1208 Troilus

Also known as Troilus, (1208) Troilus

Jupiter trojan

Picture of the Day · NASA

Jupiter and Venus from Earth

2026-06-07

It was visible around the world. The sunset conjunction of Jupiter (left) and Venus (right) in 2012 was visible almost no matter where you lived on Earth. Anyone on our planet with a clear western horizon at sunset could see them. That year, a creative photographer traveled away from the town lights of Szubin, Poland to photograph a near closest approach of the two planets. The bright planets were then separated by only three degrees and his daughter struck a humorous pose. A faint red sunset still glowed in the background. Jupiter and Venus are together again this week after sunset, passing within a degree of each other about two days from today.

Key facts

Discovered by: K. Reinmuth
Discovery site: Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date: 31 December 1931
Pronunciation: / ˈ t r oʊ ɪ l ə s , ˈ t r ɔɪ l ə s /
Named after: Troilus (Greek mythology)
Alternative designations: 1931 YA · 1965 WK

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Article

1208 Troilus /ˈtroʊɪləs/ is a large and notably inclined Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 103 kilometers (64 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 31 December 1931, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany. The unusual F-type asteroid belongs to the largest Jupiter trojans and has a long rotation period of 56.2 hours. It was named after the Trojan prince Troilus, who was killed by Achilles.

Orbit and classification