The 365 Days of Astronomy NOIR Lab - Fast Spinning Asteroids From the Rubin Observatory
Jan 10, 2026
In this episode, Dr. Sarah Greenstreet, a tenure-track assistant astronomer at NSF NOIRLab and an expert in orbital dynamics, delves into the exciting discoveries made by the Rubin Observatory. She discusses the unexpected findings of nearly 1,900 new asteroids, including 19 that rotate exceptionally fast. Sarah explains how the observatory's cutting-edge technology allows for such rapid and deep sky surveys. Plus, she shares insights on how these discoveries are set to revolutionize our understanding of the Solar System’s small bodies.
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Rubin Will Make A Digital Movie Of The Sky
- The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will create the deepest, most detailed time-lapse of the night sky ever obtained.
- Its large mirror and giant camera let it image the sky rapidly and sensitively to reveal faint, fast-changing objects.
First Look Found Thousands Of New Asteroids
- Rubin's commissioning images already revealed roughly 2,000 previously unknown asteroids across the Solar System.
- Sarah Greenstreet's team extracted reliable rotation periods from many of these rapidly sequenced observations.
Brightness Changes Reveal Spin Rates
- Rapidly sequenced brightness measurements let astronomers determine asteroid spin rates by modeling lightcurve changes.
- Shape-driven brightness variation reveals rotation and enabled discovery of super- and ultra-fast rotators.