Newton's Forgotten Lunar Theory: His Contribution to the Quest for Longitude (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781888009088)

In this engaging piece of detective work, Nicholas Kollerstrom has combined historical research with computer analysis to investigate long-unanswered questions about Newton's lunar theory of 1702 (whose complete text is included). The lunar theory turns out to have been the basis for numerous eighteenth century tables, and was used in China well into the twentieth century. It was taken (heavily disguised) into the Principia of 1713, with one important correction. In this form, it was remarkably accurate, about as good as the observations on which it was based, and was used by Halley (in a procedure explained here for the first time) to compute lunar positions with an accuracy of under one arcminute---good enough to have won the longitude prize.

Author: Nicholas Kollerstrom
ISBN-10: 188800908X
ISBN-13: 9781888009088
Publisher: Green Lion Press
Language: English
Published: 03/01/2000
Pages: 278
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 9.30h x 5.90w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 07/01/2001 pg. 1979