World's largest camera detects fastest-ever-spinning asteroid

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, equipped with the world’s largest digital camera—the 3,200-megapixel LSST Camera—has detected the fastest-spinning asteroid larger than 500 meters ever observed. The asteroid, designated 2025 MN45, measures approximately 710 meters (0.4 miles) in diameter and completes a full rotation every 1.88 minutes. This rapid spin implies that 2025 MN45 possesses exceptionally high material strength, likely comparable to solid rock, which is unusual since most asteroids of this size are thought to be "rubble piles" composed of loosely bound debris. The discovery was part of a study led by Sarah Greenstreet and her team, who analyzed data collected during the Rubin Observatory’s early commissioning phase. Their findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlight how fast-spinning asteroids can offer valuable insights into the formation and composition of solar system bodies, as well as their collisional histories. The Rubin Observatory’s upcoming Legacy