A ceremony was held at the University of Warsaw to present a certificate confirming the naming of an asteroid in honour of Prof. Jerzy Madej from the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw. From now on, the celestial body will be called Jerzymadej.
On 4th September, in the Senate Hall of the Casimir Palace on the Main Campus, a ceremony was held to present a certificate confirming the naming of an asteroid, registered in the international catalogue under the number 599019 and previously designated 2009 QY36, as Jerzymadej. The event was organised as part of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw.
“On behalf of His Magnificence the Rector, I have the honour of presenting you with a letter of congratulations and expressions of appreciation from the entire Rector’s team. This is an event of a unique nature – you have symbolically immortalised your name in stone. Naming an asteroid after you is a great honour, highlighting your rich life’s work, outstanding scientific achievements and contribution to teaching. This extraordinary event takes on special significance in the year of the 200th anniversary of the UW’s Astronomical Observatory. It is an excellent opportunity to recall outstanding achievements so that future generations will remember the names of those who made them possible. Please accept my best wishes for many more years of fruitful work for the good of the University,” said Prof. Zygmunt Lalak, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Warsaw, during the ceremony.
The laudation in honour of Prof. Jerzy Madej was delivered by Prof. Kazimierz Stępień, and Prof. Michał Szymański read the acknowledgements on behalf of the laureate.
“The asteroid was discovered by Dr Timur Kriaczko in 2009. It is a relatively large asteroid, measuring 1.14 hundredths of a kilometre – the largest known asteroid, Ceres, measures approximately 940 km. Fortunately, it always stays away from the Earth’s orbit and does not threaten it, circling the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The naming of this asteroid was a great joy and honour for me, and was the idea and work of my friends Larisa Byczkowa and Wiktor Byczkow, as well as the discoverer, Dr Timur Kriaczko. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Magnificence Prof. Alojzy Nowak, Prof. Tomasz Bulik, Director of the Observatory, as well as all my colleagues from the Observatory, the University of Warsaw and the Polish Academy of Sciences for their cooperation and participation in today’s gathering,” read Prof. Szymański.
The award was granted to Prof. Madej by the Astronomy Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences on the basis of a decision of 19th May 2025 by the Small Bodies Nomenclature Committee of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
200 years of the Observatory
The year 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw. To celebrate this anniversary, events have been planned to commemorate the history and highlight the contemporary achievements of one of Poland’s leading astronomical centres.
The roots of the UW’s Astronomical Observatory date back to 1816, when the Department of Astronomy was established at the then Royal University of Warsaw. Its head was Franciszek Armiński, who became involved in the project to build an observatory in Aleje Ujazdowskie. Construction lasted from 1820 to 1824, and the building was put into use on 18th August 1825. Over the years, the Observatory has continued to develop.
Today, research is conducted in modern facilities in Ostrowik and Las Campanas in Chile. The institution remains one of the most important astronomical centres in Poland.
“For 200 years, UW’s Astronomical Observatory has been an extremely important point on the scientific map of Poland. Its history is inextricably linked with the history of the university, Warsaw and the entire country. Throughout this period, the institution has not only educated successive generations of astronomers, but has also actively participated in the development of space research, adapting to changing political, social and technological realities. Contemporary astronomy is undergoing dynamic development, and the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw continues to play a key role in educating successive generations of scholars and in conducting modern space research,” summarises the AO’s Director, Prof. Tomasz Bulik, in the introduction to the jubilee book “200 lat Obserwatorium Astronomicznego UW”.
The book, edited by Prof. Jarosław Włodarczyk from the L.&A. Birkenmajer Institute for the History of Science at the Polish Academy of Sciences, was published by University of Warsaw Press. The anniversary publication is the first such comprehensive study of the history of the institution and the profiles of the people who created and developed it, and also presents the role of the Observatory in Polish and global astronomy.
In addition, numerous events are planned to mark the anniversary, including exhibitions (in the foyer of the Casimir Palace and on the fence around the UW’s Botanical Garden along Aleje Ujazdowskie) and Alumni Reunion.
From 8th to 12th September, Warsaw will host the 42nd Congress of the Polish Astronomical Society, which will be held at the University of Warsaw for the first time.
More information can be found on the website of the UW’s Astronomical Observatory.
Jerzy Madej – professor of physical sciences, specialist in theoretical astrophysics, associated with the University of Warsaw since the beginning of his scientific career. He completed his astronomy studies at the University of Warsaw in 1973. In 1975, he received an award from the Polish Astronomical Society for outstanding individual scientific achievements in the field of astronomy. He obtained his doctorate in 1981 on the basis of his dissertation entitled “Zachowanie się linii Balmera w widmach gwiazd magnetycznych” (ENG: “The behaviour of Balmer lines in the spectra of magnetic stars”), prepared under the supervision of Prof. Kazimierz Stępień.
In years 1983-84, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Theoretical Physics and Centre for Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 1984-85 at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto. He obtained his habilitation in theoretical astrophysics in 1991 on the basis of his dissertation entitled „Teoria i interpretacja widm promieniowania bursterów rentgenowskich” (ENG: “Theory and interpretation of X-ray burster spectra”). The dissertation was a significant contribution to research on the physics of high-energy processes occurring in space. In 2010, he was awarded the title of professor of physical sciences.
His research focuses mainly on modelling stellar atmospheres and analysing hot matter radiation, particularly in the field of Compton processes and X-ray spectroscopy.
He is the author and co-author of over 170 scientific articles and conference reports. He has taught astrophysics classes, including those on stellar atmospheres, as well as proseminars and student seminars. He has supervised three doctoral students.
Prof. Jerzy Madej has been battling multiple sclerosis for several decades. Despite his illness, he remains fully intellectually active, conducting research and publishing.