Astronomers Detect Trojan Asteroids in Uranus' Orbit

Previously only known in Jupiter's orbit

Planetary scientists have detected a Trojan—an asteroid-like object that shares a planet's orbit—circling the sun ahead of Uranus.

The discovery of 2011 QF99, the first of its kind for the ice giant planet, was reported Thursday in the journal Science. According to first author Mike Alexandersen, a doctoral student in astronomy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, it happened almost by accident.