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AsteriaStar
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

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • 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.