588 Achilles facts for kids
588 Achilles is a special type of asteroid known as a Trojan asteroid. It was discovered a long time ago, on February 22, 1906, by a German astronomer named Max Wolf. This asteroid was the very first Trojan asteroid ever found! It's named after Achilles, a famous hero from an ancient Greek story called the Iliad.
Achilles orbits the Sun in a unique spot in space, sharing its path with the giant planet Jupiter. It stays in a stable area called a Lagrange point, specifically the L4 point, which is like a gravitational parking spot where objects can stay without drifting away.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Max Wolf |
| Discovery date | February 22, 1906 |
| Designations | |
| 1906 TG | |
| Trojan asteroid | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch October 22, 2004 (JD 2453300.5) | |
| Aphelion | 890.944 Gm (5.956 AU) |
| Perihelion | 662.395 Gm (4.428 AU) |
| 776.669 Gm (5.192 AU) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.147 |
| 4320.803 d (11.83 a) | |
|
Average orbital speed
|
13.00 km/s |
| 157.779° | |
| Inclination | 10.324° |
| 316.583° | |
| 132.770° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 135.5 km |
| Mass | 2.6×1018 kg |
|
Mean density
|
2.0 g/cm³ |
| 0.0379 m/s² | |
| 0.0716 km/s | |
| >0.5 d 1 | |
| Albedo | 0.0328 2 |
| Temperature | ~124 K |
|
Spectral type
|
D |
| 8.67 | |
Contents
What Are Trojan Asteroids?
Trojan asteroids are a special group of space rocks that share an orbit with a larger planet. They don't crash into the planet because they stay in stable areas called Lagrange points. Think of it like two cars driving on a race track: the smaller car (asteroid) stays in a specific spot relative to the bigger car (planet), never getting too close or too far.
How Do Lagrange Points Work?
Lagrange points are places in space where the gravity of two large objects (like the Sun and Jupiter) balances out. This creates stable zones where smaller objects, like asteroids, can orbit without using much fuel to stay in place. For the Sun and Jupiter, there are five such points. The Trojan asteroids are found at L4 and L5.
The Greek and Trojan Camps
After 588 Achilles was discovered, more Trojan asteroids were found. Scientists decided to name them after characters from the Trojan War story.
- Asteroids found in the L4 Lagrange point (ahead of Jupiter in its orbit) were named after the Greek heroes. This area is often called the "Greek camp."
- Asteroids found in the L5 Lagrange point (behind Jupiter in its orbit) were named after the Trojan heroes. This area is known as the "Trojan camp."
Interestingly, there's one "spy" asteroid in each camp! For example, 624 Hektor is a Trojan hero, but it's found in the Greek camp. This happened before the naming rule was fully established.
Key Facts About 588 Achilles
- Size: This asteroid is about 135.5 kilometers (about 84 miles) wide. That's pretty big for an asteroid!
- Orbit: It takes 588 Achilles about 11.83 Earth years to complete one trip around the Sun.
- Discovery: It holds the record for being the first Trojan asteroid ever identified.
Images for kids
-
A robot, symbolizing the future of space exploration and discovery.
