Move over Mercury—Chiron is in retrograde: What even is Chiron?

Chiron in Retrograde: The Cosmic Dance of a Celestial Centaur

Chiron in Retrograde: The Cosmic Dance of a Celestial Centaur In recent weeks, social media has buzzed with mentions of 'Chiron in retrograde'. But what exactly is Chiron? This cosmic body, discovered by Charles Kowal in 1977, defies traditional classification. Initially categorized as an asteroid, Chiron revealed its true nature as a comet when it was seen sporting a tail in 1989. Now, it's recognized as both.Chiron, officially named (2060) Chi…

Move over Mercury: What is Chiron, and what does it mean to be in retrograde?

Chiron is a member of the Centaurs — a group of small solar system bodies that orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune.

Move over Mercury—Chiron is in retrograde: What even is Chiron?

You might have seen an interesting phrase popping up in your social media feeds lately: "Chiron is in retrograde." If you're anything like me, you've never heard of Chiron before—and I'm a professional astronomer.