Astronomers detected an
asteroid which follows the orbit of the Earth around the sun. The rock-between
200 and 300 meters in diameter and 2010 TK7-christened it the Trojans, which
are those that share an orbit with a planet near stable points. Because they
remain in front of or behind the planets in the same orbit, never collide with
them.
According to the
science specialist for the BBC, Jonathan Amos, it is a fascinating finding
because the relative stability and proximity of the Trojan asteroids makes them
potential targets for future space missions, when they go beyond the
International Space Station (EEI).
The Trojan orbiting near
the Earth was difficult to locate, as this type of asteroids appear mostly
during the day, making them difficult to see. That is why it was necessary as
the WISE telescope, sensitive to infrared light, to locate it.
Nearby objects
Trojans can be targets
of future space missions. The WISE was launched in 2009 and since then has
examined about 500 near-Earth objects, 123 of which were not known. The study
authors analyzed data from these rocks, looking for candidates to be Trojans. The
follow-up work that scientists realized the telescope Canada-France-Hawaii
confirmed the status of 2010 TK7. This asteroid is currently about 80 million
miles from Earth and should not be closer than 25 million miles of our planet.
Researchers say its
orbit appears stable for the next 10,000 years. But the existence of 2010 TK7
no surprise. Jupiter, Neptune and Mars have numerous rocks located in the
so-called Lagrange points, 60 degrees ahead or behind the orbit of the planets.
In the case of Jupiter,
the number of Trojans is 1,000.
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