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The Amor asteroids have orbits that:

1) stay out beyond Neptune.
2) cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth, at perihelion.
3) stay closer to the Sun, on average, than we do.
4) stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter.
5) cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Amor asteroids are near-Earth asteroids with orbits that cross Mars' orbit but do not intersect Earth's orbit at perihelion. They revolve around the Sun in the same plane as the planets, and have perihelion distances that are closer to the Sun than the asteroid belt, yet still beyond Earth's orbit.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Amor asteroids are a group of near-Earth asteroids named after the archetype object 1221 Amor. Contrary to the options that suggest they stay beyond Neptune or stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter, Amor asteroids are known for having orbits that approach Mars, but they do not intersect the Earth's orbit at perihelion. Instead, Amor asteroids have orbits which cross Mars' orbit but stay outside of Earth's orbit.

Most asteroids, including the Amor group, revolve around the Sun in the same plane as the planets. The typical asteroids are found in the asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter, with orbital periods ranging from 3.3 to 6 years.

However, the Amor asteroids have orbits with perihelion distances that bring them closer to the Sun than the asteroid belt, but not as close as the Earth's orbit. Thus, the correct statement regarding Amor asteroids in the provided options is that they cross the orbit of Mars but not Earth at perihelion.

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