Astronomers have discovered an asteroid 2.53 kilometers in diameter that completes a full rotation on its axis in just 4.18 minutes. To put that in perspective, it is roughly the length of 25 football fields placed end to end, infohub.kz reports.
The celestial body, designated 491384, was spotted through observations at the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile. According to scientists, most large objects of this type are clusters of rocks and debris held together by gravity. If such a body spins too fast, centrifugal force can tear it apart.
For objects more than 150 meters in diameter, there is a rotation limit: they should not complete a full turn faster than once every 2.2 hours. Yet the newly found asteroid somehow manages it in 4.18 minutes.
Researchers suggest it has high internal strength. Otherwise it would hardly withstand such a speed without falling apart. The asteroid is likely more like a solid rock than a loose pile of debris.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported when Kazakhstanis will be able to see an asteroid the size of a skyscraper. That refers to the asteroid Apophis, which will pass so close to the planet that billions of people will be able to observe it without telescopes.