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Master Wayne
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Does anyone know if the Jupiter Trojans (the asteroids that share an orbit with Jupiter) ever collide with moons or Jupiter itself?
davenn said:the 2 sets of Trojans sharing Jupiter's orbit, one set leading Jupiter the other set lagging Jupiter.
Those positions are quite some distance ahead and behind Jupiter, and as long at the asteroids stayed in those positions there would be no possibility of impacts.
But because of gravitational interactions between Jupiter, Saturn and the asteroids, some asteroids can get ejected from those positions. Depending on trajectories, I guess, impacts could be possible
Dave
Jupiter Trojans are a group of small asteroids that share the orbit of Jupiter around the Sun. They are named after the Trojan war in Greek mythology.
As of 2021, there are over 10,000 confirmed Jupiter Trojans. However, it is estimated that there could be as many as 1 million in total.
It is rare for Jupiter Trojans to collide with each other. Their orbits are stable and they are spread out enough to avoid collisions. However, some collisions may occur due to gravitational interactions with other large objects, such as Jupiter's moons.
No, Jupiter Trojans do not pose a threat to Earth. Their orbits are confined to the outer solar system and do not intersect with Earth's orbit.
Jupiter Trojans provide valuable information about the formation and evolution of our solar system. They also offer insights into the dynamics of Jupiter's orbit and the interactions between small bodies in the outer solar system.