Trojan Asteroid

Trojan asteroids are celestial hitchhikers that share a planet's orbital path, trapped at two gravitational "sweet spots" called Lagrange points L4 and L5, positioned exactly 60 degrees ahead of and behind the planet. These stable regions, discovered mathematically by Joseph-Louis Lagrange in 1772, create gravitational balance where the combined pull of the Sun and planet keeps objects locked in place like cosmic parking spaces.</p><p>Jupiter boasts the largest collection of Trojans, with over 10,000 catalogued objects forming two distinct groups: the "Greek camp" at L4 and the "Trojan camp" at L5, named after Homer's Iliad characters. The first Trojan, 588 Achilles, was discovered in 1906 by German astronomer Max Wolf. These ancient remnants from the solar system's formation provide invaluable insights into early planetary evolution.</p><p>Beyond Jupiter, astronomers have found Trojans accompanying Neptune (over 30 discovered), Mars (9 confirmed), and Earth (2 known). NASA's Lucy mission, launched in 2021, will visit multiple Jupiter Trojans between 2027-2033, marking humanity's first dedicated exploration of these primordial time capsules. Trojans represent some of the most pristine materials in our solar system, offering clues about the conditions that existed 4.6 billion years ago during planetary formation.