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No, an asteroid cannot travel at the speed of light. According to the theory of special relativity, which is a fundamental principle of modern physics proposed by Albert Einstein, the speed of light in a vacuum is an absolute constant and represents the maximum speed at which any physical object can travel through space. This speed is denoted by the letter "c" and is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second.

As an object with mass, an asteroid is subject to the laws of classical mechanics, and according to these laws, it would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate a massive object with mass to the speed of light. In other words, as an object with mass approaches the speed of light, its mass increases, and its energy requirements become infinite, making it impossible for any object with mass to reach or exceed the speed of light.

So, asteroids, like any other massive objects, are bound by the constraints of special relativity and cannot attain the speed of light in a vacuum. Their speeds are typically much lower and are governed by the forces and gravitational influences acting on them in the solar system.

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