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Chaos

19521 Chaos, 1998 WH24

Potential Dwarf Planet of the Solar System

Proper NameChaos
Minor Planet Designation19521 Chaos
Provisional Designation1998 WH24
Orbital Period307 years
112,006.8 days
Distance from the SunSemi-Major Axis: 6,802,867,338 km (45.47 AU)
Perihelion: 6,133,596,658 km (41.00 AU)
Aphelion: 7,472,138,018 km (49.95 AU)
Rotation Period3d 23h 38m
Diameterc.600 km
Parent starThe Sun, yellow dwarf
Other planets in this systemMercury, terrestrial planet
Venus, terrestrial planet
Earth, terrestrial planet
Mars, terrestrial planet
Jupiter, gas giant
Saturn, gas giant
Uranus, ice giant
Neptune, ice giant
Numerous dwarf planets, asteroids and other bodies
NotesA little-known outer member of the Solar System, orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. Chaos has a dark, non-reflective surface with a low albedo value of just 5%. It is estimated to be some 600 km in diameter, though within a sigificant margin of error.

One of the objects described as cubewano, a cloud of planetoids circling the Solar System beyond the orbit of Neptune in the region known as the Kuiper Belt. Chaos takes its name from Greek mythology, where it signified the void from which the first gods emerged.

Chaos pursues a rather eccentric orbit, at distance from the Sun varying between about forty and fifty AU (an orbital distance approximately comparable with that of Pluto, though unlike Chaos, Pluto's more eccentric orbital path brings it at times within that of Neptune).

Though its nature is not well known, Chaos' diameter can be estimated at some 600 km. This makes Chaos rather small for a potential dwarf planet: in fact it is only about half the diameter of Pluto's moon Charon.

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