Asteroid Discovered: Incredible Speed Rotation of Massive Celestial Body

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has made a groundbreaking discovery: the fastest-spinning large asteroid ever observed. This remarkable asteroid rotates approximately every 1.9 minutes, despite being over half a kilometer in diameter, a speed that defies previous expectations.

Lead researcher Dmitri Vavilov and his team from the University of Washington in Seattle identified this asteroid and several other unexpectedly fast rotators during their observations in late April and early May of 2025. The findings were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas on March 17th, showcased in this study.

During their observation period, researchers cataloged 76 asteroids with reliably calculated rotation periods, 19 of which were categorized as hyperfast rotators, spinning more than once every 2.2 hours. This figure represents the maximum rotation speed for a “rubble heap” asteroid formed of small rocks loosely bound by gravity.

Typically, asteroids are thought to be composed of debris, so the newfound rapid spin of these celestial bodies was not anticipated. The fastest ultra-high-speed rotating asteroids are known to rotate roughly once every 13 minutes. Initially, the researchers were not looking for asteroids that spun faster than five minutes. Vavilov commented, “I thought it was incredible that they could spin any faster.”

Upon further investigation, the team discovered three asteroids that qualified as ultrafast rotors, with rotation periods of approximately 3.8 minutes, 1.92 minutes, and 1.88 minutes. The record holder, identified as 2025 MN45, measures about 710 meters in diameter and spins faster than any previously documented asteroid larger than 500 meters in diameter.

Given its astonishing speed, this asteroid is unlikely to be a loose conglomerate of debris. Its structure must be significantly more robust than that of typical space rocks. “If this asteroid has a rotational speed of less than 2.2 hours, yet spins faster than 2 minutes,” Vavilov explained, “then even clay wouldn’t suffice to hold it together; it’s likely a single solid mass or primarily composed of metal.”

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is anticipated to unveil more about rapidly rotating asteroids throughout its planned 10-year survey of the southern sky, enriching our understanding of these intriguing cosmic objects.