Due to a high orbital eccentricity , Cruithne 's distance from the Sun and orbital speed vary a lot more than the Earth 's , so from the Earth 's point of view Cruithne actually follows a kidney-bean-shaped horseshoe orbit ahead of the Earth , taking slightly less than one year to complete a circuit of the `` bean '' .
Cruithne 's distance from the Sun and orbital speed vary a lot more than the Earth 's , so from the Earth 's point of view Cruithne actually follows a kidney bean-shaped horseshoe orbit ahead of the Earth , taking slightly less than one year to complete a circuit of the `` bean '' .