Trojan (astronomy)

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Trojan asteroids of Jupiter (coloured green) in front of and behind Jupiter along its orbital path. Also shown is the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter (white) and the Hilda family of asteroids (brown)

In astronomy, the adjective Trojan refers to asteroids or moons that share the same orbit as a larger planet or moon, but does not collide because it orbits within one of the two Lagrangian points of stability, L₄ and L₅, which results in it always orbiting 60° ahead of or behind the larger object.

The term originally referred to asteroids orbiting in Jupiter's Lagrangian points. Now, other objects have been found orbiting in the Lagrangian points of other planets. In addition, Trojan moons orbit in the Lagrangian points of some of Saturn's larger moons.

• The term Trojan asteroids normally refers only to Jupiter Trojans
• 5261 Eureka may be a Mars Trojan
• There are several Neptune Trojans
• Several Trojan moons share the orbits of large moons of Saturn

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