Centaur
A Centaur is a small icy body orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune, partway between a Kuiper Belt object and a comet.
A Centaur is a small body whose orbit lies mostly between those of Jupiter and Neptune, crossing the paths of the giant planets. They are named after the mythical creatures that were half human, half horse, because they share features of both asteroids and comets.
The first Centaur recognised, 2060 Chiron, was discovered in 1977 and later found to have a faint coma, like a comet. Others include Pholus, one of the reddest objects known, and Chariklo, which has two thin rings, discovered in 2013.
Centaurs are thought to be Kuiper Belt objects that have been nudged inwards by Neptune. Their orbits are unstable, lasting only a few million years, and many will eventually be pushed into the inner Solar System to become Jupiter-family comets. Studying them helps trace the journey of icy material from the outer Solar System towards the inner planets.
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