Wolszczan

Wolszczan is a Polish-born American astronomer renowned for discovering the first confirmed exoplanets, which orbit the millisecond pulsar PSR B1257+12. Working at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, he and Dale Frail of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory used pulsar timing to detect deviations in the pulsar’s signal caused by gravitational perturbations from orbiting bodies. In 1992 they reported the presence of at least two planets, later found to be three, designated PSR B1257+12 B, C and D. These are among the first extrasolar planets discovered and the first known around a pulsar.

Wolszczan has been a professor of astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University, where his research has encompassed pulsars, exoplanets, and radio instrumentation. He has contributed to long-running pulsar timing programs and to collaborative efforts in mapping and characterizing neutron stars and their environments. His work has helped expand the methods and scope of exoplanet searches beyond sun-like stars.

The discovery of planets around PSR B1257+12 is considered a landmark in astronomy, demonstrating that planetary systems can exist in extreme, post-supernova environments and broadening the understanding of planet formation and evolution. Wolszczan’s contributions to pulsar astronomy and exoplanet science have made him a prominent figure in the study of planetary systems beyond traditional stellar hosts.