SUMMARY: You often hear about the "Lagrange Points", but do you know what they are? These are 5 points in the Earth-Sun system where a third, low mass object (such as a spacecraft) can maintain its position with very little fuel. L1 is a point directly in between the Earth and the Sun, ideal for observing our star - that's where NASA/ESA's SOHO is right now. Another useful point is L2, which lies on the opposite side of the Earth, away from the Sun. L2 is a great place to observe the Universe without having to directly orbit the Earth. Many upcoming space-based observatories will be headed to L2 in the next few years. There are three additional Lagrange Points in the system as well, L3, L4 and L5.

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