First Neptunian L5 Trojan Found |
First Neptunian L5 Trojan Found |
Aug 13 2010, 07:55 AM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
2008 LC18.
http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/users/sheppard/L5trojan/2008LC18.html . From Subaru; note the extremely crowded starfield. Certainly illustrates the difficulties faced by NH's KBO target search in the same general line-of-sight region at this time. It's a trailer, est. 60 km 'diameter', orbit apparently a bit inclined. Early reports indicate that NH won't get close enough to get a good look at it when it passes through this Lagrange point in a few years, but the search continues for others. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Aug 14 2010, 09:04 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 30-December 05 Member No.: 628 |
The notion that there could be enough of these Lutetia-sized objects in the Neptunian LaGrange points to equal the combined mass of the main asteroid belt really sounds surprising, until you bring in the notion of outward migration. Observations up to this point seem to indicate that Saturn and Uranus have fewer LaGrangian companions than Jupiter and Neptune. If I am reading correctly between the lines of Emily's account, I guess Neptune had the first opportunity to sweep up the rubble as the big planets migrated outward. Jupiter, being so massive, probably had some advantage capturing the rest.
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