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Questions tagged [lagrange-point]

Questions on any of the 5 locations where a small object can maintain a stable orbital configuration with respect to two co-orbiting larger bodies.

20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Parking a telescope at a Lagrange point: is this a good idea from a debris point of view?

The James Webb space telescope is supposed to be located at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point. Do we expect the region around that point to have a higher concentration of space debris, asteroids, dust,...
FrenchKheldar's user avatar
20 votes
1 answer
696 views

How stable are Lissajous orbits?

Now that the Gaia Space Telescope is on it's way to the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrangian point (SEL2), I start wondering about the stability of Gaia's orbit there. The Planck Telescope is already there, as was ...
Alexander Janssen's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
2k views

Do Pluto and Charon have unusual Lagrange points?

The usual examples of Lagrange points one most commonly encounters, Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon Lagrange points, are examples of 3-body problems where $M_1\gg M_2\gg M_3$. The Pluto-Charon system, ...
Jerard Puckett's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
3k views

How do Lagrange points L2 and L3 form?

Five Lagrange points form between any two bodies in the space (say Sun and Earth). According to my understanding, Lagrange points L1, L4 and L5 can form because gravitation pull can cancel out here as ...
barath's user avatar
  • 263
13 votes
2 answers
4k views

Why is the L3 Lagrangian point not perfectly stable? And why is the Earth-Sun L3 point a bit less than one A.U.?

I suppose the answer might involve general relativity, but still.... The L4 and L5 points are considered, theoretically, long-term stable, but not L3, on the exact opposite side of the Sun... And it ...
Kurt Hikes's user avatar
  • 5,307
11 votes
2 answers
4k views

Worthwhile to put a telescope on the far side of the Sun?

Are there any plans to place a telescope satellites on the far side of the Sun at the L3 Lagrange point? I think it would be useful for a number of reasons. It would cover our blind spot for incoming ...
KDP's user avatar
  • 373
11 votes
3 answers
569 views

Why are telescopes positioned in Lagrange points?

In this Wikipedia article about the list of space telescopes to be launched (which I assume is exhaustive), of the 11 telescopes yet to be launched, 6 will be positioned at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange ...
user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why is the L1 point (Lagrange) almost 1 million miles from Earth? Shouldn't it be closer to us?

Try to follow my simple logic: The Sun is almost exactly 333,000 times as massive as Earth, and gravitational strength increases linearly with mass, so the Sun's gravity is about 333,000 times ours. ...
Kurt Hikes's user avatar
  • 5,307
10 votes
3 answers
617 views

Is there a ceiling for stable L4 or L5 masses?

L4 and L5, the Lagrange points 60 degrees leading and trailing an orbiting body, are famous for being stable. A well known example is the Trojan asteroids at the Sun-Jupiter L4 and L5. Nodding to ...
HopDavid's user avatar
  • 1,422
10 votes
1 answer
303 views

Determining the area of Lagrange Points

I have looked into Lagrange points a decent amount and I see many images that show the L4 and L5 locations as wide sweeping areas. Jupiter's Trojan asteroids are a good example of this. As well, L3 ...
Markitect's user avatar
  • 305
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why don't we find planetoids at L4/L5?

We find small objects (asteroids and dust) in the stable Lagrange points (L4 and L5), but AFAIK no moons (by which I mean a mass that accreted into a body, as opposed to debris that has been captured ...
feetwet's user avatar
  • 390
9 votes
1 answer
987 views

Will JWST be as durable as the hubble telescope?

JW Space Telescope is designed for a 5-10 year mission duration. Seeing as Hubble and other space missions have paved the way for JWST for reliability issues, It even has zero friction gyro's with 100+...
bandybabboon's user avatar
  • 4,268
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

Is possible to identify the Lagrange L2 point in the sky from the earth?

I'm reading now that the James Webb observatory will be at L2 point. Is possible in any way to look at this point from here in earth? I mean... given my LAT and LON here what is the best time to have ...
Magno C's user avatar
  • 339
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can dark matter accumulate at Lagrange points?

Interplanetary dust can accumulate at Lagrange points . "Kordylewski cloud - Wikipedia" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kordylewski_cloud But can dark matter accumulate at Lagrange points ...
user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

How can Earth-Sun Lagrange points L1 & L2 even be semi stable considering the moon?

I know that the Earth-Sun Lagrange L1, L2, and L3 points are not considered stable over longer periods, especially when compared to L4 and L5... But, with the moon orbiting the Earth in the general ...
Tazz250's user avatar
  • 71

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