Arlo U. Landolt
{{Short description|American astronomer (1935–2022)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Arlo U. Landolt
| image = Arlo Landolt with the Kitt Peak National Observatory 16-inch telescope.jpg
| image_size =
| alt = Landolt standing next to the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 16-inch telescope circa 1960
| caption = Landolt with the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 16-inch telescope {{Circa|1960}}
| birth_name = Arlo Udell Landolt
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|9|29|mf=y}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Highland, Illinois, U.S.}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|1|21|1935|9|29|mf=y}}
| death_place =
| nationality =
| fields = {{Flatlist|
}}
| workplaces = Louisiana State University
| alma_mater = {{Plainlist|
- Miami University (B.A.)
- Indiana University Bloomington (M.A., Ph.D.)
}}
| thesis_title = A Photometric Investigation of the Galactic Clusters NGC 6087 and M25
| thesis_url = https://www.proquest.com/openview/f83b4f6c943031de9c8bacbdf78ee3b4/1
| thesis_year = 1963
| doctoral_advisor = John B. Irwin
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for =
| awards = George van Biesbroeck Prize (1995)
| spouse = {{Marriage|Eunice J. Casper|1966}}
}}
Arlo Udell Landolt (September 29, 1935 – January 21, 2022) was an American astronomer known for his widely used photometric standards.{{cite book|title=American Men & Women of Science|author=R.R. Bowker Company. Database Publishing Group|date=2009|volume=4|publisher=Bowker|isbn=9781414433042|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YNUAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=August 20, 2015}}{{Cite journal |last=Clayton |first=Geoffrey |last2=Frank |first2=Juhan |date=2022-01-01 |title=Arlo U. Landolt (1935–2022) |url=https://baas.aas.org/pub/2022i045/release/2 |journal=Bulletin of the AAS |language=en |publisher=American Astronomical Society |volume=54 |issue=1 |doi=10.3847/25c2cfeb.967352fd |issn=0002-7537|doi-access=free}}
Life and career
=Early life=
Landolt was born in Highland, Illinois to farmers Arlo M. Landolt and Vesta Kraus Landolt Interview of Arlo Landolt by David DeVorkin on 1996 October 31, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD USA, [https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/5922 www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/5922] on September 29, 1935. He was the oldest of 4 (one brother, 2 sisters) Darnell M., Faye Beth, Sheryl Sue. He attended a one-room country grade school called IXL Country Grade School. He graduated grade school in 7 of 8 years because they accelerated his education. All of Landolt's relatives, like his parents, were farmers. After finishing grade school, he was the first of his family to go the high school. While in high school he took all the classes for agriculture. It was not until later on that Landolt showed interest in mathematics, physics, and the sciences. He was involved in 4H clubs and projects. He would base his projects on the hogs on their farm but would try to use the purebred over the crossed and mixed breeds that his father would raise. He would sell the hogs to get a Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedia set. He graduated from Highland High School in 1952.
=Education=
After graduating, he wanted to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but his family could not afford it. He instead attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for his undergraduate studies. He planned to transfer to Massachusetts Institute of Technology after his 3rd year in a program offered by the university, but decided to complete his schooling there. In order to attend the university he had a job as a busboy and washing dishes in the dorms as well as some help from his parents for tuition. Early on, he took a course on astronomy which he credits to be the start of his interest in that science. He wanted to push through college so he attended for 3 years and 2 summers. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics from Miami University in 1955.
He began his graduate studies at age 19 at Indiana University Bloomington in 1955. He attended for almost 7 years, 5 years being on campus and nearly 2 years being in the Antarctic after signing up for an expedition with the International Geophysical Year. The expedition was offered through the Arctic Institute of North America. He was stationed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station with a group led by Paul Siple and it consisted of 9 other scientists, 9 Navy Sea-Bees, and a husky dog.{{Cite web |title=Arlo U. Landolt Obituary (1935 - 2022) The Advocate |url=https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/arlo-landolt-obituary?id=32377357 |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Legacy.com}} He was hired as an aurora and air glow scientist along with the others hired to go on the expedition. He came back from the expedition during Christmas time in 1957. He received his Ph.D. in 1962 from Indiana University Bloomington. Although he finished all requirements for his degree in 1962, he had not received his degree until June 1963 and that is what is officially on the degree.
=Research career=
File:Astronomer Arlo Landolt with an award for 55 years service.jpgAfter graduating, Landolt served on committees with many organizations and was eventually elected Secretary of the American Astronomical Society. This occurred for 3 terms. He spent one year working for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C.
In his later years, he became reacquainted with a high school classmate, Eunice Casper. They got married and he helped raise her 4 daughters ages 6, 7, 8, and 10. They later had a daughter of their own named Jennifer Landolt Boutte.
He worked principally in photometry and published a number of widely used lists[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1983AJ.....88..439L UBVRI photometric standard stars around the celestial equator], Arlo U. Landolt, Astronomical Journal, 88, #3 (March 1983), pp. 439–460.[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1973AJ.....78..959L UBV photoelectric sequences in the celestial equatorial selected areas 92–115], Arlo U. Landolt, Astronomical Journal, 78, #9 (November 1973), pp. 959–981.[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992AJ....104..340L UBVRI photometric standard stars in the magnitude range 11.5
Landolt died on January 21, 2022, at the age of 86.{{cite web |title=Arlo U. Landolt |url=https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/arlo-landolt-obituary?id=32377357 |website=Legacy |access-date=24 January 2022 |date=23 January 2022}}
Honors and awards
- 1995: George van Biesbroeck Prize from the American Astronomical Society[https://aas.org/grants-and-prizes/george-van-biesbroeck-prize George Van Biesbroeck Prize], AAS website.
- 1998: LSU Distinguished Faculty Award from Louisiana State University
- 2015: Leslie C. Peltier Award from the Astronomical League{{Cite web|title=Arlo U. Landolt named 2015 Leslie C. Peltier Award Recipient|url=https://www.aavso.org/arlo-u-landolt-named-2015-leslie-c-peltier-award-recipient|access-date=January 29, 2022}}
- 2020: Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society{{cite web|url=https://aas.org/grants-and-prizes/aas-fellows|title=AAS Fellows|publisher=AAS|accessdate=29 September 2020}}
- 2021: The William Tyler Olcott Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Variable Star Observers{{Cite web |title=The William Tyler Olcott Distinguished Service Award |url=https://www.aavso.org/william-tyler-olcott-distinguished-service-award |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=American Association of Variable Star Observers}}
Mount Landolt in Ellsworth Land, Antarctica is named in his honor, as well as the Landolt Astronomical Observatory at Louisiana State University and the asteroid 15072 Landolt.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- Arlo U. Landolt pages at Louisiana State University: [http://www.phys.lsu.edu/faculty/landolt/landolt.html], [http://www.phys.lsu.edu/dept/people/landolt.html]
= Archival collections =
- [https://libserv.aip.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1N80X26895223.185&limitbox_1=LO01+%3D+icos&menu=search&aspect=power&npp=10&ipp=20&spp=20&profile=rev-icos&ri=3&source=%7E%21horizon&index=.GW&term=AMERICAN+ASTRONOMICAL+SOCIETY+OFFICE+OF+THE+SECRETARY+ARLO+LANDOLT+ADDITION+TO+RECORDS&x=0&y=0&aspect=power AAS Office of Secretary Arlo Landolt records addition, 1990-2000, Niels Bohr Library & Archives]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landolt, Arlo U.}}
Category:20th-century American astronomers
Category:Fellows of the American Astronomical Society
Category:Academics from Illinois