Asteroid 2004 FH passed within a tenth of the Earth-Moon distance in March 2004. When itsperiod was found to be about nine months, it was classified as a(n):
A)short period comet.
B)Aten asteroid.
C)Apollo asteroid.
D)Amor asteroid.
E)Kuiper Belt Object.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Asteroid 2004 FH's orbit brings it close to the Earth and has a period of less than a year, which fits the description of an Aten asteroid. Asteroid 2004 FH has a period of about nine months and passed within a tenth of the Earth-Moon distance, making it an Aten asteroid. Aten asteroids are a group of near-Earth asteroids that have an orbital period of less than one year and can pass closer to the Sun than Earth's distance. The other options do not fit the characteristics of Asteroid 2004 FH.

Asteroid 2004 FH Passed Within a Tenth of the Earth-Moon