; Klimka, Libertas (2001). Lietuvos fizikų ir astronomų sąvadas (PDF). Vilnius: Lietuvos fizikų draugija. p. 22. ISBN 9986-526-12-4.
- ^ Бобынин, Виктор Викторович (1916). Глушневич, Михаил Осипович // Русский биографический словарь. Издание Императорского Русского Исторического Общества. p. 339.
- ^ a b Matulaitytė, Stasė. "Mykolas Hlušnevičius". vle.lt. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
