New coorbital dynamics in the solar system

Abstract

Following the discovery that asteroid (3753) Cruithne was a coorbital companion of the Earth, a new theory of coorbital motion has been developed whereby planets or satellites can maintain companion objects in the same orbit as themselves. This has led to the prediction of hitherto unknown types of stable motion, all of which are seen in the evolution of specific near-Earth asteroids. The slow diffusion of such objects through the Earth's coorbital region is shown to lead to temporary capture, suggesting the existence of undiscovered retrograde moons of the Earth.