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Gravitational waves have been predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. They are ripples in the fabric of space-time that are created when massive objects like stars or black holes interact with each other. The first direct detection of gravitational waves was announced in February 2016, when physicists detected waves produced by two black holes merging 1.3 billion light years away. Since then, researchers have detected several more gravitational wave events, including the merger of two neutron stars. The detection of gravitational waves has opened up a new way to observe the universe, and has provided insight into the nature of gravity and the behavior of some of the most extreme objects in the universe.
I recently read a terrific article in the American Mathematical Monthly about Lagrange points, which are (from Wikipedia) "points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies." There are five such points in the Sun-Earth system, called $latex L_1$, $latex L_2$, $latex L_3$, $latex L_4$, and $latex L_5$. To describe these…
From Wikipedia, Lagrange points are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies. There are five such points in the Sun-Earth system, called $latex L_1$, $latex L_2$, $latex L_3$, $latex L_4$, and $latex L_5$. The stable equilibrium points $latex L_4$ and $latex L_5$ are easiest to explain: they are the…
From Wikipedia, Lagrange points are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies. There are five such points in the Sun-Earth system, called $latex L_1$, $latex L_2$, $latex L_3$, $latex L_4$, and $latex L_5$. The stable equilibrium points $latex L_4$ and $latex L_5$ are easiest to explain: they are the…
From Wikipedia, Lagrange points are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies. There are five such points in the Sun-Earth system, called $latex L_1$, $latex L_2$, $latex L_3$, $latex L_4$, and $latex L_5$. The stable equilibrium points $latex L_4$ and $latex L_5$ are easiest to explain: they are the…
This series was motivated by a terrific article that I read in the American Mathematical Monthly about Lagrange points, which are (from Wikipedia) "points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravitational influence of two massive orbiting bodies." There are five such points in the Sun-Earth system, called $latex L_1$, $latex L_2$, $latex L_3$, $latex L_4$, and…