5145 Pholus
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by |
|
| Discovery site | Kitt Peak National Obs. |
| Discovery date | 9 January 1992 |
| Designations | |
| (5145) Pholus | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfoʊləs/ |
Named after | Φόλος Pholos (Greek mythology) |
| 1992 AD | |
| Symbol | or (astrological) |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 · 0 | |
| Observation arc | 40.74 yr (14,881 d) |
| Earliest precovery date | 22 July 1977 |
| Aphelion | 31.943 AU |
| Perihelion | 8.7531 AU |
| 20.348 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.5698 |
| 91.79 yr (33,526 d) | |
| 117.26° | |
| 0° 0m 38.52s / day | |
| Inclination | 24.617° |
| 119.44° | |
| 354.77° | |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.495 AU |
| Saturn MOID | 0.34961 |
| TJupiter | 3.21 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 310 km × 160 km × 150 km |
| |
| 9.980 h | |
| |
| 21.62 16.3 (Perihelic opposition) | |
| |
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5145 Pholus /ˈfoʊləs/ is an eccentric centaur in the outer Solar System, approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) in diameter, that crosses the orbit of both Saturn and Neptune. It was discovered on 9 January 1992 by American astronomer David Rabinowitz (uncredited) of UA's Spacewatch survey at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, United States. The very reddish object has an elongated shape and a rotation period of 9.98 hours. It was named after the centaur Pholus from Greek mythology.