Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: chrisser; T. P. Pole

Yes, L3 is stable, but not for anything near to Earth’s mass. We could put an artificial satellite there, and it would stay opposite to Earth, but anything much larger than that would quickly drift into its own orbit.


28 posted on 02/24/2015 11:38:51 AM PST by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies ]


To: Boogieman; chrisser; T. P. Pole
No, L3 is not stable. L3 is a saddle point (stable in one direction, unstable in another). Look at the image below:

The red arrows indicate the unstable directions, and the blue, stable.

35 posted on 02/24/2015 11:48:10 AM PST by kosciusko51 (Enough of "Who is John Galt?" Who is Patrick Henry?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson