Mars crosser

Mars crossers are asteroids whose orbits bring them close to Mars. These asteroids are a subset of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). They are further categorized into shallow and deep Mars crossers based on their perihelion distances, which is the point in their orbit closest to the Sun. While these asteroids can cross Mars's orbit, their perihelion distances are greater than 1.3 astronomical units (AU), meaning they do not currently cross Earth's orbit.1

Asteroids, including Mars crossers, orbit the Sun in elliptical paths and generally move in the same direction as the planets. These orbits can be highly eccentric, meaning they are very elongated. The study of NEAs, including Mars crossers, is important for understanding potential threats to Earth, as some asteroids can indeed cross Earth's orbit and pose a collision risk.12