The dispute between Carlini-Plana and Laplace on the theory of the Moon

In 1820 a prize was awarded to Carlini-Plana and Damoiseau for their memoir s on the lunar tables based solely on the law of universal gravity, as the Academie des Sciences in Paris required. Laplace had proposed in 1818 the setting up of the prize and he was member of the committee who examined the memoirs. But Laplace, unexpectedly, strongly criticised Carlini-Plana's approach to the lunar theory. A dispute ensued: although he understood the importance o f the criticisms of Carlini and Plana, addressing them punctiliously, Lapla ce had a precise objective in mind: to prove that his lunar theory, premise d in the Mecanique Celeste on the theory of universal gravity, could, with the help of able calculating astronomers, give rise eventually to good Luna r tables. After the exchanges, public and private, Laplace recognised that Carlini an d Plana had advanced the theory: the decisive step towards compiling lunar tables deduced solely from theory could thus be said to have been substanti ally accomplished.