16 Psyche

asteroid · metal · space

Metallic treasure trove. 16 Psyche is an M-type asteroid, which means it's made largely of metal rather than rock or ice. Scientists think it might contain huge amounts of iron and nickel, making it incredibly valuable.

Named after a goddess. The asteroid was named after Psyche, a figure from ancient Greek mythology who was famous for her beauty and her journey of love and challenges. Astronomer Annibale de Gasparis chose this name when he discovered the asteroid in 1852.

Found by an Italian astronomer. Annibale de Gasparis discovered 16 Psyche on March 17, 1852, using telescopes available at that time. He was an Italian astronomer who discovered many asteroids during his career.

Orbits between Mars and Jupiter. 16 Psyche floats in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, along with millions of other rocky and metallic space objects. It takes about 5 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

A future mission destination. Scientists are so fascinated by 16 Psyche that NASA has planned a special spacecraft mission to visit it and study its metal composition up close. Exploring this asteroid might teach us how planets form their metal cores.