Vera Rubin Observatory discovers fastest spinning asteroid ever and its huge!
Space••general
Key Points:
- The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, operational since spring, has discovered nearly 2,000 new asteroids, including 19 "superfast rotators" that spin in under 2.2 hours, with one asteroid, 2025 MN45, setting a record for the fastest spin among large asteroids over 500 meters in diameter.
- Asteroid 2025 MN45, about 0.4 miles (710 meters) wide, completes a rotation every 1.88 minutes, suggesting it has unusually high structural strength akin to solid rock, which is surprising given most asteroids are thought to be loosely bound "rubble piles."
- The rapid spin rates of these asteroids can provide insights into their formation history,
