Solar System/Centaurs

10199 Chariklo

Centaurs are a class of minor planets orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune, having characteristics of both asteroids and comets. They have been recognized as a distinct category since the discovery of 2060 Chiron in 1977. The largest known centaur is 10199 Chariklo, with a diameter of 260 kilometers.

Centaurs vary from slight to great orbital inclination (tilt of the orbital plane relative to Earth's). Their orbits vary from nearly circular to highly eccentric, and some of them even have retrograde orbits (that is, they orbit the Sun clockwise rather than counterclockwise when viewed from above Earth's north pole).