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The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula

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Something peculiar in my 2yo's bedroom led me to a revelation about our universe (nitter.lanterne-rouge.info)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

orbits it and the sun at the same time

~~Specifically, it's in one of the stable Lagrange points. (L4 or L5)~~

Edit: It's in a horseshoe orbit, not at a Lagrange point.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Its not at any lagrange points. 2002 VE68 is a quasi-satellite in a semi stable horseshoe shaped orbit. Its trapped in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with venus so it appears to orbit venus if youre looking at it from a venusian frame of reference but it actually orbits the sun in a highly elliptical orbit. The thing goes nearly to the earths orbit and then almost mercury’s orbit. If it were a trojan it would stay pretty much inside venus’ orbital path with a bit of wandering around the lagrange point.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago

Whoops, you're right! I stand corrected.