Asteroid Psyche 16 is believed to have more economic value than any country in the world
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON — An asteroid is believed to have more economic value than all countries in the world. The asteroid is Psyche 16.
The history of the United States Space Agency (NASA) with this asteroid dates back to 1852, when it was discovered by the Capodimonte observatory in Naples. This object, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, is 226 kilometers in diameter and has an area of about 165,800 square kilometers. This rock is believed to be the intact core of a primitive planet.
Psyche 16 is believed to be up to 95 percent composed of an alloy of various high-value metals. Psyche 16 is a mystery to astronomers. Asteroids may not be made of rock or ice, but of various metals, most notably iron and nickel.
In fact, American scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton, one of the principal investigators of NASA’s Psyche mission, calculated in 2017 that iron from the asteroid alone would be worth about 10,000 quadrillion dollars on Earth. In contrast, in 2019 the world economy was valued at ‘only’ 142 trillion United States (US) dollars.
In mid-May, University of Arizona researcher David Cantillo published a study in The Planetary Science Journal stating the asteroid Psyche 16 can become a ‘heap of rubble’. According to Cantillo’s research, this cosmic mass actually consists of 82.5 percent metal, 7 percent low-iron pyroxene and 10.5 percent carbonaceous chondrite that may have appeared there due to the impact of another asteroid. He argues that the amount of free space in it is about 35 percent.
“Pschye as a debris pile would be highly unpredictable, but our data continue to show a low density estimate despite its high metal content,” comment the study authors.
Psyche 16 is the mine of wealth. A new study has made it possible to develop a map of these asteroids. The bottom line is, the asteroid stores a wealth greater than the total terrestrial economy.
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