▁Sho em aker ▁and ▁Canadian ▁astronom er ▁David ▁Le vy ▁at ▁the ▁Pal om ar ▁Observ atory ▁on ▁Mount ▁Pal om ar , ▁California . ▁ ▁Or bit ▁and ▁classification ▁▁ ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁A ten ▁astero id , ▁a ▁subgroup ▁of ▁near - E arth ▁objects ▁that ▁are ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁zone ▁of ▁influence ▁of ▁Ven us . ▁It ▁has ▁frequent , ▁relatively ▁close ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁the ▁Earth , ▁as ▁its ▁minimum ▁orbit ▁intersection ▁distance ▁( MO ID ) ▁is ▁ 0 . 1 6 ▁A U ▁or ▁about ▁ 2 3 ▁million ▁kilom eters . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁e ighth ▁A ten ▁astero id ▁discovered . ▁Since ▁then ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁At ens ▁has ▁grown ▁to ▁about ▁one ▁thousand ▁known ▁bodies . ▁ ▁This ▁astero id ▁or bits ▁the ▁Sun ▁with ▁a ▁short ▁orb ital ▁period ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ 0 . 3 – 1 . 2   AU ▁once ▁every ▁ 2 2 7 ▁days . ▁The ▁body ▁rot ates ▁every ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁hours ▁around ▁its ▁axis ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁not ably ▁high ▁al bed o ▁of ▁about ▁ 0 . 4 0 . ▁Its ▁orbit ▁is ▁t ilt ed ▁by ▁ 2 9 ▁degrees ▁to ▁the ▁plane ▁of ▁the ▁e cli ptic . ▁With ▁an ▁exception ally ▁high ▁ecc ent ric ity ▁of ▁ 0 . 5 9 , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁ecc ent ric ▁A ten ▁astero id ▁known ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁discovery , ▁more ▁ecc ent ric