The Slovak Facebook page ‘Slovenská ústredná hvezdáreň‘ announced the sad news that Teodor Pintér, former General Director of the Slovak Central Observatory in Hurbanovo, has deceased.
Teodor Pintér died on March 31st, 2016 at the age of nearly 69 years. He was born on May 21st, 1947 in Galanta. Teodor Pinter studied afolow-up study of astronomy (after high school) from 1967 to 1969 in Valasske Mezirici (Czech Republic) and later from 1973 to 1979 he studied geodesy and cartography at the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava (Slovakia). Teodor Pintér worked in the Central Observatory in Hurbanovo since 1967. From 1991 to 2013 he was a director of the Slovak Central Observatory in Hurbanovo. He dealt with research of the photosphere, chromosphere and corona of the Sun. He participated in 13 expeditions aimed at observing a total solar eclipse. In recent times he was interested in SID monitor and he started to prepare SDR and video meteor observations at home. He worked in SCO in Hurbanovo to his last day. On 22nd March 2016 he guided his last group of students at the observatory.
Meteor workers know Teodor Pinter as a regular participant at the International Meteor Conferences. He participated for a first time at the IMC in Cerkno, Slovenia in 2001. Later he also participated at the IMC’s of 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013 and last year 2015 for his 8th IMC in Mistelbach, Austria. Although that meteors were not his first field of interest, he enjoyed the good contacts with the amateur community. Whenever he arrived at an IMC he came with some presents for many of his IMC friends, a beer, some sweet and always with his friendship and a smile. We have, all of us, lost a great friend.
The IMC at Cerkno, Slovenia 20-23 September 2001: Peter Zimnikoval, Daniel Ocenas and Teodor Pinter (credit Javor Kac).
During the IMC in Mistelbach, Austria, end of August 2015, Teodor Pinter in discussion with Tibor Hegedus (credit Axel Haas).
Teodor Pinter at Pic du Midi during the IMC 7 – 10 June 2007, Barèges – France (credit Galina Ryabova).
Acknowledgment
The author thanks Peter Dolinsky of the Slovak Central Observatory in Hurbanovo for the information in this obituary.
