rotation

Motion around an axis. In these charts, the rotation rate gets progressively slower as one proceeds down the page.

Rotation rate in rotations per microsecond	Object
1	Micron-sized flakes of graphene were levitated by electric fields in a near-vacuum. Circularly polarized caused the flake to spin. As of 2010, this is the fastest rotation of a macroscopic object ever observed. B. E. Kane. Levitated spinning graphene flakes in an electric quadropole ion trap. Physical Review B, vol. 82, no. 11, page 115441 (22 September 2010). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.82.115441

Rotation rate in rotations per millisecond	Object
8.3	Bit of experimental micro-milling machine, early 21st century.
5	Typical air-driven dentist's drill, late 20^th century.
1.122	XTE J1739-285, a neutron star. European Space Agency. "Integral points to the fastest spinning neutron star" (press release). 16 February 2007. www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMPADBE8YE_index_0.html

1 rotation per second = 60 rotations per minute

Rotation rate in rotations per second	Object
833	Prototype flywheel energy storage device built at the Univ. of Texas at Austin. Science News, vol. 171, page 313 (19 May 2007).
458	Bit in Porter-Cable portable routers, maximum speed, 2007.
435	XTE J1751-305, a type of star called an accreting millisecond pulsar, which consists of a neutron star acquiring gas from a less massive companion star. IAU Circular 7870, 8 April 2002.
416	Hand grinder with DC motor, such as Dremel.
267	Shaft of stationary steam turbine, typical top speed.
250	Platters of the fastest commercially-available hard disk drives, 2002.
133	Crankshaft of internal combustion gasoline engine of a Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 at maximum power (640 horsepower, 471 kW).
132.5	Maximum turbine rotation rate of the General Electric J47 turbojet engine, produced 1948 to 1956, in use until 1978.
74	Blade of typical 7¼-inch portable circular saw. Some as high as 97 r/s, however.
60	Shaft of synchronous electric motor running on 60-Hz electric current.
50	Electric dental drill, early 20^th century.
50	Crankshaft of 1949 Volkswagen Beetle engine at maximum power (25 hp, 18.5 kW).
17	Flagella of certain bacteria, top speed (low speed, around 3.5 r/s). This is the only truly rotary action in living things. The rotor mechanism itself is capable of as much as 280 r/s, but not with the flagella attached.
5	Good ice skater doing a scratch spin.
1.3	Shellac audio recording, 20^th century. (78 RPM)

1 kilosecond = 16 minutes 40 seconds.

Rotation rate in rotations per kilosecond	Object
555.6	Vinyl long-playing audio recording (33 1/3 rpm).
255	Blades of the 3.6 MW General Electric wind turbine, top speed. Blades are 140 meters long.
23.44	Rotation of the asteroid 2008 HJ, fastest spinning natural body in the solar system (as of 2008). Electronic Telegram No. 1382 of the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, May 22, 2008. One rotation every 42.67 ± 0.04 s.
12.8	Rotation of the asteroid 2000 DO8, record holder previous to discovery of 2008 HJ.

1 megasecond = about 11.57 days

Rotation rate in rotations per megasecond	Object
95	Average rotation rate of the Pacific Subarctic Gyre (counterclockwise), a surface current in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Curtis C. Ebbesmeyer, W. James Ingraham, Thomas C. Royer and Chester E. Grosch. Tub toys orbit the Pacific Subarctic Gyre. Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, vol. 88, no. 1, pages 1-4 (2 Jan 2007)
28.23	The planet Jupiter.
26.92	The planet Saturn.
16.53	The planet Neptune.
16.07	The planet Uranus.
11.24	The planet Mars.

1 gigasecond = about 31.69 years

Rotation rate in rotations per gigasecond	Object
423.65	Moon of Earth.
197.34	The planet Mercury.
47.63	The planet Venus.

1 terasecond = about 31,688 years

Rotation rate in rotations per terasecond	Object

1 petasecond = about 32 million years

Rotation rate in rotations per petasecond	Object

1 exasecond = about 32,000,000,000 years

Rotation rate in rotations per exasecond	Object
158	Milky Way galaxy, at the distance Earth is from the center. The galaxy does not rotate as a solid wheel would.

1 zettasecond = about 32,000,000,000,000 years

Rotation rate in rotations per zettasecond	Object

1 yottasecond = about 32,000,000,000,000,000 years

Rotation rate in rotations per yottasecond	Object

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Last revised: 4 July 2010.