Named in honor of Arthur Adel {1908–1994}, a pioneer in the field of infrared spectroscopy and upper atmospheric research. Much of his work was pursued at the Atmospheric Research Observatory, built for his use in 1952 on the campus of Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff. In the 1950s and 1960s he discovered atmospheric nitrous oxide, atmospheric heavy water and the 20-micron window, and he prepared the first maps of the solar-telluric spectrum from 7 to 14 microns. (M 22830) _ _.
