Stagnatiepunten

Stagnatiepunten, also known as equilibrium points, are locations in space where the gravitational forces of two large orbiting bodies, such as a star and a planet, balance each other out. At these points, a smaller object can remain relatively stationary with respect to the two larger bodies.

There are five such points in the restricted three-body problem, typically designated as L1 through L5. The L1 point lies on the line connecting the two larger bodies, between them, where the gravitational pull of the smaller body is canceled out by the larger body. The L2 point is also on this line, but beyond the smaller body, where the gravitational forces are also balanced. The L3 point is on the line connecting the two bodies, but on the opposite side of the larger body from the smaller one.

The L4 and L5 points are located at the vertices of equilateral triangles formed with the two larger bodies. These points are considered stable, meaning that if a small object is slightly perturbed from these locations, it will tend to return to its original position. In contrast, the L1, L2, and L3 points are unstable, and any small disturbance will cause an object to drift away.

Lagrangian points have significant practical applications in space exploration. For instance, the James Webb Space Telescope is positioned at Earth-Sun L2, allowing it to maintain a stable orbit with uninterrupted views of the universe. Similarly, some asteroids, known as Trojan asteroids, are found in Jupiter's L4 and L5 points.