Aten
noun
\ ˈä-tᵊn
\
\
plural Atens
Definition of Aten
astronomy
: any of a class of asteroids having orbits that are mainly within the Earth's orbit but that may extend beyond it at their outermost point : an asteroid having an orbit with a semimajor axis of less than one astronomical unit
There are two families of asteroids with orbits that cross Earth's. Members of the Aten family spend most of their time inside our orbit, while Apollo objects are mostly beyond Earth, with only the innermost point of their orbit inside ours.— Jeff Hecht and David L. Chandler, New Scientist, 22 Feb. 2003
— compare amor sense 2, apollo
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