Francesco Maria Grimaldi

Francesco Maria Grimaldi ( born April 2, 1618 Bologna, † December 28, 1663 ) was an Italian Jesuit priest, physicist, mathematician and astronomer.

Grimaldi entered the Jesuit order in 1632, received his doctorate in theology in 1647 and was ordained a priest in 1651. He taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna.

Physicist

Grimaldi different colors observed in the refraction of light at a prism. He also examined the behavior of light at a slit and coined the term diffraction or diffraction. He observed and described the phenomenon of interference. His seminal work in optics formed the basis for more detailed studies, which were much later hired by physicists such as Isaac Newton, Christiaan Huygens, Thomas Young and Augustin Jean Fresnel and could confirm his suspicions and finally explain theoretically.

Astronomer

In addition, Grimaldi dealt with the selenography. According to observations with the telescope, he tried to draw accurate as possible moon cards. 1651 published his teacher Giovanni Riccioli one of his moon maps in the multi-volume Almagestum novum astronomiam veterem novamque complectens observationibus aliorum et Propriis novisque theorematibus, problematibus ac tabulis promotam. This map of the moon is so remarkable, since the moon structures were given names, most of which are still valid today, among other reasons. So prominent landmarks were named on the moon after famous astronomers, scientists and philosophers, the bright areas were as Terrae ( terra plural of Latin, "country" ), the dark areas ( under the assumption of water) as Maria (plural of Latin mare referred to " sea "). However Grimaldis Moon card was not as accurate and detailed as in the published in 1647 by Johannes Hevelius Selenographia sive Lunae Descriptio.

Eponym

In honor of Francesco M. Grimaldi two lunar structures were named after him:

• Grimaldi crater with coordinates 5 ° 30 ' south / 68 ° 18' West and a mean diameter of 172 km; the appointment was made by the International Astronomical Union ( IAU) in 1935;
• The Grimaldi grooves ( Rimae Grimaldi ) with the coordinates 9 ° 00 ' South / 64 ° 00' West and a mean diameter of 230 km; the appointment was made by the IAU in 1964 after the nearby crater.

Publication (selection)

• Physicomathesis de lumine, coloribus, et Iride, aliisque Annexis, Bologna 1665