Newtons Forgotten Lunar Theory

Around the turn of the eighteenth century, one of the most pressing practical scientific problems was accurate prediction of the moon's position. Although Isaac Newton had hoped to solve this problem using the dynamic approach developed in Principia in 1687, he never succeeded in doing so. Instead, he reverted to an old-fashioned kinematic theory, using epicyclical motion. A terse summary of the theory was published in 1702 by David Gregory as part of his Astronomiae elementa.

The present work includes Newton's full text with annotations explaining terms and relating the text to Kollerstrom's analysis. In this detailed study, Kollerstrom solves the enigma of Newton's "forgotten" lunar theory. He ascertains, for the first time ever, just what Newton's theory did and did not achieve.