Five positions in the orbital plane of two large bodies, such as the Sun and Earth, where their combined gravity and the orbital motion of a small object balance, letting a spacecraft hold station with very little fuel. Identified mathematically by Joseph-Louis Lagrange in 1772, the Sun-Earth L2 point is now a favored home for space telescopes.
Facts
Concept Domain Formulated Year Proposed ByThe three collinear points (L1, L2, L3) were discovered by Leonhard Euler around 1750; the two equilateral points (L4, L5) were discovered about a decade later by Joseph-Louis Lagrange, published in 1772. 2 Connections
Associated With
The Webb telescope observes from near the Sun-Earth L2 point.
Source Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationLagrange point, History section
The three collinear Lagrange points (L1, L2, L3) were discovered by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler around 1750, a decade before the Italian-born Joseph-Louis Lagrange discovered the remaining two (L4 and L5).
- Associated With: Orbital Mechanics
View the Source Lagrange Points (Wikipedia)
In Group: Orbital Elements and Celestial Mechanics, Lead sentenceQuote, In Group: Orbital Elements and Celestial Mechanics, Lead sentence
In celestial mechanics, the Lagrange points (), also called the Lagrangian points or libration points, are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies.
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