I. K. Koval

Ukraine

1929-2020

Obituary:

Ivan K. Koval (Nov 10, 1929, Mykolaiv region, Ukraine - June 16, 2020, Chernihiv, Ukraine), Doctor Hab. in Physical and Mathematical Sciences (1969), Professor (1982), Honored Personality of Science and Technology of Ukraine (1991), Honorary Professor of the Chernihiv National Pedagogical University named after T.G. Shevchenko.

He was born on November 10, 1929 in the village Annivka of Privolnyansky district of the Mykolaiv region. Graduated from the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Kharkiv State University (specialty "astronomy"). After graduation, Ivan Koval worked at the Astronomical Observatory of Kharkiv State University under the guidance of Professor N.P. Barabashov.

Since 1960 - senior researcher at the Main Astronomical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, since 1964 - Head of the Astrophysics Department, and in 1973-1975 - Director of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The research field of Ivan Koval was planetary physics. In the 1960s he took part in determining the characteristics of the relief of the lunar surface in the areas of the planned landing of manned Soviet spacecraft (the space program was not implemented). Scientific consultant of the Center for Deep Space Communications in the exploration of Mars with the help of Soviet rovers of the Mars series (1971-1973). Since 1973, the Chairman of the Planetary Physics Commission at the Astronomical Council of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Member of the International Astronomical Union since 1964. He took part many times in IAU symposiums and conferences (USA, Great Britain, the Netherlands, the German Democratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia).

Since 1975, Ivan K. Koval worked at the Chernihiv National Pedagogical University named after T.G. Shevchenko, since 1983 - Head of the Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, where he taught astronomy and astrophysics at a high educational and methodological level; he paid considerable attention to student scientific work.

Author of about 150 scientific papers and monographs, in particular:

• "Photographic photometry of Mars with light filters during the great opposition of the planet in 1956", co-authored monograph (1959);
• "Planet Mars", monograph (1962);
• "Photometric characteristics of Mars according to photographic observations in 1971", co-authored monograph (1975);
• "On the state of astronomical education in Ukraine" (2001).