Franz von Gruithuisen

Baron Franz von Paula (Franciscus de Paula) Gruithuisen (March 19, 1774 – June 21, 1852) was a Bavarian physician and astronomer. He taught medical students before becoming a professor of astronomy at the University of Munich in 1826.

Franz von Gruithuisen

Gruithuisen's drawing of Wallwerk, north of Schröter crater on the moon.

The vicinity of the moon where the alleged Wallwerk is located. The crater Bode B is at left, and the crater Schröter is near the central horizon, facing south from the Apollo 17 command/service module America. The sunlight strikes the ground from the left, similar to the lighting thought to be optimal for observing the features of Wallwerk. Only low, naturally occurring hills are visible.

During his period of medical studies and instruction, he was noted for his contributions to urology and lithotripsy. He developed ideas on safer methods to remove bladder stones transurethrally, and his instruments served as models for subsequent devices.

Like others before and since his time, Gruithuisen believed that the Earth's Moon was habitable. He made multiple observations of the lunar surface that supported his beliefs, including his announcement of the discovery of a city in the rough terrain to the north of Schröter crater he named the Wallwerk. This region contains a series of somewhat linear ridges that have a fishbone-like pattern, and, with the small refracting telescope he was using, could be perceived as resembling buildings complete with streets. He published his observations in 1824, but they were greeted with much skepticism by other astronomers of the time. His claims were readily refuted using more powerful instruments. Gruithuisen was also the first to suggest that craters on the Moon were caused by meteorite impacts.

He is also noted for the discovery of bright caps on the cusps of the crescent Venus, which he attempted to explain by proposing that jungles on Venus grew more rapidly than in Brazil due to the proximity of the planet to the Sun, and that as a consequence the planet's inhabitants celebrated fire festivals during which they burned massive amounts of vegetation.

Gruithuisen lived at 24 Brienner Straße in Munich shortly before his death.[1] The crater Gruithuisen on the Moon is named for him.