Newly discovered asteroid orbits entirely inside Venus's orbit
A newly discovered asteroid, 2025 SC79, was spotted by astronomer Scott S. Sheppard using the Dark Energy Camera in late September 2025.
It's about 700 meters wide and is only the second known asteroid to orbit entirely inside Venus's path around the Sun.
The asteroid completes 1 orbit around the Sun in 128 days
2025 SC79 zips around the Sun in just 128 days, crossing Mercury's orbit and making it the second-fastest known asteroid.
Because it sticks close to the Sun, it can only be seen during brief "twilight" moments after sunset or before sunrise—making it tricky to detect and track.
Understanding such asteroids is crucial for planetary defense
Asteroids like this are tough to find but can be dangerous if they head our way.
According to scientists, an impact from an object this size could cause continent-wide damage, so learning how these objects move is key for planetary defense.
Scientists hope that when 2025 SC79 comes back into view in a few months, they'll get more clues about where it came from and what it's made of.