Vera C. Rubin Observatory has spotted an asteroid spinning at record speed

Space is a place that holds many mysteries, and astronomers make numerous discoveries every year. This was recently the case with the help of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which discovered an asteroid spinning at record speed.

Launched last June, this observatory has observed more than 2,000 recently discovered asteroids. Among them, 19 are superfast rotators, spinning around their axis in less than 2.2 hours. But one of them breaks all records.

Named 2025 MN45, this celestial object is located in our solar system, as it is in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. And if this belt could disappear, this object is quite massive, measuring 710 meters in diameter. But what is surprising is its rotation speed, as it completes one rotation in just 1.88 minutes. In other words, it is the fastest-spinning asteroid over 500 meters in diameter discovered to date.

To explain this situation, astronomers believe that a powerful collision must have occurred in the past. However, its composition remains a mystery, and Sarah Greenstreet, an assistant astronomer at NSF NOIRLab, suggests that it may be composed of solid rock: 

"Clearly, this asteroid must be made of material that has very high strength in order to keep it in one piece as it spins so rapidly.” 

However, while this discovery is fascinating, some asteroids rotate even faster. These are mainly small celestial objects, which rotate in less than a minute.