2060 Chiron ( /ˈkaɪrən/ KY-rən; Greek: Χείρων) is a minor planet in the outer Solar System. Discovered in 1977 by Charles T. Kowal (precovery images have been found as far back as 1895), it was the first-known member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs, with an orbit between Saturn and Uranus.
Although it was initially called an asteroid and classified as a minor planet, it was later found to exhibit behaviour typical of a comet. Toda...
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2060 Chiron ( /ˈkaɪrən/ KY-rən; Greek: Χείρων) is a minor planet in the outer Solar System. Discovered in 1977 by Charles T. Kowal (precovery images have been found as far back as 1895), it was the first-known member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs, with an orbit between Saturn and Uranus.
Although it was initially called an asteroid and classified as a minor planet, it was later found to exhibit behaviour typical of a comet. Today it is classified as both, and accordingly it is also known by the cometary designation 95P/Chiron.
Chiron is named after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology. It should not be confused with the Plutonian moon Charon, discovered the following year, in 1978.
Mike Brown's website lists it as a possible dwarf planet with a measured diameter of 233 km.
Chiron was discovered on 18 October 1977 by Charles Kowal from images taken two weeks earlier at Palomar Observatory. It was given the temporary designation of 1977 UB. It was found near aphelion...
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