Chiron (also known as 2060 Chiron or 95P/Chiron) is a small solar system body classified as both a minor planet and comet. It was discovered in 1977 by American astronomer Charles Kowal. Upon its discovery, it was given the temporary designation of “asteroid” before being reclassified as a comet in 1979. It is named after Chiron, a centaur in Greek mythology.
Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus and is thus classified as a centaur, making it one of the most unusual objects in the solar system. It has an orbital period of approximately 50 years and is believed to be about 100 kilometers in diameter. Although it has been observed to exhibit cometary activity, such as a coma and tail, this activity is believed to be due to sublimation of water ice rather than true cometary outgassing.
In November 2017, astronomers announced that they had discovered another object orbiting in the same orbit as Chiron, which they designated “P90458S”. This object is thought to be either an asteroid or a comet nucleus that has become inactive due to loss of volatiles.