About Lagrange points:
- It is named in honor of Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange.
- This mathematical problem, known as the “General Three-Body Problem” was considered by Lagrange in his prize winning paper (Essai sur le Problème des Trois Corps, 1772).
- These are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put.
- At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
- Lagrange Points produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
Uses-These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
Different points: There are five such special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern with two larger masses.
- Of the five Lagrange points, three are unstable.
- The unstable Lagrange points – labeled L1, L2 and L3 – lie along the line connecting the two large masses.
- The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted view of the sun and is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite SOHO.
- L2 is ideal for astronomy because a spacecraft is close enough to readily communicate with Earth, can keep Sun, Earth and Moon behind the spacecraft for solar power and provides a clear view of deep space for our telescopes.
- It is hard to find any use for the L3 point since it remains hidden behind the Sun at all times.
- Remaining two are stable points.
- The stable Lagrange points – labeled L4 and L5 – form the apex of two equilateral triangles that have the large masses at their vertices.
- Objects found orbiting at the L4 and L5 points are often called Trojans.
- The L4 and L5 points are home to stable orbits so long as the mass ratio between the two large masses exceeds 24.96.
- This condition is satisfied for both the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon systems, and for many other pairs of bodies in the solar system.
