Our Graphics Contact Us Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 New Course The Undiscovery Suffocation Map Why Chiron Chiron Facts The Graph Survival Facts Oort Diagram` Brainstorm Ideas Primary Document Sources Chiron was first discovered by Charles Kowal on November 1, 1977. Chiron was first believed to be an asteroid. In the late 1980s a coma (a comet tail) was discovered as Chiron went around the sun. Chiron was the first of four bodies discovered so far with similar orbits and properties. These bodies have been designated Centaurs, after the race of half-man/half-horse beings from Greek mythology, in recognition of their dual comet/asteroid nature. Chiron is named after the wisest of the Centaurs, the tutor of Achilles and Hercules. At perihelion (closest to the sun), Chiron is 8.4639422 AU from the sun. (see graph) At aphelion (farthest from the sun), Chiron is 18.94314 AU from the sun. (see graph) As of January 1, 2004 Chiron was 13.54 AU from Earth. Chiron takes 50.7 years to orbit the Sun. Chiron takes 5.9 hours to spin on its axis.

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