Asri-unix.700
net.space
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:C70:sri-unix!LRC.SLOCUM@UTEXAS-20
Fri Feb  5 11:16:18 1982
horseshoe orbits
I'm sure there will be plenty of other replies on this, but...

The word "horseshoe" may be unfortunate.  But imagine TWO of them,
ends-to-ends, one slightly larger than the other.  That's what is
meant.  The satellites do not reverse their course; they merely
exchange orother.  That's what is
meant.  The satellites do not reverse their course; they merely
exchange orbits.  As the lower one catches up with the higher one,
their mutual gravitational attraction acts to accelerate the former
and retard the latter; the lower one thus moves into a higher orbit,
and the higher one, into a lower orbit.  They continue on their
merry ways until the next encounter/dance.

Actually, it surely takes several revolutions til the ne