Patroclus

Patroclus — asteroid, explore its interactive 3D model in Cosmoscope.

Explore Patroclus in a live 3D Solar System. Follow its calculated motion and inspect real astronomical data, distances and orbital facts.

Two near-twin worlds locked in orbit around each other, trailing Jupiter in its Trojan swarm. Lucy’s final target, in 2033, may be a pristine leftover from the dawn of the solar system.

Size

~125 × 98 km; Menoetius ~117 × 93 km

Discovered

1906 — August Kopff, Heidelberg

Class

Jupiter Trojan — 60° behind Jupiter (L5)

Binary

Menoetius, 692 km apart, every 4.28 days

Pair’s orbit

Plane and phase illustrative; really both circle a shared centre

Lucy flyby

March 2033

Explore Patroclus in 3D

Cosmoscope places Patroclus in the Solar System using astronomical ephemeris or orbital elements, updated for the simulation time. Explore its calculated motion, distance and orbital facts in the interactive 3D view. Accuracy depends on the orbital model and its valid time range.