A research team from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified the fastest-rotating near-Earth asteroid known to date. The findings were published in The Astronomical Journal.
The asteroid, designated 2024 XA1, has a rotation period of only 1.63 seconds. This speed surpasses the previous record holder, 2024 BX1, which has a rotation period of 2.58 seconds.
The 2024 XA1 asteroid entered the Earth's atmosphere over eastern Siberia on December 4, 2024. This event marked the 11th successful human prediction of an asteroid impact on Earth.
Researchers utilized the 2.4-meter telescope in Lijiang to capture images of 2024 XA1 during the final hour before it entered the atmosphere. The data suggests the object is a solid, monolithic structure.
