Last January, I noticed something peculiar in my 2yo’s bedroom that - after a year of obsessive reporting - led me to a profound cosmic revelation about what’s even possible in our universe. A 🧵.
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.
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.
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.
Whoops, you’re right! I stand corrected.