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The James Webb Space Telescope is now in orbit around L2! But there's nothing there, so how can it orbit when there's nothing there? We'll show how JWST maintains its orbit around the second Lagrangian Point of the Sun and Earth.
00:00 Webb Enters Orbit
02:25 Magellan TV
02:59 Lagrangian Points Explained
04:29 Station Keeping at L2
07:00 How Webb Orbits L2
10:22 Webb's Actual Orbit and Trajectory
12:13 Maintaining Webb's Orbit
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🔴 ERRATA: At 9:55 , F_c should just equal F_⊕y. DUH! Meanwhile, Webb's 18 mirror segments are being aligned to form a single monolithic mirror. Here's how they're doing it: kzhead.info/sun/YMeOoJR5fKmMZa8/bejne.html
I think you meant F_c_halo instead of F_c. The diagram helped me immensely anyway.
Errata to my errata :)
Great Video, very helpful. I learned something new today !
@@LaunchPadAstronomy Yay science at work. Find a mistake, correct it and move forward!!!😆
Does "bary" mean invisible?
A little over a hundred years ago, humanity hadn’t yet made functioning airplanes. Now we have telescopes flying through space taking visible and infrared pictures and sending them back to earth. This is absolutely amazing!
well most of the population is not that knowledgable including me 🙁
We already had space exploration 50y ago (manned )
MY QUESTION IS: why now and not 500 or 3000 years ago? why not 7 000 years ago? WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING?
@@irisbaez1972 Killing each other.
@@ExplodingPsyche same as today right? So we haven't changed at all. Why do we call us Humans or better yet: Men or Women?
The fact that this is so oversimplified and still pretty hard to grasp is scary. Such things are a major feat of human intelligence and hard work
yaap.
Shame NASA is using DEI standards to hire now. We will no longer have people hired because they are the best and brightest.
I didn't find it hard to grasp. I just didn't know that JWSS's orbit (around the sun) is so complicated. And I must be getting senile, somewhere I had it in my head that JWSS was going to be at L4.
Sadly didn't get to learn anything in this video at least someone somewhere did tho
Greater than James webb and all that is the modern Smart Phone and Google search engine. James webb is a waste. These guys will never know secrets of how matter was formed, what is infinite space without boundaries... Why go so far, how plant and animal life formed from inorganic elements...
I can only imagine how excited the team was to nail the burns so efficiently, and reward themselves with an extra decade with this amazing tool. All their hard work is really going to pay off for all of us!
The European Space Agency launch was literally perfect. Literally ... perfect.
indeed
I've seen a lot of videos explaining JWST's orbit. This one is by far the most clear and easy to understand, and with great detail as well. Thank you!
Agree
If there is a stable orbit, why was a dusty ice chunk/rock not already there?
and yet again my tiny brain could not understand. No doubt all this is rocket science
@@steveunderhill5935See the explanation at 4:29 - the Lagrangian points are at best described as metastable, so any objects that may have wandered through there at the right velocity may have lingered, but would be extremely unlikely to stay.
@@steveunderhill5935 Because it would have to had have exactly the right energy and momentum.
I’m still in awe that scientists can figure out all of these computations, and get Webb to work as planned (after all of the computer simulations and rigorous testing) Seriously amazing! Thanks for the video to help explain all of this. I’ve been wondering how that L2 orbit works since seeing the animations.
My hat's off to them as well. And the L2 stuff confused me a little as well. It wasn't until I ran across a force diagram on Twitter that I smacked my forehead and went "duh..." :)
It's even crazier that we have been doing this before all the fancy computers we have today
Super computers help a lot
@@seanriopel3132 very true. During the NASA press conference this week they were taking questions from regular people online and someone asked this woman how long does Webb take to orbit L2. The woman was silent and then said she couldn't hear. They asked her again and she hung up. About 20 min later they asked a man at NASA and you could actually hear someone whisper to him "every 6 months!". Lol. It amazes me how many questions they couldn't answer. Still a good achievement but this has taken 30 years and just a few weeks ago they were trying to convince us it would be a miracle if it worked.
Daniel M! You will be even more delighted when you learn that the mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange, back in 1772, provided a solution to a mathematical problem from which the existence of these singular points followed. We can say that theoretically the JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE Project began 250 years ago! :)
6:27 "JWST could use nuclear power, but that's expensive and hard to do." Admit it, that's a pretty funny thing to say in a video about the JWST.
"Until next time.. stay curious my friend." That line comes across so genuine each time. I'm glad I found your channel, every video is so full of detail with a clear explanation. Thank you.
You've done a fantastic job simplifying a complex topic into a digestible topic! I'm not an astrophysicist, and really appreciate the effort put into this. I've been wondering it offhand for months now.
Your explanations simply cannot get any better. Crystal clear and informative
Well, thank you so very much, I really appreciate it!
amen! Very well presented!
Thank You for speaking on a technical level I can easily understand.
@@LaunchPadAstronomy I agree, thanks for the very informative video. Perfectly understandable and to the point. Very well done thank you. 😃
I mean I still couldn't follow half way through but yes this is probably as clear as it gets.
Absolutely the best explanation I've heard about Webb's very complicated and complex orbit.
That "stay curious my friend" at the end felt so genuine, thanks for the great explanation
I like how this explanation is quite within the grasp of students who are perhaps just in their first or second year of physics in college. While I haven't taken a physics or math class in more than 10 years, i'm happy that I (kind of) can follow what you're saying.
Im pretty well educated and have a doctorate. Watching videos like these is VERY humbling. The scientist and engineers that figure this stuff out are the true Rockstars of our society. 💙
Agreed!
Lol same..I thought I was smart… but this is on a whole new level! The more I learn about JWT creation and launch the more I’m blown away.
Those who are truly intelligent can acknowledge and realize how much they really don't know or comprehend. The level of math required for these calculations and real world influences on those calculations is truly mind boggling. Somewhere out there, someone is thinking "I wonder what ever happened to that really smart quiet kid from school". He/she is out there figuring out the math to keep a 10 billion satellite operational. I know I am.
*I'm a huge fan of knowing the unknown. That's why I'm watching this video to begin with. But now I have to ask you all an honest question: what information will this mission bring us that helps society here on Earth? Please give me honest answers*
@@jonslg240 Nothing in terms of immediate gratification/needs. This mission will confirm/deny theories in the scientific community about what happened about 100M years after the big bang. Will help us understand theories about dark matter/energy. Will be able to see if exoplanets around other stars have an atmosphere. This mission is looking forward to the needs of humanity many generations from now. "Blessed are old people who plant trees knowing that they shall never sit in the shade of their foliage."
After several weeks of struggle, I finally understood how objects behave at the L2 point. Thanks a lot sir. You are simply amazing.
Thank you so much, and I'm so glad it helped!
I was wondering about this orbit for a while, then I found this video and as soon as I saw the diagram I understood. Really well explained, obviously oversimplified but a great entry level explanation.
Thank you so much, I spent a lot of time trying to find the answer to this very question and came up blank. I really appreciate your team taking the time and effort to make this video.
Since the JWST was launched, I've been reading up on lagrange points and L2 halo orbits. I struggled to understand how a halo orbits works. This video is the best video I've seen that explained the physics behind it. Thank you so so much! You have a new subscriber and I will be sure to support your patreon.
Wow, thank you and I'm so grateful to have your support!
Thank you thank you thank you!! I’ve been trying to find an explanation of this “orbiting an empty spot” physics and have been stymied until now! As an engineer I’m familiar with vector forces and the basics of orbital mechanics but I could never understand where the centripetal acceleration toward L2 was coming from. Your animation showing the small frequent thrusts that continually push Webb up the gravitational “hill” toward L2 to counter the tendency to fall back toward earth was also brilliant and makes the whole thing much more intuitive!
Wow, thank you so much! I have to admit when I saw that little animation play for the first time , I was all "whee!" :)
How did you end up being an engineer? I don't have an academic degree but I understood this since primary school. Really. This is serious question.. The engineers shouldn't have any problem understanding it, but maybe I have wrong picture of stereotypical engineer.
@jaypixx77 please be kind. I think @sailorgeer would have come up with something similar given enough time and collaboration. It took a lot of both to make this happen and I think sailorgeer was being humble.
@@JayPixx Because he's an engineer and not a know it all in astrophysics we are doomed? More likely we are doomed if we have more ppl like you around. You understood the L2 point since primary school? That's a lie
🤣 thats the power of imagination, make up anything you want
I like that you're telling us that these are still simplified calculation. It seems like the real thing is WAY more complicated than what can be explained in one video.
Thank you. I had EXACTLY this question and even though I'd seen a number of videos, noone really explained this as clearly as you.
At last! I've been waiting for someone to explain this. It's so weird seeing the animation of Webb orbiting nothing. Thank you!
*I'm a huge fan of knowing the unknown. That's why I'm watching this video to begin with. But now I have to ask you all an honest question: what information will this mission bring us that helps society here on Earth? Please give me honest answers*
Simply Incredible!!! We have all waited a long,long time for Webb to get on the job. But it was worth it! The performance of the Webb team was a scientific tour de force! Who says that science is boring and cannot be art?
My jaw dropped at how good that explanation was (based on how well and easily I was able to understand) Hats off !
Finally!! An explanation of L2 that I could follow and, for the most part, understand. The analogy of balancing a marble on a saddle was excellent and made things click for me. Many thanks!!
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL EXPLANATION . THIS DESERVES A BIG APPLAUSE AND AWARD. NO OTHER VIDEO HAS EVER EXPLAINED THIS WAY. GOD BLESS YOU SIR.
So nice of you to say, thanks!
Absolutely so true.
This is the only explanation of a Lagrange point that doesn't, in the end, expect you to accept it just because. Well done. Subscribed.
A simple force diagram does it better. and explains why station keeping is mandatory.
I appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos. Thanks Christian :)
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the in-depth explanation about this, I was kind of head scratching about "Orbiting Nothing" And it's pretty amazing that they can do these calculations to make this all work out. Love your channel and keep up the awesome videos and explanations.
Awesome explanation. This video explained so many things I was wondering about regarding this mission, including the actual orbits and the calculations that have to be made. Well done, LPA!
At last. A decent explanation as I have been searching for this for ages.
I'm glad it was helpful. Someone posted a similar approach on Twitter and of course I smacked my forehead and went "duh..." :)
Fantastic, have been searching for simplified (but not glossing over) description of how Halo orbits at L2 work and how JWST will station keep. your force diagrams and 'staying on the Earth side of the saddle" did the trick. thanks
I'm really glad it helped!
Thanks for making an insanely complicated subject understandable for those of us not born with Einstein brains! I now understand the physics behind this now thanks to you. You just earned a subscriber!
You don't have to be as smart and/or intuitive as Einstein. Just a rocket scientist. 😉
First detailed video about Webb I have ever seen .Exposes the mind blowing hard work the engineers and scientists did which is worth the 100 US dollars price especially after the first photos were taken. Everyone on earth should know this work of miracle and art
I was looking for this exact explanation for many weeks but could not find anything anywhere. You answered ALL the questions i had about the circular orbit around L2. Thanks.
You explain stuff that needs to be explained in order to understand what's really going on behind the scene. While there are others who do decent job, your videos always offer that intuitive understanding. Being coherent while handling complex topics and make it palatable to people who haven't studied the subject is top notch journalistic talent. 👏
Wow, thank you VERY much, I really appreciate that!
I couldn't figure out how the Lagrange points worked. But you explained it in a way I could understand, thank you.
Really appreciate this video. You answered all the questions my mind had thought up. It's amazing how wildly complex this thing is!
Once again you manage to present the amazing engineering of Webb in a great and illuminating way. Thanks for your videos, the go-to place for Webb-info.
Wow, thank you for the kind words!
hey I saw me at the end! thanks for the video. I was wondering why they chose such a unique orbit for jwst
Thanks for your support!
Thank you very much. As a science fiction fan, I have seen references to LaGrange points and had a fuzzy understanding. This has cleared things up immensely, well taught sir!
I had absolutely no idea on how that orbit worked. Thank you very much! Amazing explanation.
Thank you for such a great explanation of such a complicated subject. I find it incredible that LaGrange figured out in the 1700's the gravitation effects of these points in space, and that we are able to use the same maths as him to keep the JWST in position. The more I learn about the universe, the more marvelous it becomes.
The more you learn about god, the more marvelous it becomes.
Great video! Thank you for covering Webb and getting this info to the public in such an easy to understand way! I worked the design of the Sunshield for 14 years at NG and it is great to see all the public interest in Webb. Thanks for all your videos!
Thanks! And thanks for building a great sunshield!
Remember there were hundreds of engineers that worked on this observatory and some that continue to work on it in the background to make sure that in 6 months the mirrors can finally capture the first images.
Woww
@@folveraolvera Is that when we get the first glimpse of a better future for the public? Becuase the JW has already sent images back ? HAha He He
This was my first time watching your channel. All I can say is, wow! You do such a great job of explainging exceedingly complex ideas for everyone to understand. Great job! New subscriber here!
I really appreciate folks like you that delve into the scientific and technical considerations of stuff like this for those of us nerds out here that are thirsty for more information than the typical over-simplified stuff that is usually all we hear from most mass media reports. Thank you! When I first saw the simulations of how Webb would orbit L2, I got a strong feeling that the center of that orbit was actually going to be nearer to earth than the actual L2 point itself is. I wasn't 100% sure I had thought of all the reasons it would be closer, but after watching this I now realize that I missed fewer of them than I figured I would.
Wow, I had no idea, was so confused how it reached this specific orbit--thanks for the math and science lesson!!
You got it!
Wow what an explaination, thank you for simplifying it for us. This was too awesome. Even in this simple version it is mind blowing all the calculations you all figured out. This human is proud of you all. What an accomplishment!
Thank you so much for explaining this so clearly. I was looking for something to help me understand precisely this! Your explanation was so clear and just the right level of detail I really appreciated it and the visual elements. Thankyou!
About a month ago, I spent maybe a week trying to understand this halo orbit and could not find any videos or any info on forums that explained it, then this came up on my KZhead feed. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the lucid explanation into the whole exercise of the Webb being put into an around L2 of Sun & Earth! This one program has demystified so many vagueness & doubts I had about the whole topic of Webb orbiting L2. Thank you also to show how useful an apparently enigmatic topic like centrifugal force could become 😁 👏
You're very welcome! I was always content with the discussion of gravitational potentials, but then I saw it described with a simple force diagram and I just smacked my forehead and said, "duh!" :)
Wow! What an amazing explenation of a problem that never even occured to me in all of the other videos and articles about the jwt. I'm absolutely blown away by everthing about this mission. A true milestone in human history.
I was waiting this explanation for a very long time! This video finally answered my questions which I had after watching dozen of other videos about Lagrange points. Please make similar video explaining L4/L5. Why hilltop is more stable than saddle?
I've always been so interested in space exploration and technology since I was a kid and this absolutely blows my mind. The bright minds that dreamed this up are truly inspiring.
Amazing minds who made this possible. Us Humans need more of this and less of celebrities and “influencers” 😬
Fantastic explanation. Thank you, amazing how the position of an object that far from earth can be determined.
This is a wonderful video! I can't believe I haven't come across your channel before, I felt the effects of the different forces were very clear and well-explained, thank you! I understand a little better now haha :D
What a joy your lectures must have been to your students! This was so easy to assimilate! Thank you! I haven't "liked and subscribed" this fast in a very long time!
Wow, thank you!
@@LaunchPadAstronomy More than welcome! Thank YOU for this channel!
Incredible video. I really liked the way you explained the Halo Orbit of JWST, I understood it very well.
Awesome, that's great to hear!
Thank you Christian for best and the most comprehensive explanation of the gravitational and other forces acting on Webb! Your vector diagrams and illustrations are spectacular.
Fascinating, informative clip here - very well explained and shown and done. Thankyou. Oh & really loved the "Really NOT to scale!" note on some of the diagrams.
This video is by far the most clear and easy to understand, and with great detail as well. Thank you!
Well done Christian! This is the most detailed, easy to understand and accurate description of L2 yet. There are some really good vids on L2 out there but yours paints the clearest picture yet. I take my hat off to you sir!
Thank you so much, Sebastian. I really appreciate it!
I completely agree. It's awesome!
Yes I must admit I had my ideas about Lagrange points completely wrong, I thought they were like a gravity well without an object at the center. The centrifugal force thing really made it clear, good job
@@StudioHartoog p
Thank you for the excellent video! This is the best explanation I've seen on how objects orbit L2, and how the various forces work to keep Webb from floating away. The level of detail is also spot-on: simple, but not overly simplistic.
Finaly somebody explained it in details. Thanks a lot!
I don't actually understand technically almost anything of what was explained, but i understand how amazingly complex those things are… and i love it!
One of my favourite youtubers! You do more than simply dish out information. I feel like you teach me things in a way I'm able to remember, recall, and apply. Also one of the best at weaving sponsorship in a way that's practical, seamless, and relevant. Other youtubers should copy this! CHEERS!
You’re very kind, thanks!
Excellent!!! Thanks for the hard work to investigate this and present it!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
I've seen many many Videos that tried to explain the webb orbit. This is the only one that I finally understood
Thank you for this video, i finally found something that makes sense explaining l2
Thanks for the explanation! I was quite curious about this. The amount of engineering and forethought that went into this satellite is so incredible.
Now I finally understand the halo orbit. Excellent graphics! Many thanks.
You bet!
When I first saw Webb's orbit I always wondered how this worked. So a big thanks for this very detailed video 😃
Very well explained, thank you so much! My knowledge level isn’t even close to my interest level on this topic and you make it much easier to understand. I have subscribed and can’t wait to see what else you have.
Thank you for this explanation and especially for not putting in a bunch of background music, your explanation was great and gave me a much better understanding of Webb's orbit and why it is at that point.
Glad it was helpful!
That’s a great detailed explanation. Thanks and looking for the next six months and beyond.
Glad it was helpful!
this is the video I was looking for since I first heard about lagrange points. THE most clear explanation so far. I finally understand what's going on and I didn't even watch half of the video. THANK YOU!!!
My pleasure! And feel free to check out the other half, ‘cause it’s a deusy!
Thank you very much for the explanation. I have had this very question since before Webb launched and your description is the first I've seen to answer this puzzle.
Fantastic! Exactly the level of detail I was looking for and very well presented. Thanks!
I'd like to suggest a similar video (someday) explaining how missions like Lunar Prospector and LCROSS used changes in orbital velocity to measure density variations on the Moon, etc. I understand the basics of how that works, but would love to see the details explained this clearly. Really enjoyed seeing the force vectors analyzed! Thanks!
Great video! I've had this question crawling in my brain for so long, it was quite refreshing to have it finally answered.
I've been trying to find videos of web orbit since it launched! And yeah videos on l2 exist but this is no regular l2 orbit and finally your video came! Thank you
I think I have been asking this question since the christmas launch last year...this is the first time I have had a comprehensible answer.
Thanks, I'm glad you found it helpful. Yet this is by no means a complete explanation. That's why they've got a whole team of flight dynamicists working on it!
Thank you. Most comprehensive explanation yet of Webb's L2 orbit.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent explanation, thank you! I've seen 2nd video on this channel and subscribe is simply a must👍
Masterfully explained! Easy too follow yet not oversimplyfied, this video beats any other explanation of Webb's orbit by a whole light year!
Thank you for explaining the orbit around L2. This was a great video. Very easy to understand and at the same time full of formation. Thanks a lot!
This is the FIRST video i've seen that mentions Webb is orbiting *just shy* of L2. I was familiar with the metastable nature of lagrangian points, but not how you could stably orbit them. Thank you.
This is ridiculously easy to understand and amazing at the same time, this belongs in our public schools, maybe 5th or 6th grade, with just some very basic math, things like this would propel curiosity and a later dive into the math. This is just so good, it’s fun and demonstrates where we are in terms of human technology and capability.
Lucid explanation, with just enough deconstruction to maximize layman understanding of these complex orbital dynamics without sacrificing any significant scientific accuracy. What a work of mathematical and engineering genius, Webb. Thank you!
Thanks for explaining this, I was always disappointed when other videos about JWST didn't address its orbit, mentioning it without any explanations. So I tried to figure it out in my head, and I'm glad I got it right, it's exactly how I imagined :) I imagined there to be an imaginary rod connecting sun-earth-L2, which attracts because the gravity of the two bodies aligns. And an orbit around it, slightly closer than L2 because of the misalignment, balancing that attraction.
I've been wondering about exactly this, cos if you could just circle around nothing wouldn't the Ptolemaic system be perfectly plausible... Thank you for taking the time to explain, and, generally, for your informative and enjoyable videos.
Really glad you enjoyed it!
Did the Ptolemaic system not came up with the concept of epicycles; Planets orbitting a point that orbitted the earth, just to explain retrograde movement of the outer planets. One could ( with some fantasy) say, the JW telescope is orbitting in an epicycle.
@pyropulse ???? the ptolemaic system was used in astrology and when Copernicus wanted to match the observations with the math's of the model he came to the conclusion the model did not work. As a religieus man of his time he wanted to unravel the perfect math behind Gods Creation. Just because the ptolemaic model was not 100% correct to construct horoscopes, it set Copernicus on the path to the heliocentric model. I don't know who uses the ptolemaic model nowadays, but is certainly not NASA.
Stumbled upon this by chance, but wow great stuff! Your explanation was really good and easy to follow! Keep up the good work
Absolutely amazing video. I'd never expect getting this kind and quality of answer about such thing. Glad I got access to it.
Literally the only detailed explanation on the whole Internet that I can find of how Webb's orbit actually works. Excellent.
Thank you!!!!!! Wondering about how this orbit works has been keeping me awake at night for the past few months. I finally understand it enough to be content. Thanks man
Glad it helped!
Your videos always have such great detail. I appreciate it so much and always learn something new. Thanks, Chris!
what a nice video, really! I was wondering to my self after seeing some animations exactly this question! awesome video Idea and execution!
Whoa, the force vectors really cleared the mechanics of the "orbiting empty space". I guess it would be kinda similar to dangling a ball on a long string, and waving it a little to make it move in a circle.
Awesome video, really cleared up for me how the L2 Point and JWT will work!
Wow this really explained things well, and even answered a few questions I didn't know I had.