Is Comet Chiron currently breaking up as is claimed on the Internet?

Chiron is one of the 'Centaur' objects which orbits the Sun beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Look at the Chiron Page for more information. I consulted the IAU Circulars from October to December 1996 and found no reports of any 'fragmentation' event involving this comet- like body. It is, apparently, very active in terms of gas ejection, and has a very large coma.

Chiron is a minor body discovered by Charles Kowal on photographic plates made on 18 and 19 October 1977. From the beginning astronomers had doubts about Chiron's nature: is it an asteroid, or is it a comet? In 1988 a tail was observed, indicating that this celestial body is a comet. The astronomers' eyes are pointed toward Chiron. It goes through its perihelion on 1996 February 14. This happens only every 51 years.

The NASA NSSDC has an archive of information and photos about this object.

Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald
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