{"id":1494,"date":"2025-05-07T11:53:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T07:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/?p=1494"},"modified":"2025-05-20T13:14:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T09:14:51","slug":"trojan-asteroids-of-the-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/2025\/05\/07\/trojan-asteroids-of-the-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Trojan Asteroids of the Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this video you will learn about the Trojan asteroids of the Earth. To date, only two such asteroids are known: 2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub> and 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub>. Both belong to the Lagrange point L<sub>4<\/sub> of the Earth\u2013Sun system. At the beginning of the last century, Trojan asteroids were discovered near <a href=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/2024\/03\/26\/trojan-asteroids-of-jupiter\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1288\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jupiter<\/a>, and now more than 15 thousand of them are known. Relatively recently, similar objects have been found near Mars, Neptune and other planets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f56f9fcf wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6j23bTjzrcs?si=niQgr72HBt1hBPfo\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6j23bTjzrcs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Go to video<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first Trojan asteroid of the Earth was discovered only in 2010, its designation is 2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub>. Its orbit is moderately elongated and inclined to the Earth&#8217;s orbit plane by almost 21 degrees. It was possible to detect this dim object with a diameter of only about 380 meters using the WISE space telescope. In 2020 the Earth&#8217;s second Trojan asteroid, 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub>, was discovered. Its orbit is more elongated than that of the first one, but it is inclined by 14 degrees to the ecliptic plane. The second asteroid is larger than the first, measuring about 1200 meters. But it turned out to be even more difficult to detect it due to its greater distance from the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub> and 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub> make a complete revolution around the Sun in almost the same time as the Earth, that is, in one year. Both asteroids are constantly in the vicinity of our planet&#8217;s orbit. The Earth moves after these asteroids, and the average distance to them practically does not change. Since the rotation of asteroids 2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub> and 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub> around the Sun is synchronized with the rotation of the Earth, a year later they find themselves at the same point in the sky as the year before. For this reason, their trajectories relative to the Earth are almost closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-20-125929-1320x743.jpg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trajectories of Trojan asteroids 2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub> and 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub> relative to the Earth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both trajectories resemble a deformed bicycle wheel, only the trajectory of the 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub> has large dimensions. Other asteroids that are in 1:1 orbital resonance with the Earth, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/2023\/12\/19\/asteroid-cruithne-earth-quasi-satellite-and-the-evolution-of-its-orbit\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cruithne<\/a>, have a similar trajectory relative to our planet. However, Cruithne is not a Trojan asteroid of the Earth, it can be considered a quasi-satellite of our planet. An object is considered a Trojan asteroid of the Earth if it is located in the vicinity of one of the Lagrange points of the Earth\u2013Sun system: L<sub>4<\/sub> or L<sub>5<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The L<sub>4<\/sub> Lagrange point moves along the Earth&#8217;s orbit 60 degrees ahead of our planet, and the L<sub>5<\/sub> point moves 60 degrees behind it. The peculiarity of the Lagrange point is that a third body with a low mass can be relatively stable in it. When it is said that an asteroid is located at a Lagrange point, it does not mean that it is fixed at that point. This means that the celestial body oscillates relative to this point. The trajectories of asteroids 2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub> and 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub> relative to the L<sub>4<\/sub> point of the Earth\u2013Sun system are also practically closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-07-124104-1320x743.jpg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trajectories of Trojan asteroids 2010 TK<sub>7<\/sub> and 2020 XL<sub>5<\/sub> relative to the L<sub>4<\/sub> Lagrange point of the Earth\u2013Sun system<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are probably other asteroids in the vicinity of the Earth&#8217;s Lagrange points that have not yet been detected. The problem is that the points L<sub>4<\/sub> and L<sub>5<\/sub> are at the same distance from the Earth as the Sun: it is about 150 million km. From this distance small asteroids with a size of up to one kilometer are very difficult to detect. In addition, the angle between the Sun and any of these points is 60 degrees. It is difficult to observe this area of space from the Earth&#8217;s surface, as it appears low above the horizon after dark. Earth&#8217;s Trojan asteroids have not yet been detected at point L<sub>5<\/sub>, but there is a large accumulation of cosmic dust in it. The Lagrange points of the Earth\u2013Sun system are actively used by spacecraft due to their features. Therefore, further searches for Trojan asteroids of the Earth are of interest to science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this video, you can observe a simulated asteroid belt. If the <a href=\"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/2025\/02\/15\/kamo%ca%bboalewa-the-earth-motion-relative-to-the-fragment-of-the-moon\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">previous video<\/a> showed only 83 thousand of the largest asteroids, then this one managed to depict all known asteroids. Thus, each moving dot on the screen is one of almost one and a half million asteroids. And each of these points moves along a calculated trajectory corresponding to the actual orbit of the asteroid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The modeling and rendering were performed by the author of this publication using own software. The calculations took into account the mutual influence of the Sun, all the planets of the Solar system, the Moon and two asteroids on each other. Relativistic effects were also taken into account in the calculation. Throughout the video, the sizes of celestial bodies are shown to be greatly exaggerated compared to the distances between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The track <a href=\"https:\/\/freemusicarchive.org\/music\/Brylie_Christopher_Oxley\/murmurations\/gabriel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gabriel<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/freemusicarchive.org\/music\/Brylie_Christopher_Oxley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brylie Christopher Oxley<\/a> sounds in this video. This track was not changed. <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Attribution 4.0 International<\/a> license.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this video you will learn about the Trojan asteroids of the Earth. To date, only two such asteroids are known: 2010 TK7 and 2020 XL5. Both belong to the Lagrange point L4 of the Earth\u2013Sun system. At the beginning of the last century, Trojan asteroids were discovered near Jupiter, and now more than 15 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[142,143,26,111,39,49,112,53],"class_list":["post-1494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asteroids","tag-2010-tk7","tag-2020-xl5","tag-earth","tag-lagrange-point","tag-orbit","tag-trajectory","tag-trojan-asteroid","tag-videos"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1494"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1506,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1494\/revisions\/1506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/matubo.ru\/astrotubo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}