Where is the Lagrange point L1 between Earth and the Sun?
Quick Answer
Earth-Sun L1 lies on the line between Earth and the Sun, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth toward the Sun. It is a useful location for space observatories.
The Full Story
The Earth-Sun L1 point is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction of the Sun, where gravitational and orbital effects allow a spacecraft to stay in a stable position relative to Earth and the Sun. It is not perfectly fixed, so spacecraft orbit around it rather than sit exactly on the point. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, has used this location since 1995. The James Webb Space Telescope does not orbit L1, but it operates near the Earth-Sun L2 point, another nearby gravitational balance point.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The sweet spot in space that keeps observatories steady"
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