• Zuriz@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    The Moon being classified as a Moon despite qualifying as a binary planet. :(

    • ContriteErudite@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      The Earth/Moon system does not qualify as a binary planet because it does not meet the L4/L5 instability threshold. In a system of two orbiting masses, the larger needs to have at least 25x the mass of the smaller for the system to have stable L4/L5 points. Earth is ~80x more massive than the Moon, allowing the system to have stable L4/L5 points, and is therefore a satellite system.

      • tetris11@feddit.uk
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        1 day ago

        Quick diagram for anyone wondering

        L4 and L5 get unstable if the masses orbiting each other are too similar

    • mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      The barycenter between the Earth and Luna is well within the surface of the Earth. There is no definition where it counts as a binary system

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It lacks the je ne se quois of a binary planet. It just doesn’t have the right atmosphere for it, you know.