Archive · 10 Jan 2026
Fastest-Spinning Asteroid Discovered, Revealing Space Rock Secrets
Scientists have found a very special space rock called 2025 MN45.
This asteroid spins super fast, completing a full turn every 1.88 minutes.
It's about as wide as eight football fields.
Researchers used a big camera in Chile to find this and other fast-spinning asteroids.
They think this asteroid must be made of very strong material to stay together while spinning so quickly.
This discovery helps scientists learn more about how strong and mysterious some space rocks can be.
Scientists discovered the fastest-spinning asteroid, 2025 MN45, which completes a rotation every 1.88 minutes.
The asteroid is approximately 2,329 feet in diameter, about the length of eight football fields.
It was identified using the Legacy Survey of Space and Time Camera at the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.
Researchers found 19 rapidly rotating asteroids from a sample of nearly 1,900 asteroids.
The study suggests that 2025 MN45 must be made of extremely strong material to withstand its high rotation speed.
- Who
- Scientists using the Legacy Survey of Space and Time Camera
- What
- Discovered the fastest-spinning asteroid, 2025 MN45
- When
- Data collected over seven nights in April and May of last year
- Where
- NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Cerro Pachon, Chile
- Why
- To study the properties and behaviors of rapidly rotating asteroids
- Asteroid Name
- 2025 MN45
- Rotation Period
- 1.88 minutes
- Diameter
- 2,329 feet
- Discovery Method
- Legacy Survey of Space and Time Camera
- Discovery Location
- NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Chile
- Number of Rapid Asteroids Found
- 19
- Total Asteroids Studied
- 1,900