Petr Hadrava

etr Hadrava studied theoretical physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague in 1969–1974. From 1975 he worked in the Stellar Department of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences in Ondřejov, and since 2004 in the Prague part of the Astronomical Institute, where he still works today. In 1980 he defended his dissertation and in 2001 he obtained a DrSc degree. in the field of stellar astrophysics. In 2004, he received his habilitation in relativistic astrophysics at the Charles University IFF, where he lectures externally. He has led several diploma and dissertation theses at the MFF UK, PřF MU and the University of Trondheim, where he worked as a visiting professor in 1997–2001. He completed a number of shorter stays at various foreign observatories and other institutions.

He deals with stellar astrophysics, especially models of stellar atmospheres, spectroscopy and photometry of binary stars, as well as relativistic astrophysics, mainly the theory of radiation transfer in general relativity. He also deals with the history of astronomy.

He is a member of the Czech Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union and the Society for the History of Science and Technology. He was a member and chairman of the Scientific Board of the Astronomical Institute of the ASCR and the Czech National Astronomical Committee and worked in a number of other Czech and international scientific bodies.