Minor-planet group

Centaurs

Small bodies orbiting among the giant planets, with unstable, comet-like orbits.

Minor-planet groupRegion: between Jupiter and Neptune

Overview

Icy small bodies orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune on unstable orbits — transitional objects between the Kuiper Belt and the comets, some of which show cometary activity.

Members

1 modelled member.

2060 Chiron
The first Centaur discovered, orbiting between Saturn and Uranus and showing cometary activity — so it carries both an asteroid and a comet designation.
CategoryCentaurDiscovered1977

Knowledge connections

Group includes2060 Chiron

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.

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