The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) arrived at its destination at the second Lagrange point on January 25, a milestone that has set the stage for historic cosmic discoveries.
- Currently in its commissioning phase, JWST is 15 lakh kilometres from Earth and the engineers behind this multi-billion dollar equipment are aligning its mirrors to prepare it for the mission ahead.
What are Lagrange Points?
- According to NASA, Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put. At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.
- These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position.
- There are five special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern with two larger masses.
- Lagrange points are named in honor of Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange.
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