617 Patroclus
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617 Patroclus is a large binary Jupiter trojan asteroid. It is a dark D-type asteroid and a slow rotator, due to the 103-hour orbital period of its two components. It is one of five Jupiter trojan ast
Hubble Space Telescope image composite of Patroclus and its companion Menoetius, taken in 2018
Plot of the results of the multi-chord stellar occultation by 617 Patroclus and Menoetius
Jupiter family
243 ida crop
Minor-planet moon
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A minor-planet moon is an astronomical object that orbits a minor planet as its natural satellite. As of August 2026, there are 634 minor planets known or suspected to have moons. Discoveries of minor
617 Patroclus
…In 2001, it was discovered that Patroclus is a binary system, made up of two components of roughly similar size. It is one of six Trojan asteroids believed to be binary. In 2006, accurate measurements of the orbit from the Keck Laser guide star adaptive optics system were reported. It was estimated that the two components…
Asteroid 1994 KW4