Dictionary of Space Concepts

Short Definition:

Lunar Theory is the measurement and prediction of the movements of the moon as a method of a priori deduction with the principles of the laws of gravity. For the first time in the modern era, Isaac Newton mentioned in his book Principia in 1687 that the motion of the moon could be calculated mathematically by the law of gravity.

Detailed Definition:

Lunar theory, the theory that the movements of the moon can be calculated by gravitational laws, put forward by Isaac Newton in 1687, is a cumulative result of moon observations that found their roots in ancient Babylonian, Greek and Arabian geography. In his book, Newton's Principia, he made the first inferences about how the gravitational motion of the Earth and Moon towards the sun could be measured mathematically. With the development of technology, especially after the 1960s, lunar theory has been retested with the help of automatic digital computation and modern observational data-types. With computer-assisted algebra, new analytical developments have been experienced, and new analytical theories have been created.

Etymology:

Lunar – Latin (lūnāris)

Theory – Ancient Greek (theōréō )

(lunar - Wiktionary. (n.d.). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lunar)

(theory - Wiktionary. (n.d.). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/theory)

Sample Sentence(s):

‘’These views, however, are due to a lack of understanding of the close relation that exists between the kinematical model of Horrocks, and the dynamical lunar theory of Newton.’’

(Newton’s lunar theory. (n.d.). http://physics.ucsc.edu/. http://physics.ucsc.edu/~michael/koll.html)

‘’Newton's dynamics, and his lunar theory especially, were difficult for his contemporaries and they are perhaps even more difficult now.’’

(Success and failure in newton’s lunar theory. (n.d.). Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/astrogeo/article/41/6/6.21/225623)

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages:

French:

Théorie lunaire

German:

Mondtheorie

Polish:

Teoria Księżyca, teoria ruchu Księżyca

Swedish:

Månteori

Turkish:

Ay Teorisi

Links to Videos/Articles:

Newton’s lunar theory. (n.d.). http://physics.ucsc.edu/. http://physics.ucsc.edu/~michael/koll.html

ScienceClic English. (2019, January 5). Newton’s Gravity [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE5LBi7hZkU

Success and failure in newton’s lunar theory. (n.d.). Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/astrogeo/article/41/6/6.21/225623