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centaur

File:Kuiper_belt_plot_objects_of_outer_solar_system.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Also known as centaurs

small Solar System body orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune

AI overview

A centaur is a small icy body that orbits in the region between Jupiter and Neptune, occupying a space between the inner and outer Solar System. These objects are scientifically important because studying them helps us understand the composition and dynamics of the early Solar System, as well as how objects can transition between different orbital regions.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Named after
centaur
Image
Kuiper belt plot objects of outer solar system.png
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
Centaurs (minor planets)
different from
centaur
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~20 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Positions of known outer Solar System objects as of 2017.The centaurs orbit generally inwards of the Kuiper belt and outside the Jupiter trojans.

(scale in AU; epoch as of January 2015; # of objects in parentheses)

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “centaur” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (7)