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Diagram of the Lagrange Point gravitational forces associated with the Sun-Earth system. WMAP orbits around L2, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces (white lines) of a two body system like the Sun and the Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction (red arrows) and repulsion (blue arrows). The forces at L2 tend to keep WMAP aligned on the Sun-Earth axis, but requires course correction to keep the spacecraft from moving toward or away from the Earth.

Note: Image is not to scale.

Credit: NASA / WMAP Science Team

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WMAP # 990529