Atticus Rare Books

On the Radiation of Heat from the Moon, Bakerian Lecture, [Extract from Volume 163] March 27, 1873, pp. 587-627

Rosse, Earl of [Sir Laurence Parsons]

London: Taylor and Francis, 1873. 1st Edition. First edition, complete extract, of an investigation on the radiation of heat from the moon, the law of its absorption by our atmosphere, and its variation in amount with the lunar phases -- subjects that would occupy Lord Rosse’s attention for the greater part of his life.

As the Bakerian Lecture before the Royal Society, Lord Rosse first delivered this work before the Royal Society on March 27th, 1873. This paper is the text of that lecture.

Lord Rosse wrote: “The less rapid decrease of the Moon’s heat than of her light on going farther from Full Moon, and the increase of percentage of heat transmitted by glass towards the time of Full Moon, may probably be explained on the assumption that when the Sun’s heat and light strike the Moon’s surface the whole of the former and only a certain proportion of the latter, depending on the intrinsic reflecting power or ‘Albedo’ of the surface, leave it again; and consequently the shaded portions, which are inclined more towards the position of the Earth at Quadrature than at Full Moon, reflect a larger amount of heat as compared with the light at the former than at the latter time, and a greater flatness of the heat- than of the light- phase-curve is the result” (Rosse, 1873). Item #708

CONDITION & DETAILS: London: Taylor and Francis. Extracted from The Philosophical Transactions, Volume 163. 4to. 11.25 x 9; 281 x 225mm. Pp. 587-627. Near fine condition. Bright and very clean.

Price: $125.00