"At 710 meters (just under half a mile) wide, this space rock sets a record for how fast it spins on its axis: about one rotation in less than two minutes. That makes it the fastest-spinning asteroid with a diameter of more than 500 meters ever found. And it's not alone. The asteroid, discovered using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, is one of 19 large fast-rotating asteroids found with the telescope."
"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, said Sarah Greenstreet, an assistant astronomer at NOIRLab, in a statement. The findings suggest it may be similar to solid rock, something that she described as surprising because most asteroids are thought to be a gravelly conglomeration of rock, dust, ice and other debris."
A 710-meter-wide asteroid completes a rotation in less than two minutes, setting a record for asteroids larger than 500 meters. The object is one of 19 large, fast-rotating asteroids identified using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Researchers from NOIRLab, SLAC and partner institutions presented the discovery at the American Astronomical Society meeting and published results in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. The extreme spin requires very high material strength, suggesting a solid-rock structure rather than a loosely bound rubble pile. Studying these asteroids—their size, spin and composition—offers clues to their formation and the early solar system. The Rubin telescope will begin a 10-year survey of the night sky later this year.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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