(17365) Thymbraeus Jupiter Trojan
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
Thymbraeus was one of the two sons of Laocoön who was killed by sea serpents sent to punish the father for attempting to warn the Trojans about the danger of the wooden horse left by the Greeks. The scene is immortalized in an ancient sculpture, the Gruppo del Laocoonte on display in the Vatican.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #3, 11), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Thymbraeus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Thymbraeus is 5.04 au from the Sun and 4.48 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 17365 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VF11 |
| Orbit class | Jupiter Trojan |
| Diameter | 44.9 km (#857 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0660 |
| Rotation period | 12.7 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 10.51 |
| Orbital period | 12.1 years |
| Semi-major axis | 5.26 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 4.86 – 5.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0777 |
| Inclination | 11.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 3.87 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 7 November 1978
- (2324) Janice
- (2440) Educatio
- (2499) Brunk
- (2611) Boyce
- (2725) David Bender
- (2925) Beatty
- (3240) Laocoon
- (3449) Abell
- (3651) Friedman
- (3718) Dunbar
- (3926) Ramirez
- (4012) Geballe