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To: RightWhale
Basically true. Something extra is needed.

Apparently L4 and L5 type Lagrange points, the kind that occur 60 degrees before and after an orbiting planet on the orbital path, act like virtual masses. They can capture junk and hold it without any extra lucky inertia-robbing collisions.

43 posted on 07/18/2002 5:06:29 PM PDT by VadeRetro
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To: VadeRetro
act like virtual masses

Yes, they do, L4 and L5. Objects in there have elongated, kidney-bean shaped orbits. But an object passing into the region would just shoot right on out the other side if it doesn't hit something hit or if its speed is too high for solar wind to make a difference. Once it is in orbit, it will stay, generally, although objects can escape on their own, too.

47 posted on 07/18/2002 5:11:01 PM PDT by RightWhale
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To: VadeRetro
SOHO is in one of the earth-sun points. Did you see the SOHO pictures of the solar flare?
118 posted on 07/19/2002 2:54:24 PM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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