(2223) Sarpedon Jupiter Trojan
Discovered on 4 October 1977 by Purple Mountain Observatory at Nanking.
One of the leaders of the Lycians, Sarpedon was killed by Patroclus in the Trojan War. At the command of Zeus, his body was seized by Apollo and returned to Lycia.Naming citation (MPC 6208), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sarpedon is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sarpedon is 5.34 au from the Sun and 4.85 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 2223 |
| Provisional designation | 1977 TL3 |
| Orbit class | Jupiter Trojan |
| Diameter | 77.5 km (#398 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0510 |
| Rotation period | 22.7 hours |
| Spectral type | DU |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 9.11 |
| Orbital period | 12.1 years |
| Semi-major axis | 5.26 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 5.17 – 5.35 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0174 |
| Inclination | 15.9° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 4.17 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.