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The Moon
Planet. Space Sci. 1970, Vol. 18, Pp. 1855 to 1857.
Permmon
Press. Printed in Northern Ireland
BOOK REVIEWS
ZDENEK
KOPAL:
2%
Moon.
Reidel, Dondrecht-Holland,
1969.
XVI + 525 pp.
Hard
cover 826.60 @fl.95.-). THIS is a second revised edition of the textbook published in 1966 under slightly different title, “An Introduction to the Study of the Moon”. This was sold out in 2 years-a clear indication of its actuality from the standpoint of lunar research. Current technical research is indeed the main objective of the book, concentrating on the literature and achievements of the past ten years to the end of 1968. Its technical character, especially as far as theory is concerned, is evident from the following statistics. It contains : 57 line drawings, 121 half-tone illustrations (from the primitive early lunar drawings by Galileo and ground based telescopic to copiously presented Ranger, Orbiter and Surveyor spacecraft photo~aphs); 928 numbered mathemati~ equations; two large folded maps of the Front and Back Side of the moon by Rtikl of Prague; yet only 20 tables. The paucity of tables is either an indication of the uncertainty in the absolute values of numerical parameters so that a graph would suffice instead; or of the principle adopted by the author to avoid repetition of selenographic information, either trivial or well settled and accessible from other published sources; such data are touched upon but slightly, in so far as they are needed as an introduction to modem research. Only the chapter on Mapping of the Moon is an exception, as it contains a detailed historical account of selenography during the past three centuries, beginning with Galileo. The value of the book is due to the competence and experience of the author, It sets also high requirements for the reader’s competence who must be at home not only in mathemati~ and physics but also well acquainted with the state of lunar science in general, to be able to appreciate and apply the new developments in his own studies, especially in the theoretical sector. (However, an abridged non-technical version of the book is also to appear shortly.) To give an idea of the kind of detail to which the book goes, here are a few examples. In the “Thermal History of the Moon”, account is taken of the radiative component of thermal conductivity of solid rock. In the “Stress History of the Moon”, we find a table of the periods of free oscillations of the lunar globe (8.7 min, etc). “Possible Convection in the Lunar Interior” is a chapter in itself. In “Global Form of the Moon and its Gravitational Field”, three sets of isolevel maps of the Front Side are given, showing a level difference of up to 5 km (the units are not stated but have to be guessed by the reader), and a gravimetric map (again without units being indicated) shows the mass concentrations or ‘mascons’ over four maria. Them is some inconsistency in orientation of the maps-sometimes North, sometimes South being up (see Figs. 13.8, 13.9, 13.10), and East-West being sometimes according to the *astronomical’ (geocentric), sometimes according to the ‘astronautical’ (selenocentric) definition. Special Bibliographical Notes on 17 pp. and an ‘incomplete’ list of about 1200 references on 24 pp. help the reader in finding his way further into the labyrinth of selenology, following the skilful guidelines provided by the author. Professor Kopal is to be congratulated on producing this compact yet complete and painstakingly presented compendium of current lunar research, by which he has earned the gratitude of the steadily increasing community of lunar researchers-astronomers, astrophysicists, geologists, biologists and others. E. J.
6PIK
F. J. MALINA (Editor): Proc. qf the 4th Lunar Znternational Laboratory Symp., New York 1968. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1970. viii + 199 pp. ;E5. $13.50. THU book is simply a collection of ten papers presented at New York in October, 1968. As such, the chapters are not closely linked. Kondratyev and Federova give an account (in poor English) of thermal studies of the Moon; Knoemschild brieffy discusses possible methods of generating power for use on the Moon; Phelizon favours the use of artificial satebites for both lunar interstation and Moon-Earth convictions; Stewart provides a comprehensive review of possible vehicles for use on the Moon; Burriss details the design of a lunar station to support men engaged in scientific field work; Hynek and Powers add to the suggestions, made in earlier volumes of the series, for astronomical observations made from the Moon and finish with an elementary idea on the thermal control of a lunar station; and Zwicky ruminates on methods of extraction of materials from lunar rocks. 1855 13
Permmon
Press. Printed in Northern Ireland
BOOK REVIEWS
ZDENEK
KOPAL:
2%
Moon.
Reidel, Dondrecht-Holland,
1969.
XVI + 525 pp.
Hard
cover 826.60 @fl.95.-). THIS is a second revised edition of the textbook published in 1966 under slightly different title, “An Introduction to the Study of the Moon”. This was sold out in 2 years-a clear indication of its actuality from the standpoint of lunar research. Current technical research is indeed the main objective of the book, concentrating on the literature and achievements of the past ten years to the end of 1968. Its technical character, especially as far as theory is concerned, is evident from the following statistics. It contains : 57 line drawings, 121 half-tone illustrations (from the primitive early lunar drawings by Galileo and ground based telescopic to copiously presented Ranger, Orbiter and Surveyor spacecraft photo~aphs); 928 numbered mathemati~ equations; two large folded maps of the Front and Back Side of the moon by Rtikl of Prague; yet only 20 tables. The paucity of tables is either an indication of the uncertainty in the absolute values of numerical parameters so that a graph would suffice instead; or of the principle adopted by the author to avoid repetition of selenographic information, either trivial or well settled and accessible from other published sources; such data are touched upon but slightly, in so far as they are needed as an introduction to modem research. Only the chapter on Mapping of the Moon is an exception, as it contains a detailed historical account of selenography during the past three centuries, beginning with Galileo. The value of the book is due to the competence and experience of the author, It sets also high requirements for the reader’s competence who must be at home not only in mathemati~ and physics but also well acquainted with the state of lunar science in general, to be able to appreciate and apply the new developments in his own studies, especially in the theoretical sector. (However, an abridged non-technical version of the book is also to appear shortly.) To give an idea of the kind of detail to which the book goes, here are a few examples. In the “Thermal History of the Moon”, account is taken of the radiative component of thermal conductivity of solid rock. In the “Stress History of the Moon”, we find a table of the periods of free oscillations of the lunar globe (8.7 min, etc). “Possible Convection in the Lunar Interior” is a chapter in itself. In “Global Form of the Moon and its Gravitational Field”, three sets of isolevel maps of the Front Side are given, showing a level difference of up to 5 km (the units are not stated but have to be guessed by the reader), and a gravimetric map (again without units being indicated) shows the mass concentrations or ‘mascons’ over four maria. Them is some inconsistency in orientation of the maps-sometimes North, sometimes South being up (see Figs. 13.8, 13.9, 13.10), and East-West being sometimes according to the *astronomical’ (geocentric), sometimes according to the ‘astronautical’ (selenocentric) definition. Special Bibliographical Notes on 17 pp. and an ‘incomplete’ list of about 1200 references on 24 pp. help the reader in finding his way further into the labyrinth of selenology, following the skilful guidelines provided by the author. Professor Kopal is to be congratulated on producing this compact yet complete and painstakingly presented compendium of current lunar research, by which he has earned the gratitude of the steadily increasing community of lunar researchers-astronomers, astrophysicists, geologists, biologists and others. E. J.
6PIK
F. J. MALINA (Editor): Proc. qf the 4th Lunar Znternational Laboratory Symp., New York 1968. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1970. viii + 199 pp. ;E5. $13.50. THU book is simply a collection of ten papers presented at New York in October, 1968. As such, the chapters are not closely linked. Kondratyev and Federova give an account (in poor English) of thermal studies of the Moon; Knoemschild brieffy discusses possible methods of generating power for use on the Moon; Phelizon favours the use of artificial satebites for both lunar interstation and Moon-Earth convictions; Stewart provides a comprehensive review of possible vehicles for use on the Moon; Burriss details the design of a lunar station to support men engaged in scientific field work; Hynek and Powers add to the suggestions, made in earlier volumes of the series, for astronomical observations made from the Moon and finish with an elementary idea on the thermal control of a lunar station; and Zwicky ruminates on methods of extraction of materials from lunar rocks. 1855 13