Astronomer Scott Sheppard noticed 2025 SC79, presented here in dual images displaying its transit as it relates to distant stars.(Image credit: Photographs courtesy of Scott S. Sheppard.)
Astronomical scientists have located an asteroid measuring 2,300 feet across (700 meters), camouflaged by the sunlight, which is zipping through our planetary system at a speed just shy of the highest ever recorded.
The asteroid, approximately the size of a skyscraper, is designated 2025 SC79 and completes a circuit around the sun every 128 days, marking it with the second swiftest orbit amongst all asteroids in the solar system. Moreover, it stands as only the second celestial entity recognized to orbit entirely within the path of Venus, even occasionally intersecting Mercury’s orbit.
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“The asteroids presenting the most danger are those that are most difficult to detect,” Sheppard stated in the announcement. “The majority of asteroid studies identify these objects during the dark hours, where they are easiest to locate. Nevertheless, asteroids positioned close to the Sun are only observable during periods of twilight — just as the Sun is about to appear or disappear. Should these ‘twilight’ asteroids make their way towards Earth, they have the potential to become substantial impact risks.”
Asteroids like 2025 SC79 certainly deserve continued vigilance. To provide some perspective on its 2,300-foot diameter, the so-called “city-killer” asteroid 2024 YR4, which was discovered earlier in the year, is only approximately 180 feet across (55 meters). Despite its size, it carries the capacity to unleash 500 times the energy of the atomic device that annihilated Hiroshima, should it ever collide with Earth (though rest assured, it almost certainly will not).
Sheppard detected 2025 SC79 utilizing the Dark Energy Camera mounted on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Blanco 4-meter telescope. Subsequent verification of the asteroid’s presence was achieved through monitoring by the NSF’s Gemini telescope and Carnegie Science’s Magellan telescopes, per the announcement.
This marks the second incredibly fast asteroid that Sheppard and his team have identified recently, having also pinpointed the fastest asteroid known to date in 2021. That object, termed 2021 PH27, circles the sun in 113 days, making its orbit just 15 days shorter than that of 2025 SC79. The sole entity in the solar arrangement with a quicker orbital timeframe is Mercury, which completes its solar orbit in 88 days.
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The orbit of 2025 SC79 has currently positioned it behind the sun, rendering it unobservable for several months. Scientists intend to conduct further observations in the future to enhance understanding of the object, ultimately adding another element to the cosmic enigma that aids astronomers in deciphering the evolution of our solar structure and its associated asteroid threats.
“Many of the Solar System’s asteroids reside within one of two areas densely populated with space rocks, yet disturbances can propel these objects into more proximate orbits, where they become more elusive,” Sheppard elucidated. “Grasping the process by which they arrive in these areas may facilitate our ability to safeguard our planet and deepen our understanding of Solar System history.”
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Patrick PesterSocial Links NavigationTrending News Writer
Patrick Pester is a writer covering trending news at Live Science. His writing has been featured on other science-focused sites, including BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick transitioned to journalism following an early career in zoos and wildlife conservation. He received the Master’s Excellence Scholarship to attend Cardiff University, where he earned a master’s degree in international journalism. He also holds a second master’s degree in biodiversity, evolution, and conservation in action from Middlesex University London. Outside of news writing, Patrick explores the trade in human remains.
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