28978 Ixion is a centaur, a type of celestial object that orbits the Sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune. Centaurs are characterized by having characteristics of both asteroids and comets. Ixion was discovered on April 19, 2001, by astronomers using the Linear (Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research) project. Ixion is named after the mythological figure Ixion from Greek mythology, who was the king of the Lapiths.
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