Francesco Maria Grimaldi


Francesco Maria Grimaldi was an Italian Jesuit priest, mathematician and physicist who taught at the Jesuit college in Bologna. He was born in Bologna to Paride Grimaldi and Anna Cattani.

Work

Between 1640 and 1650, working with Riccioli, he investigated the free fall of objects, confirming that the distance of fall was proportional to the square of the time taken. Grimaldi and Riccioli also made a calculation of gravity at the Earth's surface by recording the oscillations of an accurate pendulum.
In astronomy, he built and used instruments to measure lunar mountains as well as the height of clouds, and drew an accurate map or, selenograph, which was published by Riccioli and now adorns the entrance to the National [Air and Space Museum] in Washington D.C.
He discovered and was the first to make accurate observations on the diffraction of light and coined the word 'diffraction'. In his book Physico-Mathesis de Lumine, Coloribus et Iride, he stated the theory of the reconstitution of sunlight from refracted coloured light.
Through experimentation he was able to demonstrate that the observed passage of light could not be reconciled with the idea that it moved in a rectilinear path. Rather, the light that passed through the hole took on the shape of a cone. Later physicists used his work as evidence that light was a wave, significantly, Dutch mathematician Christiaan Huygens. He also discovered what are known as diffraction bands.
The crater Grimaldi on the Moon is named after him.
The asteroid129743 Grimaldi is named after him.

Publications

He only published one work:
The work is mainly remembered for being the first report of diffraction. In the work, he was mainly concerned with two questions:
  1. Is light a substance or an accident ?
  2. What is the relation between light and color?
He argued that light is probably a subtle fluid, though it might still be an accident. He also argued that color is associated with undulations of the subtle fluid.