A new space rock is now gaining attention, not because it’s heading toward Earth, but because astronomers have found an asteroid that spins so fast it has broken every known record for objects of its size. The asteroid, called 2025 MN45, completes one full rotation in under two minutes, something scientists didn’t think was possible for something this large. Also Read: PSLV-C62 Mission: ISRO To Launch EOS-N1 And 15 Co-Passengers This Week, Check Date, Mission Details, More
Most asteroids tumble through space at a much slower pace. But 2025 MN45 is different. As per a report by Earthsky.org, it measures roughly 700 metres wide, which is about the length of eight football fields, and yet it manages to spin once every 1.88 minutes. That makes it the fastest-rotating asteroid ever observed in this size category. 
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To put this in context, objects in the main asteroid belt are usually limited by what scientists call the “spin barrier.” If they rotate too quickly, they should fall apart. 2025 MN45 clearly didn’t get that memo.
How scientists found it
The discovery came from data captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Using the world’s largest digital camera, researchers scanned the sky over about 10 hours across seven nights during spring 2025. In that short time, they identified nearly 1,900 new asteroids.
Among them were 19 super-fast and ultra-fast rotators. But 2025 MN45 stood out as the most extreme of the group. Most asteroids are believed to be “rubble piles”, loose collections of rocks held together by gravity. If such an object spun this fast, it would simply fly apart.
Because 2025 MN45 stays intact while spinning this quickly, scientists believe it must be made of very solid, rock-like material. In other words, it’s not just a pile of debris. It’s a tightly bonded chunk of space rock, which makes it far more unusual than most asteroids we know.
Why this matters
Until now, many fast-spinning asteroids were found near Earth because they are easier to observe. The Rubin Observatory has changed that by allowing scientists to study distant objects in the main asteroid belt with much better detail.
This opens up a new way to understand how asteroids form, what they’re made of, and how they survive extreme conditions. And if this is what Rubin can spot in its early days, scientists expect many more surprising discoveries once its long-term sky survey fully begins.
