ANDERS JONAS ÅNGSTRöM (1814-1874)

Aurora borealis

(Source/Sumber: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/higher-chance-to-see-aurora-borealis-from-ireland-tonight-29902160.html)

English Version:

Everyone knows about aurora (Northen light in normal vocabularies). It is a magnificent sky phenomenon that only at the Artic Circle regions. Besides that, we may wonder the beautifulness of the colouration of that kind of phenomena; green, reddish and yellowish colours display under the usual dark sky. These wonderful phenomena were remained mysterious until its hidden secret and principles were revealed, thanks to the scientific works by Ander Jonas Ångstrom.

He was born on 13 August 1814, the day when a solar eclipse taken place. He was a Swedish physicist and astronomer that worked his research about spectrum analysis or spectroscopy.  In 1842, he went to Stockholm Observatory and eventually became observer in Uppsala Observatory in the following year. He died in 1874, with the age of 60.

The following are his contributions throughout his lifetime.

1. Study of hydrogen spectrum (1853) 
2. Study of solar spectrum (1868): published his great map of the normal solar spectrum. 
3. Study of light spectra of aurora borealis (1867): detected and measured the characteristic bright line in its yellow green region. “He demonstrated that the characteristic bright line in the yellow-green light was due to electrically excited oxygen atoms. (Davidson, 2004)” 
4. Other contribution: found the study of geomagnetism, the phenomena of magnetism of the earth; invented pyrheliometer, a device which is used to measure solar radiation and measure also intensity and the duration of time that the surface of the earth to receive sunlight.

Due to this scientific works, he has being honoured as one of the very important founder of spectroscopy discipline. We need to acknowledge his scientific contribution also; because we can get know the reasons of occurrence of aurora borealis which is based on the characteristics of light spectrum. Apart from that, angstrom (Å) is also used as SI unit for atomic size and wavelength of light, and micrometer has being used until now.

This brief post is specially written to let physic students and related professionals to commemorate the 200 years anniversary of Ander Jonas Ångstrom’s birth.

Reference: Davidson, M. W., 2004. Anders Jons Angstrom. Molecular Expression: Science, Optics & You, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University. Retrieved from http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/angstrom.html

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Versi Bahasa Melayu (Malay Version):

Semua orang tahu tentang sinaran kutub ('aurora' dalam istilah rasmi). Ia suatu kejadian langit yang amat indah yang hanya ada di kawasan sekitar garisan Artik (Kutub Utara). Selain itu, kita mungkin rasa terpesona akan keindahan warna kejadian itu; warna hijau, merah dan kuning menayang di langit gelap yang biasa. Kejadian yang mempersonakan ini kekal misteri sehingga rahsia dan prinsip-prinsip di sebaliknya dirungkai dengan adanya hasil kajian saintifik oleh Ander Jonas Ångstrom.

Beliau dilahirkan pada 13 Ogos 1814, hari berlakunya gerhana matahari. Beliau adalah ahli fizik and astronomi Sweden yang berkecimpung dalam penyelidikan pencerakinan spektra atau spektroskopi. Pada tahun 1842, beliau mula bertugas di Balai Cerap Stockholm dan akhirnya menjadi pencerap di Balai Cerap Uppsala pada tahun seterusnya. Beliau meninggal dunia pada tahun 1874 semasa usianya 60 tahun.

Yang berikut merupakan sumbangan yang telah dijana olehnya sepanjang hayatnya. 

1. Pengkajian spektrum hidrogen (1853) 
2. Pengkajian spektrum matahari (1868): menerbitkan peta agung yang mengenai spektrum am matahari. 
3. Pengkajian spektrum-spektrum cahaya dalam of aurora borealis, atau sinaran kutub (1867): mengesan dan mengukur garisan terang yang tertonjol dalam rantau kuning-hijaunya. “Beliau menunjukkan bahawa garisan terang yang tertonjol dalam rantau kuning-hijaunya adalah disebabkan oleh atom-atom oksigen yang teruja secara elektriknya. (Davidson, 2004)” 
4. Sumbangan lain: mengasaskan pengkajian geomagnetisme, iaitu fenomena magnetisme Bumi; mencipta pyrheliometer, sejenis alat yang digunakan untuk mengukur radiasi matahari, keaamatan dan tempoh masa yang diperlukan oleh permukaan Bumi untuk menerima sinaran matahari.

Disebabkan hasil kerja saintifik, beliau telah dinobatkan sebagai salah satu pengasas bidang spektroskopi yang sangat penting. Kita juga wajar mengiktiraf sumbangan saintifiknya; kerana ia, kita baru dapat mengetahui sebab-sebab berlakunya sinaran kutub yang berdasarkan ciri-ciri spektrum cahaya. Selain itu, angstrom (Å) juga digunapakai sebagai unit SI bagi saiz atom and panjang gelombang cahaya, manakala unit lama mikrometer masih digunakan sampai hari ini.

Coretan ringkas ini khas ditulis supaya para pelajar fizik dan pakar yang berkaitan dapat memperingati sempena 200 tahun kelahiran Ander Jonas Ångstrom.

Rujukan: Davidson, M. W., 2004. Anders Jons Angstrom. Molecular Expression: Science, Optics & You, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University. Dipetik dari http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/angstrom.html

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p/s: I like this doodle produced by Google....hehe (Saya suka gambar hiasan dihasil oleh Google....hehe)

Sources/sumber: http://www.google.com/doodles/anders-jonas-angstroms-200th-birthday;
http://gdoodleblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/anders-jonas-angstroms-200th-birthday.html

13/8/2014
3.06 pm