In Greek mythology, Chiron ("hand") was a centaur who was unlike most centaurs in that he was kind, intelligent and civilized. He was a son of Cronus and Philyra.
He was probably a Thessalonian god, later subsumed into the Greek pantheon as a centaur.
He tutored Asclepius, Theseus, Achilles, Jason and Heracles.
Heracles accidentally shot him with a poisonous arrow (see: Erymanthian Boar) and Chiron willingly gave up his immortality to escape the pain. He was placed in the sky as the constellation Sagittarius.
Chiron also saved the life of Peleus when Acastus tried to kill him by taking his sword and leaving him out in the woods to be slaughtered by the centaurs. Chiron retrieved his sword.
With the nymph Chariclo, Chiron was the father of Ocyrhoe.
Alternative: Cheiron
In astronomy, 2060 Chiron is the name of an object discovered in 1977 by Charlie Kowal.