Astronomers have found a second trojan asteroid sharing Earth’s orbit

An Earth trojan is an asteroid that shares our planet’s orbit around the sun, moving just ahead of or behind our planet – and astronomers have now discovered that we have two

Astronomers have found a second trojan asteroid sharing Earth’s orbit

An Earth trojan is an asteroid that shares our planet’s orbit astir the sun, moving conscionable up of oregon down our satellite – and astronomers person present discovered that we person two Space 22 November 2021

By Leah Crane

Orbit of 2020 XL5

The orbit of 2020 XL5

JPL Small Body Database/NASA/Caltech

Earth has a 2nd spouse successful its orbit. Trojans are asteroids that stock the orbit of a satellite oregon moon, moving on the aforesaid way conscionable successful beforehand of the larger assemblage oregon down it, successful locations called Lagrange points. Until now, we lone knew of 1 Earth trojan – astir of those successful our star strategy belong alternatively to Jupiter – but a squad of researchers has recovered a 2nd 1 called 2020 XL5.

The caller trojan asteroid was archetypal discovered by astronomers successful …

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