Second Trojan asteroid confirmed to be leading our planet around the Sun

[Rick]

Second Trojan asteroid confirmed to be leading our planet around the Sun

Scientists have confirmed the discovery of Earth's second Trojan asteroid leading the planet in its orbit around its nearest star.

Dubbed 2020 XL5, the hunk of space rock was discovered in December 2020. Although excitement surrounded the early observations of a second Earth Trojan, low observational coverage meant uncertainties in the data were too great for a scientific confirmation.

Trojan asteroids are small bodies sharing an orbit with a planet, which remain in a stable orbit approximately 60 degrees ahead of or behind the main body.

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune all have them but it wasn't until 2011 that asteroid 2010 TK7 was found to be the first Earth could lay claim to. Now a second was confirmed this week.

More: https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/02/second_earth_trojan_asteroid_confirmed/

[Carole]

Wow!!  Didn't even know about the first one.

Carole

[Mac]

Im pretty sure that there are a lot more than two,
Especially as its at lagrange point 4.

Its probably just large enough to be visible and or observed.

Mac.

[Rick]

Yeah, I'd expect there to be a fair few, but as they're always that distance from Earth they're probably not that easy to spot. Quite possibly some interested folk may start hunting specifically for them now?