(208996) Achlys Trans-Neptunian Object
Discovered on 13 January 2003 by Trujillo, C. A., Brown, M. E. at Palomar.
Achlys is a personification of sorrow and grief described in the Greek epic poem, the Shield of Heracles. It is also used by Homer in the Iliad to describe the mist that covers the eyes of the dying.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #15, 16), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Achlys is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Achlys is 43.5 au from the Sun and 43.9 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 208996 |
| Provisional designation | 2003 AZ84 |
| Orbit class | Trans-Neptunian Object |
| Rotation period | 13.4 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 3.71 |
| Orbital period | 250 years |
| Semi-major axis | 39.7 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 32.7 – 46.6 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.175 |
| Inclination | 13.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 31.7 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.