Chiron: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "thumb|The orbit of 2060 Chiron <ref>[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chiron_orbit.PNG]</ref> Chiron is a small Solar System body in the outer Solar System, orbiting the Sun between Saturn and Uranus. Discovered in 1977 by Charles Kowal, it was the first-identified member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs—bodies orbiting between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt. Although it was initially called an asteroid a...") |
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[[Chiron]] is a small Solar System body in the outer Solar System, orbiting the Sun between Saturn and Uranus. Discovered in 1977 by Charles Kowal, it was the first-identified member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs—bodies orbiting between the asteroid belt and the [[Kuiper Belt]]. | [[Chiron]] is a small Solar System body in the outer Solar System, orbiting the Sun between Saturn and Uranus. Discovered in 1977 by Charles Kowal, it was the first-identified member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs—bodies orbiting between the asteroid belt and the [[Kuiper Belt]]. | ||
Although it was initially called an asteroid and classified only as a minor planet with the designation "[[2060 Chiron]]", in 1989 it was found to exhibit behavior typical of a comet. Today it is classified as both a minor planet and a comet, and is accordingly also known by the cometary designation 95P/Chiron. Chiron is named after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2060_Chiron Chiron wiki]</ref> | Although it was initially called an asteroid and classified only as a minor planet with the designation "[[2060 Chiron]]", in 1989 it was found to exhibit behavior typical of a comet. Today it is classified as both a minor planet and a comet, and is accordingly also known by the cometary designation 95P/Chiron. Chiron is named after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology. | ||
Rings | |||
Depiction of Chiron with rings | |||
Chiron possibly has rings, similar to the better-established rings of 10199 Chariklo.[44][45][46][c] Based on unexpected occultation events observed in stellar-occultation data obtained on 7 November 1993, 9 March 1994, and 29 November 2011, which were initially interpreted as resulting from jets associated with Chiron's comet-like activity, | |||
<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2060_Chiron Chiron wiki]</ref> | |||
Revision as of 03:20, 4 November 2023
Chiron is a small Solar System body in the outer Solar System, orbiting the Sun between Saturn and Uranus. Discovered in 1977 by Charles Kowal, it was the first-identified member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs—bodies orbiting between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper Belt.
Although it was initially called an asteroid and classified only as a minor planet with the designation "2060 Chiron", in 1989 it was found to exhibit behavior typical of a comet. Today it is classified as both a minor planet and a comet, and is accordingly also known by the cometary designation 95P/Chiron. Chiron is named after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology.
Rings
Depiction of Chiron with rings Chiron possibly has rings, similar to the better-established rings of 10199 Chariklo.[44][45][46][c] Based on unexpected occultation events observed in stellar-occultation data obtained on 7 November 1993, 9 March 1994, and 29 November 2011, which were initially interpreted as resulting from jets associated with Chiron's comet-like activity,
![[1]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chiron_orbit.PNG){kind=link}