• ∟⊔⊤∦∣≶
    link
    fedilink
    321 year ago

    For everyone who immediately thinks ‘it’s most likely orbiting a point within the earth,’ here’s a diagram to help:

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      81 year ago

      Have no idea how this works… there is no gravitational pull at the L2 point, it’s just an empty point in space 🤨.

          • Sneezycat
            link
            fedilink
            4
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            It’s not really a three body problem. For that, the gravity of the JWST would have to affect the other two bodies, but its gravity is negligible.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        131 year ago

        JWST isn’t going in circles, it’s orbiting the sun. If you look at it relative to that, then it looks more like a sine wave rather than going in circles. However from the perspective of the earth, it looks like it’s going in circles

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          3
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Maybe gravitational push-pull between planets and moons… IDK, it might be some sweet spot they discovered where gravitational forces do weird things, lol 😂.

          • @Balex
            link
            9
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            This. There’s 5 Legrange Points for every 2 body system. They’re specific points around the 2 bodys where the gravity “cancels out”. In this case the 2 body system is the Earth and the Sun. JWST is sitting a million miles from Earth at L2.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              71 year ago

              Dammit, I was feeling proud that my first thought on how this could work lined up with the explanation… But I had assumed L2 (didn’t stop to think about the label) was where I now see L1 to be. I can wrap my head around L1 just fine, but how the heck is L2 the same? Or the others for that matter? Gonna stare at this for a while…

              • @Balex
                link
                6
                edit-2
                1 year ago

                If you understand gravity wells, think of L1/L2/L3 as the shape of a saddle. If you’re right in the middle of the saddle it’s a pretty stable orbit, but if you get too close to any of the edges you fall right out of it. L4 and L5 are like the peaks of a mountain.

                Also worth pointing out that only L4 and L5 are stable, L1/L2/L3 are only metastable where they require a bit of maintenance to stay there.

                Another fun fact about Legrange Points: There’s a group of asteroids called the Trojan Asteroids. There’s technically two groups of these since they’re stuck in L4 and L5 in the Sun/Jupiter system.

                • @[email protected]
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  11 year ago

                  Ah, so that’s why we don’t put shit in L4 and 5 😂… things will bump in them once in a while 😂.