Steshenko Nikolay Vladimirovich General data:
28.10.1927 - 19.03.2018
Place of birth: Dikanka village, Poltava region, Ukrainian SSR
Studied in: T. G. Shevchenko Kyiv State University (since 1999 Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University) (1950);
Key interests: solar photosphere and chromosphere, astrophysics, solar physics, instruments and devices, solar telescopes, space missions. PhD Thesis: Research on solar chromosphere spectrograms eclipse February 25, 1952 and June 30, 1954. (1955 Main Astronomical Observatory of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Pulkovo); ScD Thesis: The structural features of active formations of Sun (1973 P. S. Sternberg State Institute of Astronomy, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University);
Biography:
He was born on November 28, 1927 in the Dykanka village of the Poltava region of the Ukrainian SSR in the large family of the head of the "Spark of Communism" collective farm. There were three children in the family.
As a gold medalist, he was accepted to the physics faculty of T.G. Shevchenko Kyiv State University without exams.
In 1950, after completing his studies at the university, he entered postgraduate studies at T.G. Shevchenko Kyiv State University.
During 1953-1957, he worked at the astronomical observatory of Kyiv University.
In 1955, at the Main Astronomical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Pulkovo village, he defended his candidate's thesis "Study of the solar chromosphere according to the spectrograms of the eclipse of February 25, 1952 and June 30, 1954."
In 1957, the astronomer was hired as a junior researcher at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, where he worked for more than 60 years. For 28 years since 1960, he was the deputy director for scientific work, for 17 years since 1988, the director of the observatory, during 2005-2016, he was the head of the laboratory of experimental astrophysics, and in recent years, the scientific adviser of the laboratory of promising developments. For 30 years, he headed the editorial board of the journal "Bulletin of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory".
In 1973, he defended his doctoral thesis "Structural features of active formations of the Sun" at the P.K. Sternberg State Astronomical Institute in Moscow City.
On December 4, 1997, the astronomer was elected Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
He was the Chairman of the "Instruments and Methods of Astronomical Research" section of the Astronomical Council of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
Since 1989, the scientist worked as a professor of the Department of Astronomy and Physics Methodology of M. V. Frunze Simferopol State University (since 1999 V. I. Vernadsky Taurian National University), in 1999 he was awarded the academic title of professor .
In 1990, the astronomer was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, and in 1991 he was elected a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In 1998, he was awarded the honorary title "Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine".
In 2000, at the 5th Congress of the Ukrainian Astronomical Association, he was awarded the title of "Honorary Member of UAA" and elected to the Council of UAA.
He was also a member of the editorial board of the journal "Space Science and Technology".
For space research, Academician Steshenko was awarded the Order of the Labor Red Banner, "For Labor Achievements" IV degree, as well as the diploma of the All-Ukrainian "Golden Fortune" action.
Died on March 19, 2018.
The main directions of the scientist's work are physical processes on the Sun, astronomical instrumentation, in particular, precision optics and telescope construction. He paid great attention to the creation of optics for large space telescopes and terrestrial telescopes with adaptive optics. He designed an ultraviolet orbital solar telescope that successfully operated on the Salyut-4 orbital station. Supervised the creation of the first domestic multi-element telescope with a mirror diameter of 1.2 m; development of technologies for obtaining first-class optical surfaces (in particular, mirrors made from sital).
He is the author of more than 100 scientific publications and 4 author's certificates.
Under his scientific leadership, an ultraviolet orbital solar telescope was created, which successfully operated on board the Salyut-4 station, and high-quality optics were created for a space telescope with a diameter of 0.8 m, which operated on board the Astron satellite.
The scientist showed that sunspots appear in the active region at a magnetic field strength of more than 1500 Gs, not 200-300 Gs, as previously believed. Experimentally established the upper limit for the magnetic field of solar granules and discovered fine-structure elements in the flocculum of the Sun. Studying solar flares, he showed that these formations are very heterogeneous, with a characteristic size of inhomogeneities less than 1". Obtained important results based on the analysis of ultraviolet spectra of active regions, in particular, he discovered the strengthening of ultraviolet lines of highly ionized metal atoms, found that the speed of disordered plasma movements in the upper in the layers of the Sun's atmosphere, that is, in the transition region between the corona and the chromosphere, can reach a value of 100 km/s. He developed methods for predicting the radiation danger during solar flares, which are used in the operational radiation safety service of space flights. Under the leadership and direct participation of the scientist, the first was created in the USSR, a multi-element telescope with a diameter of 1.2 m with a high resolution. Developed the principle solution of a multi-element optical telescope with a diameter of 25 m. At the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, under the leadership of an astronomer-optician, the technology for obtaining first-class optical p surfaces, in particular, large sital mirrors. This made it possible to carry out a radical reconstruction of the tower solar telescope of the observatory, which later became one of the largest telescopes in the world.
M. V. Steshenko discovered the discrete growth of photospheric magnetic fields on the Sun, which precedes the appearance of pores and spots.
In honor of the academician, minor planet No. 2238 of the Solar System got his name.
Main publications:
1. Структура дифракционного изображения в некоторых типах звездных интерферометров /Димов Н. А., Ковтуненко В. М., Легкодым А. В., Попов Г. М., Родин А. Л., Стешенко Н. В. // Изв. Крым. астрофиз. обсерв., 1988, 78, С.206-222
2. Космические исследования в НИИ "Крымская астрофизическая обсерватория» / А. Е. Вольвач, Н. В. Стешенко, Н. Н. Степанян, Э. А. Барановский, А. В. Брунс, В. В. Румянцев, В. П. Таращук, Ю. Ф. Юровский, Ю. Т. Цап, В. А. Котов и др. // Перспективы космических исследований Украины: сб. ст.- Академпериодика, 2011.- С. 104 – 118.
3. Результаты исследований, проверенных с орбитальным солнечным телескопом ОСТ-1 станции «Салют-1» / А. В. Брунс, Г. М. Гречко, А. А. Губарев,.. А. Б. Северный,.. Н. В. Стешенко и др. // Космическая физика: Труды 6-х науч. чтений по космонавтике, посвященных памяти выдающихся советских ученых – пионеров основания космического пространства.- М., 1982.- С. 37 - 45.
4. Результаты исследования ультрафиолетовых спектров солнечных активных образований, полученных на телескопе ОСТ-1 станции «Салют-4» / А. В. Брунс, Г. М. Гречко, А. А. Губарев…, А. Б. Северный,.. Н. В. Стешенко и др. // Научные чтения по космонавтике, 6, посвященные памяти выдающихся советских ученых-пионеров освоения космического пространства: Программа чтений.- М., 1982.- С. 10.
Sources:
1 Славні люди землі Диканської. Стешенко Микола Володимирович
2 astronomers.ru
3 astronet.ru
4 Літнарович Р.М. Українські астрономи. За матеріалами Вікіпедії станом на 10.06.2012 р. Рівне, 2012.-258 с.-C.168-183
