Astronomers Find Massive Asteroid Spinning at 'Impossible' Speed
The Daily Galaxy • • science
Key Points:
- Astronomers have discovered a massive asteroid, 2025 MN45, measuring 710 meters in diameter, spinning once every 1.9 minutes—much faster than the previously accepted rotational limit of about 2.2 hours for objects of its size.
- This rapid rotation challenges existing theories about asteroid mechanics, suggesting that the asteroid must be composed of solid rock or metal rather than loosely bound rubble, as such fast spin would otherwise cause it to break apart.
- The discovery, made using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile and published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, compels scientists to reconsider the structural integrity and material composition of large asteroids.
- The findings open new avenues for research into asteroid formation, internal structure, and
