Scientists have discovered that a potentially hazardous asteroid is spinning faster and faster and they don't know why.
is set to be the center of attention during Japan’s DESTINY+ mission in 2028. As such, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been studying Phaethon quite a bit over the past several months in the lead-up to the mission’s launch in 2024., though, is that this potentially hazardous asteroid is spinning faster and faster, and they aren’t quite sure why.
The scientists looking at the asteroid discovered that not only was the spin increasing each year, but it was increasing at a consistent rate of four milliseconds a year. As such, they should be able to accurately predict which side of the potentially hazardous asteroid will be spinning into the Sun’s light.
Knowing that exact spin rate is vital to the success of the DESTINY+ mission. If the spacecraft were to arrive at the potentially hazardous asteroid when it had spun away from the Sun’s light, we wouldn’t be able to properly observe the asteroid because of just how dark everything is. As such, predicting where it will be spinning is going to be crucial.
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