The Aten asteroids are a dynamical group of asteroids whose orbits bring them into proximity with Earth. By definition, Atens are Earth-crossing asteroids (a < 1.0 AU and Q > 0.983 AU).[1] The group is named after 2062 Aten, the first of its kind, discovered on 7 January 1976 by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory. As of October 2024, 2,860 Atens have been discovered, of which 266 are numbered, 14 are named, and 191 are classified as potentially hazardous asteroids.[2][3][4]
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