Characterizing a Super-fast Rotating Asteroid in Rubin Observatory First Alerts

Research Notes of the AAS 2026 Open access

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Authors: Jacob A. Kurlander, Dmitrii Vavilov, A. Fleming, Mario Jurić, Siegfried Eggl, Sarah Greenstreet, Colin Orion Chandler, Michael Solontoi
DOI: 10.3847/2515-5172/ae67fe
Cited by: 1
References: 12

Abstract

Abstract The Rubin Observatory’s First Alerts event in 2026 February delivered hundreds of photometric measurements for nearly a thousand asteroids, enabling the detection of super-fast rotators. We identify 2017 QJ 216 as a super-fast rotator with a period of 20.3 minutes, a diameter of 330–660 m, a minimum axis ratio a / b of 1.14, and a minimum cohesive strength of 50–73 kPa—among the highest constraints on sub-kilometer asteroid strength yet measured. This discovery demonstrates the remarkable scientific potential of the Rubin alert stream and provides further evidence that sub-kilometer super-fast rotators are less rare than previously thought.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Astro and Planetary Science Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae

Publication details

Journal / source
Research Notes of the AAS
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Volume
10
Issue
5
Pages
108–108
Publication date
6 May 2026