UW astronomers spot record-breaking asteroid in Rubin Observatory data

January 22, 2026 | UW News

An artist’s rendering of 2025 MN45 — the fastest-rotating asteroid with a diameter over 500 meters that scientists have ever found. Photo: NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA/P. Marenfeld

A team led by University of Washington astronomers has discovered the fastest-ever spinning asteroid with a diameter over half a kilometer. The asteroid — found while analyzing data from the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory and dubbed 2025 MN45 — is 0.4 miles in diameter and completes a full rotation every 1.88 minutes.