"...at 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) across it's large enough to cause no small amount of pain were it to hypothetically hit. What's more, the asteroid's path brings it close enough that enough of a change in its 524-day orbit could cause us to rethink our concerns." By MICHELLE STARR via science alert The near-Earth asteroid responsible for the spectacular annual Geminids meteor shower has been caught doing something really unexpected. Scientists studying the shifting light of 3200 Phaethon have concluded the rocky body is spinning faster and faster on its axis, shaving off around 4 milliseconds every year. That might not seem like a lot, but asteroid spins don't usually change at all. Figuring out why Phaethon is behaving this way could give us new insight into a class of asteroids considered "potentially hazardous" – skimming past Earth as they orbit the Sun. Phaethon currently poses no danger to Earth, but at 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) across it's large enough to cause no small