List of objects at Lagrangian points

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This is a list of known objects which have been, are or are planned to occupy any of the five Lagrangian points of two-body systems in space.

L₁

L₁ is the Lagrangian point located approximately 1,500,000 km towards the Sun away from the Earth.

Past probes

• International Cometary Explorer, formerly the International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3), knocked out of L₁ in 1983 for a comet rendezvous mission. Currently in solar orbit, it may be captured in 2014 when it next approaches Earth.
• Genesis, which returned to Earth in September 2004 after collecting solar wind particles for three years. The sample return capsule crash-landed in Tooele County, Utah, when its parachute failed, making its planned airplane-grab recovery impossible. Usable samples were recovered from the capsule anyway, making the mission a partial success.
• WIND, a NASA spacecraft, was launched in November of 1994 in order to study solar wind. The spacecraft's original mission was to orbit the Sun at the L1 Lagrangian point, but this was changed when the SOHO spacecraft was sent to the same location.

Present probes

• The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
• The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)

Planned probes

• LISA Pathfinder

Cancelled probes

• The Triana satellite

L₂

L₂ is the Lagrangian point located approximately 1,500,000 km away from the Earth in the direction opposite the Sun.

Present probes

• Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)

Planned probes

• The joint NASA, ESA and CSA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), formerly known as the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST)
• The ESA Herschel Space Observatory
• The ESA Planck Surveyor
• The ESA Gaia probe
• The NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder mission (may be placed in an Earth-trailing orbit instead)
• The ESA Darwin mission

Cancelled probes

• The ESA Eddington space telescope

L₃

L₃ is the Lagrangian point located on the side of the Sun opposite the Earth, slightly outside the Earth's orbit.

• There are no known objects in this orbital location.

L₄

L₄ is the Lagrangian point located in the Earth's orbit 60° ahead of the Earth.

• Dust clouds ^{[#endnote_baez_math_ucr_edu]}

L₅

L₅ is the Lagrangian point located in the Earth's orbit 60° behind the Earth.

• Dust clouds

Earth-

L₂

• future location of TDRS-derived satellites to facilitate direct communications between Earth and far side of the Moon.

L₄

• possible Kordylewski clouds

L₅

• possible Kordylewski clouds

L₄ and L₅

• future location of TDRS-style communication satellites to support L₂ satellite

Asteroids in the L₄ and L₅ Mars-Sun Lagrangian points are sometimes called Mars Trojan asteroids, but "Trojan asteroid", as originally defined, is a term for asteroids in the L₄ and L₅ Jupiter-Sun Lagrangian points.

L₄

• 1999 UJ₇

L₅

• 5261 Eureka
• 1998 VF₃₁, 2001 DH₄₇, 2001 FG₂₄, 2001 FR₁₂₇ (not confirmed as true Lagrangian asteroids)

Asteroids in the L₄ and L₅ Jupiter-Sun Lagrangian points are known as Jupiter Trojan asteroids or simply Trojan asteroids.

L₄

• Trojan asteroids, Greek camp

L₅

• Trojan asteroids, Trojan camp

L₄

• Telesto

L₅

• Calypso

Saturn-

L₄

• Helene

L₅

• Polydeuces

Asteroids in the L₄ and L₅ Neptune-Sun Lagrangian points are sometimes called Neptune Trojan asteroids, but "Trojan asteroid", as originally defined, is a term for asteroids in the L₄ and L₅ Jupiter-Sun Lagrangian points.

L₄

• 2001 QR₃₂₂
• 2004 UP₁₀
• 2005 TN₅₃
• 2005 TN₇₄
• 2005 TO₇₄

Source: Minor Planet Center [link]

See also

• Trojan points
• Trojan asteroid

References

1. ↑  [John Baez' Lagrange Points page]

 

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