Psyche, the ‘goldmine asteroid,’ mapped in greatest detail yet
Fox News
Scientists have devised one of the most detailed maps of the metal asteroid, 16 Psyche, ahead of a planned mission in late September to study its surface.
Bradford Betz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to bradford.betz@fox.com and on Twitter: @Bradford_Betz.
"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). "It’s an evolved surface, and these maps confirm that metal-rich asteroids are interesting enigmatic worlds. It’s another reason to look forward to the Psyche mission going to the asteroid."
Psyche is sometimes referred to as the "Gold-mine asteroid" because of the large quantities iron and nickel on its surface. Scientists refer to it as a metal, or m-type, asteroid. These are the rarest types of asteroids, making up about 8% of all asteroids in the known universe.