617 Patroclus

Author(s): pedro_jg Snowfall-The-Cat SpaceExplorer toutatis

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617 Patroclus is a large binary Jupiter L5 trojan asteroid. It is a dark D-type asteroid and a slow rotator, due to the 103-hour orbital period of its two components. The secondary component, discovered in 2001, is called Menoetius. It is the final target of the Lucy spacecraft, with a flyby planned for March 2033.

Artist's impression of Patroclus and Menoetius. It's true appearances are still unknown

Patroclus and Menoetius - size comparison

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