Chiron

== Overview ==
Chiron was the first object to be identified as a centaur, a class of bodies that orbit the Sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune. It has a very eccentric orbit that takes it from inside the orbit of Saturn to past the perihelion distance of Uranus. Its size is uncertain, but most recent estimates yield a diameter of around 230 km. Its rotation period is 5ʰ55ᵐ04.13ˢ. Chiron has been observed to have comet-like behavior, developing a coma and a tail as it nears perihelion. Like all centaurs, Chiron will eventually move into an orbit that will place it into a different catergory of objects, likely becoming a short period comet.This article has been adapted from the Space Engine ingame wiki
== Centaurs ==
Centaurs are object that orbit the Sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune. It is suspected centaurs are former Kuiper belt objects that were perturbed into Neptune-crossing orbits and gravitationally interacted with that planet to be pulled into orbits that crossed the orbits of the other outer planets. Objects like Chiron that orbit in the midst of the giant planets do not have a stable orbits; all centaurs are temporary. Some become asteriods or short period comets, some may collide with or be captured by one of the outer planets, and some are ejected from the Solar system althougher, becoming interstellar objects. Observations have revealed a definitive bicoloration in the centaur population; some centaurs are red, while others are blue-gray. The reason for this is currently unknown, as the Kuiper belt population considered the candidate source of origin for centaurs does not share this feature. One belt population — the plutions — does also have a bicolored nature. Plutions have been thought to have stable orbits and thus are not likely candidates for the origin of the centaurs, however it is possible that some of their orbits are less stable than previously suspected.
Category:Objects
Category:Asteroids
Category:Real objects
Category:Solar System