In this paper, a solution to the problem of heat conduction in a rectangular plate subjected to the activity of a moving heat source is presented. The temperature of the plate changes because a limited area on the plate surface is heated by a heat source. The heat source moves along an elliptical trajectory which always remains within the plate area. An exact solution to the problem in an analytical form is obtained by applying the Green's function method. Exemplary results of numerical calculations to determine the temperature distribution in the plate are presented. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.