23
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2026
23 points (100.0% liked)
Ask Science
17488 readers
69 users here now
Ask a science question, get a science answer.
Community Rules
Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.
Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.
Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.
Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.
Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.
Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.
Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.
Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.
Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.
Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.
Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.
Rule 7: Report violations.
Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.
Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.
Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.
Rule 9: Source required for answers.
Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.
By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.
We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.
For answers to historical questions, please check out our sister community: !askhistorians@lemmy.world
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
The Lagrange points are only stable as long as the object in them is much, much smaller than the planet is. Once it becomes large enough to be exerting gravitational influence of its own the Lagrange points become unstable and it drifts out.
I don't think it's widely accepted as plausible any more, but I recall reading a theory that Theia (the planetoid that impacted Earth very early in the solar system's formation to cause the formation of the Moon) formed in one of the L4/L5 points in exactly the manner you're proposing but then collided with Earth once it got too big to remain stable there. IIRC more recent simulations suggest Theia had to hit at a higher velocity than this scenario was capable of producing, so that's why it's been deprecated, but the formation-then-instability bit is still valid.