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Trojan Asteroid 2019 LD2 Compass

Compass and scale image of Trojan asteroid 2019 LD2

About the Object

  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    At the time of observations, the comet was 4.02 AU from Earth (374 million miles).

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    1 April 2020 and 8 May 2020
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F350LP
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Trojan Asteroid 2019 LD2
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Comet
  • Release Date
    February 25, 2021
  • Science Release
    Comet Makes a Pit Stop Near Jupiter’s Asteroids
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, STScI, Bryce Bolin (Caltech/IPAC)

Downloads

  • Full Res, 703 × 479
    png (1.19 MB)
  • Full Res, 703 × 479
    tif (1.64 MB)
Compass and scale image of Trojan asteroid 2019 LD2
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

This image is an exposure acquired by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The color results from assigning the color blue to a monochromatic (grayscale) image.

Related Images & Videos

Hubble image of young comet P/2019 LD2 shows a long tail of dust and gas flowing from the comet's bright solid nucleus

Trojan Asteroid 2019 LD2

Hubble Spots Vagabond Comet Near Jupiter's Asteroids NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this image of the young comet P/2019 LD2 as it orbits near Jupiter's captured ancient asteroids, which are called Trojans. This icy object is the first comet astronomers have spotted near...

A square illustration of our solar system from above, with the Sun at the center, out to the orbit of Jupiter.

Illustration of Asteroid Belts

The main asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter, and Trojan asteroids both lead and follow Jupiter. Scientists now know that asteroids were the original "building blocks" of the inner planets. Those that remain are airless rocks that failed to adhere to one another to...

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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