Aleksandr Orlov (astronomer)

Aleksandr Yakovlevich Orlov (Russian: Александр Яковлевич Орлов; 15 April [O.S. 2 April] 1880 – 29 January 1954) was a Russian and Soviet astronomer and geophysicist. He is best known for his work on variations in latitude and the study of Earth tides.

Orlov was born in Kerch, Crimea. He graduated from Saint Petersburg University in 1902. He served as a professor at Yuriev University (later Tartu University) from 1908 to 1911, and at Odessa University from 1911 to 1913. In 1913, he became the director of the Poltava Gravimetric Observatory, a position he held for many years.

Orlov made significant contributions to the study of Earth's rotation, specifically investigating the variations in latitude caused by the Chandler wobble and other factors. He developed methods for analyzing observational data related to latitude variations and worked to improve the accuracy of these measurements.

His research also focused on Earth tides, the periodic deformations of the Earth's surface caused by the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun. He developed techniques for measuring and analyzing Earth tides, providing valuable insights into the Earth's internal structure and dynamics.

Orlov was a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR from 1927 and a full member (academician) from 1935. He received the Stalin Prize in 1942 for his work in geophysics. He died in Kyiv in 1954.

His contributions to the fields of astronomy and geophysics have had a lasting impact, and his work continues to be studied and cited by researchers in these fields. He is recognized as a pioneer in the study of latitude variations and Earth tides.