Geometry of the circular restricted three-body problem in a rotating coordinate system mass of the Sun μ₀ and the Earth μ′; the unstable equilibria L_1,2,3 are located on the abscissa; the stable points L₄ and L₅ are found 60° ahead and behind the primary mass μ′. The color code defines the areas of the equipotential. In the elliptic problem, the rotating coordinate system has to replaced by a non uniformly rotating and pulsating reference frame.