Trojan asteroid sayyârak-e Troâ-yi Fr.: astéroïde troyen A member of the family of asteroids that share → Jupiter's orbit and lie in elongated, curved regions around the two → Lagrangian points 60° ahead and behind of Jupiter. The Lagrangian points L4 and L5 host several thousands of them. Originally, the term Trojan applied only to asteroids sharing Jupiter's orbit; however, planetoidal bodies have been discovered at the Lagrangian points of Mars and Neptune as well, and are also referred to as → Mars Trojans and Neptune Trojans respectively. M.E.; O.E. Troian, from Trojanus, from Troj(a) "Troy" + -anus; → asteroid. Sayyârakhâ plural of sayyârak, → asteroid; Troâ-yi adj. of Troâ "Troy." |