Walter Robert Wilhelm Grotrian (21 April 1890 in Aachen; † 3 March 1954 in Potsdam) was a German astronomer and astrophysicist.

Grotrian studied the emission line from the solar corona in the green region of the spectrum; this emission line could not be attributed to any known chemical element and was thought to be a new element (which scientists named " coronium"). Grotrian and Bengt Edlén from Sweden demonstrated that the two observed emission lines arise from iron atoms that have lost about half their 26 electrons. ^[1]

Named after Grotrian

• The impact crater Grotrian on the Moon
• The Grotrian diagram in atomic spectroscopy showing the allowed transitions between atomic energy levels
• Character in "Time Keeps on Slippin'" episode of Futurama

References

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