We Asked a NASA Scientist: What Are the Trojan Asteroids? [Video]

So, what asteroids are there in Troy?

Which asteroids of Troy are they? These mysterious space rocks have been gravitationally trapped in Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun for billions of years and hold clues to the formation of our solar system. NASA’s Lucy mission will be the first spacecraft to study these ancient relics up close. Audrey Martin from the University of Northern Arizona has the specifics.

NASA's Lucy mission will be the first space ship to take a close look at these ancient relics. Let's start with more than four billion years ago, when the newly formed solar system was made up of trillions of tiny, icy little rocks. A lot of these things have come together to form planets. The majority of the others have been scattered across the confines of our solar system and beyond.

Several of these objects were assembled to form the planets. Some of these spatial rock remains are virgin asteroids that now orbit around Jupiter in two huge swarms leading and dragging the planet. We call them the Trojans. They are truly mysterious and we believe they come from the external solar system. They are also special in understanding how the solar system has evolved, as they have remained gravitationally stable for more than billions of years.

NASA’s Lucy mission recently launched on a 12-year journey to visit these primitive asteroids. It's all about to change.

NASA's Lucy mission has just embarked on a 12-year tour of these primitive asteroids. It's all about to change.