In the vast expanse of the southern sky, a newly discovered asteroid has been spotted, defying conventional understanding with its extraordinary rotation period of 112 seconds. This diminutive celestial ---, designated 2025 MN45, has earned the distinction of being the fastest-spinning asteroid wider than 500 meters, leaving scientists in awe.
The revelation was made during a January 7 news conference at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, where astronomer Sarah Greenstreet proclaimed, "It's unlike anything we've been able to see before." The asteroid's remarkable rotation period is a far cry from the 30 minutes to an hour exhibited by previous record holders.
Greenstreet, affiliated with the University of Washington in Seattle, emphasized that this finding has significant implications for understanding the internal strengths, compositions, and collisional histories of asteroids. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which captured the asteroid's image, is revolutionizing the field with its unprecedented view of the southern sky, imaging the entire region every few nights for 10 years.
According to Greenstreet, the Rubin Observatory's "first look" images, taken over nine nights last spring and released in June, contained approximately 2,100 solar system objects, about 90 percent of which had never been seen before.
PHOENIX — A newly discovered asteroid spins about as fast as a Ferris wheel. With a rotation period of just 112 seconds, it's the new record holder ...Other references and insights: Check here
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