Hubble Examines Massive Metal Asteroid Called ‘Psyche’ That’s Worth Way More Than Our Global Economy - Forbes

The massive asteroid 16 Psyche is the subject of a new study by SwRI scientist Tracy Becker, who ...

A new study by the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a clearer picture than ever before of one of the most intriguing and most valuable asteroids we know of.

“We’ve seen meteorites that are mostly metal, but Psyche could be unique in that it might be an asteroid that is totally made of iron and nickel,” said Dr.

“It’s possible that as a Psyche protoplanet was forming, it was struck by an-other object in our solar system and lost its mantle and crust,” said Becker.

‘16 Psyche’ was studied in the infrared by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Becker’s study had the Hubble Space Telescope observe the asteroid at two specific points in its rotation to view both sides of Psyche.

However, what Becker’s paper makes very clear is that while it’s tricky to quantify the amount of iron that may be present on the surface of Psyche, it’s a unique object so scientists cannot compare it with anything else.

“To understand what really makes up a planet and to potentially see the inside of a planet is fascinating,” said Becker, who describes Psyche and other asteroids as the building blocks of the Solar System