Newswatch 16's Emily Kress spoke with the woman whose father created Sunspotter.
HOLLEY, Pa. — Born and raised in Hawley, Daniel Janosik had a creative mind and a quick start. His daughter Diane grew up watching her father drive her creativity.
“He was very interested in science and physics, science and astronomy. That led him down a path where he became obsessed with how to observe the sun in a safe way,” said Diane Lilla. Janosik said.
In her childhood home, her father built a prototype for the Sunspotter solar observation device.
This allows people to use mirrors or lenses with filters to see the sun without looking directly at it. Technology that has changed the way people view solar eclipses.
“It is a source of pride for our family to know that my father's invention was made with rudimentary materials obtained from an old silk mill in the 1970s. We were getting a product: “Make the telescopes that are now used around the world,'' Janosik said.
After Janosik completed his design, he applied for a patent in 1979. A few years later he was patented in 1984. Diane says his father sold his Sunspotters for about $40 each at the time.
“Unfortunately, we lost that patent. He passed away suddenly in 1995, and my mother didn't know about patent law, so she didn't renew it. Sometimes my father's name is not mentioned because he was acquired by a company,'' Janosik explained.
One SunSpotter based on Janosik's design is on display at the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Daniel Janosik was a graduate of Wallenpaupack High School.
His daughter also told Newswatch 16 that her father had a debilitating disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
A genetic neurological disease severely affected his hands and feet. According to her, his hands and fingers were very weak and lacked dexterity, but this did not prevent him from pursuing his passion.
