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Message: <blockquote data-quote="imhotep" data-source="post: 31580891" data-attributes="member: 562115">Usually the satellites get stationed at the Lagrange Points - named after the Italian-French mathematician J L Lagrange.  At Lagrange points the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them. Here the two large masses are the Sun & the Earth.There are five such points L1 to L5.  Three are unstable and two stable. The unstables L1, L2 & L3 lie in the line connecting the Sun & the Earth.L1 offers a good view of the Sun and the SOHO satellite is homed there. L2 is ideal for astronomy because a spacecraft is close enough to readily communicate with Earth, can keep Sun, Earth and Moon behind the spacecraft for solar power and (with appropriate shielding) provides a clear view of deep space for our telescopes. L3 is behind the Sun and of no practical use.L4 & L5 are highly stable and tend to collect space debris and Trojan asteroids.</blockquote>

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