10199 Chariklo
Hubble Space Telescope image of Chariklo taken in 2015 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Spacewatch (J. Scotti) |
| Discovery site | Kitt Peak Obs. |
| Discovery date | 15 February 1997 |
| Designations | |
| (10199) Chariklo | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkærəkloʊ/ |
Named after | Χαρικλώ Khariklō (Ancient Greek nymph) |
| 1997 CU26 | |
| centaur · distant | |
| Adjectives | Charikloan, Charikloian /kærəˈkloʊ(i)ən/ |
| Symbol | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
| Observation arc | 26.51 yr (9,684 days) |
| Earliest precovery date | 5 November 1988 |
| Aphelion | 18.545 AU |
| Perihelion | 13.099 AU |
| 15.822 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1721 |
| 62.93 yr (22,987 days) | |
| 77.670° | |
| 0° 0m 56.52s / day | |
| Inclination | 23.382° |
| 300.42° | |
| |
| 242.90° | |
| Known satellites | (2) rings of Chariklo · (undiscovered embedded or shepherd moons?) |
| Jupiter MOID | 8.1850 AU |
| TJupiter | 3.4820 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 248±18 km 254 km (296x264x204 km) (287.6x270.4x198.2 km) | |
| 7.004±0.036 h | |
| 0.045±0.010 0.10±0.02 0.035±0.010 0.042±0.005 0.057 (assumed) | |
| SMASS = D · D BR (G-mode) B−V = 0.84 V−R = 0.50±0.03 B−R = 1.34 V−I = 1.02±0.02 R−J = 0.99 V−J = 1.49±0.07 J−H = 0.49 V−H = 1.98±0.08 | |
| 18.3 | |
| 6.569±0.015 (R) · 6.6 · 6.65 · 6.75 · 6.76 · 7.07±0.04 · 7.08±0.04 · 7.03±0.10 · 7.40±0.25 | |
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10199 Chariklo /ˈkærəkloʊ/ is the largest confirmed centaur, a class of minor planet in the outer Solar System. It orbits the Sun between Saturn and Uranus, grazing the orbit of Uranus. On 26 March 2014, astronomers announced the discovery of two rings (nicknamed Oiapoque and Chuí after the rivers that define Brazil's borders) around Chariklo by observing a stellar occultation, making it the first minor planet known to have rings.
A photometric study in 2001 was unable to find a definite period of rotation. Infrared observations of Chariklo indicate the presence of water ice, which may in fact be located in its rings.