20461 Dioretsa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dioretsa (pronounced /ˌdaɪəˈrɛtsə/ dye'-ə-ret'-sə) is an asteroid discovered in 1999 notable for its unusual orbit, which is highly eccentric and retrograde. Its name is the word 'asteroid' spelled backwards to reflect this fact. It is one of eight or so known asteroids in the solar system that have a retrograde orbit -- see the List of noteworthy asteroids.

Dioretsa's orbit is otherwise similar to a comet's; it has a perihelion of 2.4 AU and an aphelion of 45.3 AU. This has led to speculation that Dioretsa was originally an object from the Oort Cloud.