But there’s a bit more to the story.
What is Chiron?
Originally, it was identified as an asteroid, essentially a space rock. However, in 1989, astronomers noticed that Chiron occasionally possesses a tail or “coma,” indicating that it is, in fact, a comet or a “dirty snowball.” Consequently, Chiron has since been categorized as both an asteroid and a comet.
A Hubble Space Telescope image of Chiron shows its fuzzy coma. Source: The Conversation / Hubble Space Telescope
In 2023, more than 45 years after it was first discovered, astronomers confirmed that Chiron has rings. This makes it the fourth non-planet in the Solar System to have rings. (The planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings, as do the asteroid Chariklo and the dwarf planets Haumea and Quaoar.)
This puts it between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus, cutting through the orbit of Saturn.
Centaurs in space
Fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians may also recognise Chiron as the director of Camp Halfblood.
The orbits of various centaurs, including Chiron. Source: The Conversation / Nick Anthony Fiorenza
Chiron in retrograde
The ancient astrologers didn’t know about Chiron, but I like to think they’d appreciate a centaur in space with a ring on it.
Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Astronomy, University of Sydney
