2005 TO74 facts for kids

(385695) 2005 TO₇₄ (also called (385695) 2005 TO74) is a special space rock. Scientists Scott S. Sheppard and Chadwick A. Trujillo found it in 2005. It's thought to be a Neptune Trojan. These are asteroids that share Neptune's path around the Sun.

What is a Neptune Trojan?

A Neptune Trojan is an asteroid that travels in the same orbit as the planet Neptune. But it doesn't crash into Neptune! Instead, it stays in a special, stable spot. This spot is called a Lagrange point.

Where do they hang out?

These special asteroids orbit about 60 degrees ahead of Neptune. This spot is known as the L₄ Lagrange point. It's like a perfect parking spot in space where the gravity of the Sun and Neptune balance out. This keeps the asteroid safely in place.

Other Neptune Trojans

(385695) 2005 TO74 is not the only Neptune Trojan known. So far, scientists have found only a few others. They include:

• 2001 QR₃₂₂
• 2004 UP₁₀
• 2005 TN₅₃
• 2006 RJ₁₀₃
• 2007 RW₁₀

All these asteroids take the same amount of time to orbit the Sun as Neptune does.