Help Reveal the Binary Nature of a Trojan Asteroid!

On August 25 at 8:37 PM Mountain Time (MST), a Trojan asteroid known as 2207 Antenor will occult (pass in front of) a star from our view here on Earth. It will be visible across the United States, from Phoenix, Arizona northward to Miles City, Montana, including Arizona’s famous Grand Canyon and Arches National Park in Moab, Utah.

2207 Antenor is known as a Trojan asteroid. These asteroids are located in two groupings which orbit ahead and behind Jupiter. They were most likely captured 4 billion years ago during Jupiter’s migration towards the Sun, so they may contain clues on the history of our solar system.

Antenor is among the 30 largest Trojans known and is an important asteroid to study since it may be a binary system — meaning Antenor may have a moon! In fact, hundreds of small bodies in our solar system have been discovered to have moons. If this is confirmed, Antenor would be the fifth Trojan binary asteroid known.

This Trojan asteroid was named for the Trojan hero and sage Antenor, from Greek mythology. Antenor was counselor to King Priam of Troy during the Trojan War.

About 61 miles (98 kilometers) across, Trojan asteroid Antenor was discovered in 1977 by Russian astronomer Nikolai Chernykh.

Ready to observe?

If you detect the shadow of Antenor, we may be able to accurately derive its orbit, estimate its size, measure its shape, and possibly confirm its binary nature!

Check out our asteroid occultation predictions page for more details on this occultation including location, timing, and more.

Click on North America on the drop-down menu and scroll down the page until you find 2207 Antenor. Then, click on it.
A map of North America with the path of the occultation should appear below.
Zoom into the map so you can see the exact location where you can observe this occultation.
Check the information above the map to make sure you have the correct parameters and observe for the correct duration.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Clear skies!