Re: Question on a Universal Gravitation problem

[John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

On Tue, 23 Apr 2002, Robert Cohen wrote:

> I have a separate question: Is there some point where the net
> gravity would be such that a space pad's acceleration would be
> zero relative to the rotating reference frame in which the
> moon orbits the earth?

There are five such points.  Search the phys-l archives or the
web in general for references to the "Lagrange points."  For
instance:

 <http://mailgate.nau.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9702&L=phys-l&D=0&P=14589>

 <http://mailgate.nau.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9706&L=phys-l&P=R245>

 <http://www.physics.montana.edu/faculty/cornish/lagrange.html>

 <http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_mm/ob_techorbit1.html>

John Mallinckrodt      mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm