Lagrangian point

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. one of five points in the orbital plane of two bodies orbiting about their common center of gravity at which another body of small mass can be in equilibrium.

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Lagrangian point British  

noun

1. astronomy one of five points in the plane of revolution of two bodies in orbit around their common centre of gravity, at which a third body of negligible mass can remain in equilibrium with respect to the other two bodies

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Lagrangian point Scientific  

/ lə-grān′jē-ən /

1. A point in space where a small body with negligible mass under the gravitational influence of two large bodies will remain at rest relative to the larger ones. In a system consisting of two large bodies (such as the Sun-Earth system or the Moon-Earth system), there are five Lagrangian points (L1 through L5). Knowledge of these points is useful in deciding where to position orbiting bodies.

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Etymology

Origin of Lagrangian point

1960–65; named after J. L. Lagrange; -ian

Example Sentences

“Preliminary results showed it was in a trojan orbit around our Lagrangian point L4,” Dunn told Space.com.

From Scientific American

The Interceptor will park at Earth's L2 Lagrangian point 1.5 million kilometers away, where it can easily maintain a stable orbit as it awaits the flyby of an interesting object.

From Scientific American

This would take up a position directly between the Earth and the Sun, at Lagrangian Point 1.

From BBC

It is now on a 100-day journey to L2, the second Lagrangian point, a gravitationally stable parking spot that trails Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

From Nature

Primarily used as an outpost for human exploration of deep space and potential colonization of other habitable planets, Yutu-3 was based at the Earth-Moon L4 Lagrangian point.

From Slate