Life and work of Professor Viktor Japiashvili

**Authors:** Otar Kvaratskhelia **Affiliations:** Georgian National Astrophysical Observatory, Abastumani 0301, Georgia Viktor Petre Jafiashvili, born in 1924, was a prominent astronomer who studied astronomy at Tbilisi State University. He was the first to use an electrophotometer to study the lunar surface using the polarization method. In 1955, he defended his thesis on investigating the polarization properties of the lunar surface using the electropolarimetric method. In 1957, he published a monograph on the subject, which confirmed the negative polarization effect in the range of ±20 degrees of the phase angle. He conducted a series of observations on 46 moon phases in 1971-75 at the Abastumni Astrophysical Observatory. From the 22 phases, polarimetric maps of the moon were compiled, published in 1982 as the "Polarimetric Atlas of the Moon," which was awarded the "Bredikhin" state prize in 1984. In 1974, he developed and manufactured the "Automatic scanning electropolarimeter," one of the most accurate polarimeters with an error of 0.1-0.2%. He served as the deputy director of the Abastumni Astrophysical Observatory from 1957 to 1992 and led the Polarimetric Research Group of Solar System Bodies until his death in 2018.