Asteroid Psyche is rich in various types of metals.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Scientists have made one of the peta asteroid the most accurate. The map belongs to the asteroid Psyche.
The map was made with a series of powerful telescopes in northern Chile that build up the asteroid’s surface, according to research published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
“Psyche’s surface is very heterogeneous,” said the study’s lead author, Saverio Cambioni, of MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).
“This is an evolving surface, and these maps confirm that metal-rich asteroids are a fascinating, enigmatic world. This is another reason to look forward to Psyche’s mission to asteroids,” he explained.
Due to the large amount of iron and nickel on its surface, Psyche is often referred to as the “gold mine asteroid”. Psyche is known as a metallic or m-type asteroid, by scientists. It is the most unusual asteroid, accounting for only about 8 percent of all asteroids in the known universe.
Due to its small size, Psyche is also referred to as a “dwarf planet”. It is also known as 16 Psyche because it was discovered as the 16th minor planet and is considered to be the core of the early planets.
In late September 2022, a mission to this rocky world is planned. In 2026, a spacecraft with solar-electric power and gravity-assisted maneuvers will arrive at Psyche.
The probe will examine the asteroid for 21 months, following four different orbital trajectories. Scientists seek to gain a better understanding of Earth and how different bodies evolved by studying the asteroid’s surface.
