A New Kind of Trojan: JWST Reveals Unusual Asteroids Near Jupiter

Using JWST, Brown and colleagues studied four small, unusually bright Jupiter Trojans and found they share unique spectral features unlike any known Trojan class. These objects resemble the Trojan Polymele, suggesting the existence of a third, previously unrecognized surface type. The upcoming Lucy spacecraft flyby of Polymele may help reveal their origins.