60558 Echeclus
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60558 Echeclus is a centaur in the outer solar system. It was discovered by Spacewatch in 2000 and initially classified as an asteroid with provisional designation 2000 EC98, Also, Echeclus is a Centaur also known as 2000 EC98. Research in 2001 by Rousselot and Petit at the Besancon observatory in France showed no evidence of cometary activity, but in late December 2005 a cometary coma was detected. In early 2006[1] the Committee on Small Bodies Nomenclature gave it the cometary designation 174P/Echeclus.
Echeclus is only the second comet (after Chiron) that has the same name as an asteroid (rather than the name of its discoverer(s) as with other comets). Chiron is also a centaur; other centaurs are being observed for signs of a cometary coma.
Three other objects are cross-listed as both comets and asteroids: 133P/Elst-Pizarro (7968 Elst-Pizarro), 4015 Wilson-Harrington (107P/Wilson-Harrington), and 118401 LINEAR (176P/LINEAR (LINEAR 52)).
On 11 April 2006, a large chunk of Echeclus was observed to break off, causing a great cloud of dust. Astronomers have speculated this could have been caused by an impact or by an explosive release of volatile substances.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Homepage of the VdS-Fachgruppe Kometen. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
- ^ Hecht, Jeff (11 April 2006). Hybrid comet-asteroid in mysterious break-up. NewScientist.com news service. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
[edit] External links
| Minor planets | ||
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| Previous minor planet | 60558 Echeclus | Next minor planet |
| Comets | ||
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| Previous periodic comet | 174P/Echeclus | Next periodic comet |
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| Vulcanoids | Near-Earth asteroids | Main belt | Jupiter Trojans | Centaurs | Damocloids | Comets | Trans-Neptunians (Kuiper belt · Scattered disc · Oort cloud) |
| For other objects and regions, see: asteroid groups and families, binary asteroids, asteroid moons and the Solar system For a complete listing, see: List of asteroids. See also Pronunciation of asteroid names and Meanings of asteroid names. |
