Dioretsa (
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.