News Planetary Science

Saturn’s first Trojan asteroid has finally been discovered

All four giant planets now have known asteroids sharing their orbits

This image shows Saturn, ringed and in tones of tan, against an inky background. Three tiny light spots in the background and one dot against the lower half of the planet are four of Saturn's moons.

Saturn is known for its stunning rings and its many moons (four seen here), but they aren’t the planet’s only companions. Its first known Trojan — an asteroid that shares the planet’s orbit around the sun — has now been discovered.

USGS/JPL/NASA

By Ken Croswell

Astronomers have finally found an asteroid keeping pace with Saturn in its orbit around the sun.