Near-Earth object class
Atira asteroids
NEOs whose orbits lie entirely inside Earth's orbit (aphelion Q < 0.983 AU).
Near-Earth object class
Overview
The rarest near-Earth class, with orbits contained entirely within Earth's — hard to detect because they never appear far from the Sun. Named after 163693 Atira.
Members
1 modelled member.
The prototype of the Atira class — near-Earth asteroids whose orbits lie entirely inside Earth's orbit — and itself a binary system.
CategoryNear-EarthDiscovered2003
Knowledge connections
- Group includes163693 Atira
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
- NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.