Julius Heinrich Franz
Encyclopedia
Julius Heinrich Franz was a German
astronomer
.
Franz was educated in Berlin
, after which he was the principal astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Königsberg
. In 1882 he was a member of a team sent to the town of Aiken, South Carolina
, to observe the transit of Venus
. Toward the end of the century he replaced Johann Galle
as the director of the observatory at the University of Breslau.
He is most noted for his measurements of features near the lunar
limbs. He published a popular book about the Moon
in 1906
called Der Mond. In this work Julius named some lunar mare
s along the limb the Mare Orientale
, Mare Autumni and Mare Veris. The later two were later renamed to the Lacus Autumni
and Lacus Veris
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
Franz was educated in Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, after which he was the principal astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
. In 1882 he was a member of a team sent to the town of Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
, to observe the transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
. Toward the end of the century he replaced Johann Galle
Johann Gottfried Galle
Johann Gottfried Galle was a German astronomer at the Berlin Observatory who, on 23 September 1846, with the assistance of student Heinrich Louis d'Arrest, was the first person to view the planet Neptune, and know what he was looking at...
as the director of the observatory at the University of Breslau.
He is most noted for his measurements of features near the lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
limbs. He published a popular book about the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
in 1906
1906 in literature
The year 1906 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* December 24 - Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio program, a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech, broadcasts....
called Der Mond. In this work Julius named some lunar mare
Lunar mare
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. They are less reflective than the "highlands" as a result of their iron-rich compositions, and...
s along the limb the Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale
Mare Orientale is one of the most striking large scale lunar features, resembling a target ring bull's-eye. Located on the extreme western edge of the lunar nearside, this impact basin is difficult to see from an Earthbound perspective.Material from this basin was not sampled by the Apollo program...
, Mare Autumni and Mare Veris. The later two were later renamed to the Lacus Autumni
Lacus Autumni
Lacus Autumni is a region of lunar mare that lies near the western limb of the Moon. Along this side of the lunar surface is a huge impact basin centered on the Mare Orientale. Two concentric mountain rings surround the Orientale mare, the inner ring being named Montes Rook and an outer ring...
and Lacus Veris
Lacus Veris
Lacus Veris is a small lunar mare on the Moon. In selenographic coordinates, the mare centered at 16.5° S, 86.1° W and lies within a 396 km in diameter. The mare extends along an irregular 90° arc from east to north that is centered on the Mare Orientale, covering an area of about...
.
Honors
- The crater FranzFranz (crater)Franz is a small lunar crater that is located along the eastern edge of the Sinus Amoris, a bay that forms a northern extension to the Mare Tranquillitatis. It lies to the southwest of the prominent crater Macrobius...
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.