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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Lagrangian_points
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1992-09-03
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The five locations in space where the
centrifugal and gravitational forces of two
bodies neutralize each other; a third, less
massive body located at any one of these
points will be held in equilibrium with
respect to the other two. Three of the
points, L1-L3, lie on a line joining the two
large bodies. The other two points, L4 and
L5, which are the most stable, lie on either
side of this line. Their existence was
predicted 1772 by Joseph Louis Lagrange. The
Trojan asteroids lie at Lagrangian points L4
and L5 in Jupiter's orbit around the Sun.
Clouds of dust and debris may lie at the
Lagrangian points of the Moon's orbit around
the Earth.