Apohele asteroid

Inner Earth Objects, abbreviated IEOs, is the term for asteroids that move entirely within the orbit of the Earth. Other names, mainly in English-speaking countries, are Apohele asteroids, Interior Earth Objects or Atira asteroids. They are defined by their orbit, not by their (at times) perigee, and are therefore not consistent with the near-Earth asteroids (English Near-Earth asteroid; NEA) to be confused.

The first IEO was established in 1998 by David J. Tholen discovered (1998 DK36 ). With 2003 CP20 (also known as ( 163 693 ) Atira ) took place in 2003, the first accurate observation of such asteroids. He moves between the orbits of Earth and Mercury and has a diameter of about two kilometers. Until 10 November 2013, a total of thirteen IEOs were discovered. Model calculations show that it should be a total of more than 1000 that are 100 meters or greater.

Since IEOs are identified at all due to their orbit only during the day or in the twilight sky, its discovery and observation - particularly from Earth - extremely difficult. Researchers at the German Centre for Aerospace planning to build a satellite to be named "Asteroid Finder", which is to make the observation outside the Earth's atmosphere possible.

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