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Arlo U. Landolt
Arlo U. Landolt
	Landolt with the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 16-inch telescope c. 1960
Born	Arlo Udell Landolt; September 29, 1935; Highland, Illinois, U.S.
Died	January 21, 2022 (aged 86)
Alma mater	Miami University (B.A.); Indiana University (M.A., Ph.D.);
Spouse	Eunice J. Casper (m. 1966)
Awards	George van Biesbroeck Prize (1995)
	Scientific career
Fields	Astronomy; Photometry;
Institutions	Louisiana State University
Thesis	A Photometric Investigation of the Galactic Clusters NGC 6087 and M25 (1963)
Doctoral advisor	John B. Irwin

Arlo Udell Landolt (September 29, 1935 – January 21, 2022) was an American astronomer known for his widely used photometric standards.^[1]^[2]

Life and career

Early life

Landolt was born in Highland, Illinois to farmers Arlo M. Landolt and Vesta Kraus Landolt ^[3] 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.^[3] All of Landolt's relatives, like his parents, were farmers.^[3] After finishing grade school, he was the first of his family to go the high school.^[3] 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.^[3] He was involved in 4H clubs and projects.^[3] 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.^[3] He would sell the hogs to get a Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedia set.^[3] He graduated from Highland High School in 1952.

Education

After graduating, he wanted to attend M.I.T, but his family could not afford it.^[3] He instead attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for his undergraduate studies. He planned to transfer to M.I.T after his 3rd year in a program offered by the university, but decided to complete his schooling there.^[3] 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.^[3] Early on, he took a course on astronomy which he credits to be the start of his interest in that science.^[3] 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^[3] at Indiana University 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.^[3] He was stationed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station^[3] with a group led by Paul Siple and it consisted of 9 other scientists, 9 Navy Sea-Bees, and a husky dog.^[4] He was hired as an aurora and air glow scientist^[3] along with the others hired to go on the expedition. He came back from the expedition during Christmas time in 1957.^[3] He received his Ph.D. in 1962 from Indiana University.^[5] 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.^[3]

Research career

After graduating, Landolt served on committees with many organizations and was eventually elected Secretary of the American Astronomical Society.^[4] This occurred for 3 terms.^[4] He spent one year working for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C.^[4]

In his later years, he became reacquainted with a high school classmate, Eunice Casper.^[4] 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.^[4]

He worked principally in photometry and published a number of widely used lists^[6]^[7]^[8] of standard stars.^[5]^[9]

Landolt died on January 21, 2022, at the age of 86.^[10]

Honors and awards

1995: George van Biesbroeck Prize from the American Astronomical Society^[11]
1998: LSU Distinguished Faculty Award from Louisiana State University^[2]
2015: Leslie C. Peltier Award from the Astronomical League^[12]
2020: Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society^[13]
2021: The William Tyler Olcott Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Variable Star Observers^[14]

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.^[2]^[9]