Chiron (hypothetical moon)
Encyclopedia
Chiron is the name given to a supposed moon
of Saturn
sighted by Hermann Goldschmidt in 1861. It has since been determined that no such moon exists.
Hermann Goldschmidt announced the discovery of the ninth moon of Saturn in April 1861, which, he said, orbited between Titan
and Hyperion
. Goldschmidt's discovery was never confirmed, and Chiron
was never seen again.
In 1898, William Henry Pickering
discovered Phoebe
, which is now considered the ninth moon of Saturn. Strangely, in 1905, Pickering believed that he had discovered another moon of Saturn, which, he reported, orbited the planet
between Titan and Hyperion. He called this new moon Themis. Themis, like Chiron, was never sighted again.
An object, now classified as a centaur
, which was discovered in 1977, is named 2060 Chiron
.
Natural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
of Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
sighted by Hermann Goldschmidt in 1861. It has since been determined that no such moon exists.
Hermann Goldschmidt announced the discovery of the ninth moon of Saturn in April 1861, which, he said, orbited between Titan
Titan (moon)
Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
and Hyperion
Hyperion (moon)
Hyperion , also known as Saturn VII, is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. It is distinguished by its irregular shape, its chaotic rotation, and its unexplained sponge-like appearance...
. Goldschmidt's discovery was never confirmed, and Chiron
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
was never seen again.
In 1898, William Henry Pickering
William Henry Pickering
William Henry Pickering was an American astronomer, brother of Edward Charles Pickering. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1883.-Work:...
discovered Phoebe
Phoebe (moon)
Phoebe is an irregular satellite of Saturn. It was discovered by William Henry Pickering on 17 March 1899 from photographic plates that had been taken starting on 16 August 1898 at the Boyden Observatory near Arequipa, Peru, by DeLisle Stewart...
, which is now considered the ninth moon of Saturn. Strangely, in 1905, Pickering believed that he had discovered another moon of Saturn, which, he reported, orbited the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
between Titan and Hyperion. He called this new moon Themis. Themis, like Chiron, was never sighted again.
An object, now classified as a centaur
Centaur (planetoid)
Centaurs are an unstable orbital class of minor planets that behave with characteristics of both asteroids and comets. They are named after the mythological race of beings, centaurs, which were a mixture of horse and human...
, which was discovered in 1977, is named 2060 Chiron
2060 Chiron
2060 Chiron is a minor planet in the outer Solar System. Discovered in 1977 by Charles T. Kowal , it was the first-known member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs, with an orbit between Saturn and Uranus.Although it was initially classified as an asteroid, it was later found to...
.