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Note, Paper: Nature of Rotators

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Wow, asteroids made a Nature-family journal, and not Nature Astronomy. In Scientific Reports vol. 15 #1:

Shimizu, Y. Miyamoto, H. Michel, P.  Diverse evolutionary pathways of spheroidal asteroids driven by rotation rate  Art. 10284  s41598-025-94574-1

Not only are there fast-rotator asteroids and slow-rotators, but the YORP effect can change a body’s spin. Both Ryugu and Bennu have ‘top’ shapes, assumed due to rockslides forming a ‘belly band’ about their equators. But wait, there’s more. After analyzing rock formations- thousands and thousands of rocks- Shimizu et al. have determined that Ryugu rocks are (gradually, of course) slumping towards each pole, while Bennu regolith is slumping from both sides, into its equator. But wait, there’s still more. The group finds that, due to the YORP effect, Bennu’s spin has changed. Previously, stuff had migrated to each pole, before the rotation (and therefore, the slumping direction) entered a new regime.

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