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The fear: deadly asteroids stuck in Earth's Lagrange points

Lagrange points 4 and 5 in the orbits of other planets (Jupiter and Saturn) contain asteroid swarms, may exhibit a similar feature in Earth's orbit. Stereo spacecraft are supposed to explore these areas on their way to the other side of the sun.

Stereo spaceships. Illustration: NASA
Stereo spaceships. Illustration: NASA

Two stereo-series solar observatories launched to study the Sun's coronal emissions and the solar wind may perform a completely different study. The two spacecraft fly in opposite directions, one slightly ahead of the Earth's orbit and the other - in an orbit slightly behind it. These unique observatories should provide a view of the solar environment in unprecedented detail and will also allow us to See the sun from two different vantage points.

Even so it's an exciting task, after all how many observers can see the sun from a distance of one astronomical unit without sticking to the earth? However, two stereo spacecraft that are now moving away from the Earth (in opposite directions) reach a demarcated area from the gravitational point of view. The spacecraft are supposed to enter Lagrange points L4 and L5 to hunt down some rock blocks.

Lagrange points in two-body systems such as the Earth and the Sun are a kind of island of gravitational stability. It is a volume of space where the gravity of the two bodies cancels each other out. The first two Lagrange points in the system that includes the sun and the earth are clear - about 1.5 million kilometers from the surface of the earth, between it and the sun is the point where the gravity of the sun and the earth cancel each other out. This point is called L1.

Diagram - the location of Lagrange points in the system - the Earth's sun
Diagram - the location of Lagrange points in the system - the Earth's sun

The point L2 is about the same distance but on the other side of the Earth. In this case, the Earth causes a permanent eclipse of the Sun there. Point L3 is on the other side of the Sun from Earth exactly one astronomical unit away. Now it starts to sound strange - the points L4 and L5 are exactly sixty degrees before and after the Earth in its orbit.

Points L4 and L5 are also the most gravitationally stable. Primordial matter and fragments that fall into this point become Lagrange prisoners The L1 point was considered the most stable Lagrange point (because it is locked directly between the gravity of the Sun and the gravity of the Earth), but it turns out that even spacecraft that were supposed to land there such as Soho and AE had to perform complicated maneuvers to stay in place, otherwise the delicate balance will be lost and they will drift away from L1.

On the other hand, it turns out that after all L4 and L5 are the most stable areas when they are balanced through a complicated equation of gravitational components from the Earth and the Sun. Therefore, it is believed that these two regions captured dust and rocks during the existence of the solar system, which makes them a very interesting place for launching space missions. Two stereo spacecraft are heading towards L4 and L5, with the aim of exploring the dead zone, whether they want to or not.

It is a known fact that other planets have companions in their orbits located at the Lagrange points before and after the planet, and they are called Trojan asteroids and Greek asteroids. Is there also a swarm of asteroids in Earth's orbit? Is there an asteroid swarm at points L4 and L5? Scientists believe this is almost certain, but so far no such asteroid has been observed.

Although they are millions of kilometers away from us, L4 and L5 can be observed at sunset and sunrise, and the possibility of detecting asteroids is small because they are blinded by sunlight. Thus stereo spacecraft should dive into points L4 and L5, to see at first glance what is there.


For the news in Universe Today

16 תגובות

  1. Forces do act at the Lagrange points, but the sum of all the acting forces leaves the body located there in the same position relative to the two bodies. The forces that act are the gravitational force of the central body, for example the sun, the gravitational force of the surrounding body, for example the earth, and the centrifugal force that acts on the body.
    For example at Lagrange point number one:-
    The body is between the Earth and the Sun at a distance of one and a half million kilometers from the Earth. The gravitational force of the sun is greater than in the area of ​​the earth and the centrifugal force of the body is smaller than in the area of ​​the earth therefore the body should have fallen towards the sun but at a distance of one and a half million km the gravitational force of the earth affects exactly the force that should keep the body in the same place between the earth and the sun.
    Let's hope I understood
    Good Day
    Sabdarmish Yehuda

  2. Addition - in order for bodies to remain in such places of equilibrium - they must have a constant angular velocity which is not possible without the influence of forces.

  3. Why are these points considered stable? After all, their actual location changes all the time, because the map does not stand still,
    So why should they accumulate something that other points do not accumulate?

  4. In response 3 they already wrote about a spelling mistake. Why don't you fix it? "Yaltzo" instead of "Yaltzo".
    Good Day
    Sabdarmish Yehuda

  5. To Michael R. (formerly Michael):

    You are wrong, and I doubt if you even understand what grunge is.

  6. Anyone who understands the reason for the existence of the different Lagrange points will immediately conclude that L1 is the least stable of them all.
    Of all the Lagrange points L1 is the one where any deviation towards or from the Earth gives the strongest positive feedback - that is - increases the deviation at the greatest rate.

  7. They are not sent for this purpose. This is a secondary goal. They are sent to look at the sun from different points of view, thus making it possible to watch storms before they reach the area of ​​the sun that faces the earth at that moment (see a related news in Nef from a few weeks ago)

  8. Before sending an expensive spaceship to our Grange points with the sun why not check our points with the moon maybe asteroids are stuck there and they are more available and dangerous.
    The reality of those with the moon will almost certainly prove that we have companions with the sun as well
    Just food for thought
    Good Day
    Sabdarmish Yehuda

  9. I don't understand why you can't use telescopes in space such as the "vanity" in total it's a negligible distance to the pictures it takes of the rest of the galaxy, I don't understand where the problem is here??? And if glare is the problem, I'm sure there are means to overcome it, and the cause of glare is also not visible because Lagrange points L4 and L5 are not in a direct line with the sun.

    post Scriptum. There is a spelling mistake in the fourth paragraph from the end, they wrote Nezalu and it should be Nezalu, please correct it.

  10. What happens to the influence of gravity from other planets (Jupiter, Mars...)? Are they already included in the calculation? Or is the relative impact low because of the distance?

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