Back to Chiron's FriendsHow many Centaurs are there now?
Counting Chiron, there may be as many as 61 found so far.
- Fifteen have been given names:
- Amycus (55576)
- Asbolus (8405)
- Bienor (54598)
- Chariklo (10199)
- Chiron (2060)
- Crantor (83982)
- Cyllarus (52975)
- Elatus (31824)
- Hylonome (10370)
- Nessus (7066)
- Okyrhoe (52872)
- Pelion (49036)
- Pholus (5145)
- Thereus (32532)
- Echeclus (60558)
- Thirteen have been given numbers, but not named yet:
- #119315 (2001 SQ73
- #119976 (2002 VR13
- #120061 (2003 CO1)
- #12929 (1999 TZ1)
- #33128 (1998 BU48)
- #42355 (2002 CR46)
- #44594 (1999 OX3)
- #12929 (1999 TZ1)
- #63252 (2001 BL41)
- #73480 (2002 PN34)
- #87555 (2000 QB243)
- #88269 (2001 KF77)
- #95626 (2002 GZ32)
The latest Centaurs to be announced are 2004 XQ190, 2005 TH173, 2005 UJ438 and #12929 (1999 TZ1). This last one is especially intriguing because it has been known for several years, but was thought at first to be Trojan planetoid.
And here's interesting news. For years, it has been speculated that many Centaurs may be cometary, but only one, Chiron, has ever shown any coma. However, in December 2005, it was announced that Centaur Echeclus (60558) has now shown a coma extending about 20 arcsec from the nucleus. No decision has been made to redesignate it a comet. It therefore stands in the same category as Chiron as a comet with centaur status. Are these two unique in having coma's, or will we be seeing more of this activity amongst the Centaurs? And if it is relatively rare....could it be indicative of something the two bodies have in common astrologically?
I would like to propose the idea that ALL the Centaurs are in the universe to teach us about various processes. Perhaps you have heard me talk about how I feel Chiron does not rule a sign, as the planets are said to do, but rather a four-sign process going from Virgo to Sagittarius. Chiron rules any process involving moving between Saturn and Uranus. Each of the Centaurs, I feel, also rules a process, and this will be the key to understanding them in our lives.
I've devised initial symbols for many of the unnamed Centaurs --- something to use until official symbols are agreed upon. To see these glyphs, go to my provisional symbol page.