Abstract
IT is disconcerting that the existence of dust cloud satellites at the L4 and L5 libration points in the Earth–Moon system, first reported by Kordylewski1, is so widely accepted2–6, in view of negative radar results3, and optical results7–11, some of which report no clouds even to a limit twenty to thirty times fainter than the brightness claimed by Kordylewski. Other discussions12,13 have also argued against the existence of libration clouds. While there undoubtedly exist patches of brightness in the night sky, their connexion with the libration points is unproven.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Kordylewski, K., Acta Astron., 11, 165 (1961).
Sky and Telescope, 22, 63 (1961).
Simpson, J. W., Rev. Popular Astron., 62, 10 (1968).
Vanysek, V., Nature, 221, 47 (1969).
Bagby, J. P., Icarus, 10, 1 (1969).
Ley, W., A Dictionary of Space, The Readers' Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1959 (The Readers' Digest, Pleasantville, NY, 1966).
Wolff, C., Dunkelman, L., and Haughney, L. C., Science, 157, 427 (1967).
Weinberg, J. L., Beeson, D. E., and Hutchison, P. B., Bull. Amer. Astron. Soc. (in the press).
Morris, E. C., Ring, J., and Stephens, H. G., in Astrogeologic Studies, Ann. Prog. Rep., Part D, Aug. 25, 1962, to July 1, 1963, 71 (1964).
Roosen, R. G., Sky and Telescope, 32, 139 (1966).
Roosen, R. G., Icarus, 9, 429 (1968).
Roosen, R. G., Harrington, R. S., and Jeffreys, W. H., Physics Today, 20, 9 (1967).
Öpik, E. J., Irish Astron. J., 8, 110 (1967).
Schechter, H. B., AIAA Journal, 6, 1223 (1968).
Backhouse, T. W., Pub. West Hendon House Obs., 2, 32 (1902).
Allen, H. W., Krumm, J. W., and Randle, J. R., The Zodiacal Light and Interplanetary Medium, NASA SP-150, 91 (1967).
Whipple, F. L., Physics and Dynamics of Meteors (edit. by Kresak, L., and Millman, P. M.), 520 (D. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland, 1968).
Silverberg, E. C., and Poultney, S. K., Univ. Maryland Tech. Rep., No. 965 (1969).
Nazarova, T. N., Space Sci. Rev., 8, 455 (1968).
Alexander, W. M., McCracken, C. W., Secretan, L., and Berg, O. E., Space Research, 3, 891 (1963).
Blanco, and McCuskey, Basic Physics of the Solar System (Addison-Wesley, London, 1961).
Roosen, R. G., thesis, Univ. of Texas (1969).
McCracken, C. W., and Alexander, W. M., Introduction to Space Science, second ed. (edit. by Hess, W. N., and Mean, G. D.), (Gordon and Breach, London, 1968).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ROOSEN, R., WOLFF, C. Are the Libration Clouds Real?. Nature 224, 571 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/224571a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/224571a0
This article is cited by
-
Stability of L4 and L5 against radiation pressure
Celestial Mechanics (1984)
-
Earth's Dust Cloud
Nature (1971)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.