Number

5145

Provisional name

1992 AD

Class

Centaur

Discovery date

09.01.1992

Discovery position

0° Leo 36' Rx

Time of announcement

23.01.1992 - no clock time given

Orbital period

92.2 years

Orbit

• crosses the orbits of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and also Pluto

Aphelion

31.983 AU

Perihelion

  8.730 AU

Semimajor axis

20.357 AU

Magnitude

7.0

Diameter

110 - 240 km

Mythology

Pholus, like Chiron, was a civilized centaur. He lived in a cave on Mount Pelion and was the keeper of a cask of wine given to him by Dionysus, which he had kept three generations, and which was the collective property of all the Centaurs.

Pholus was friend of Herakles, who once visited the cave. Pholus invited Herakles to dine with him. Herakles asked for wine, and Pholus opened the jar. The neighboring centaurs became intoxicated with the smell of wine, and a huge riot broke out. Chiron was accidentally wounded by the poisonous arrows of Herakles. Also Pholus accidentally wounded himself with one of the arrows, and died quickly as a result.

Pholus