16 Psyche, which differs from others with its structure, will be under the spotlight in 2026.
The Hubble Space Telescope continues to fulfill its mission and be our eye in space. Evidence from the latest data from this telescope suggests that a large asteroid found in the solar system’s asteroid belt could actually be the core of a proto-planet that broke up billions of years ago.
NASA’s goal is to make a visit to this asteroid and they plan to arrive as early as 2026. The spacecraft sent will travel and make observations on orbit for about two years after the journey.
The Hubble Space Telescope has been tasked with observing an asteroid in the solar system’s asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter for some time. This piece of rock in space is said to be approximately as tall as the state of Massachusetts.
First discovered in 1852 by the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, the asteroid was named “16 Psyche” as the 16th asteroid ever observed. It was later announced to be composed of nickel and iron. This composition makes the giant fragment extremely dense and is thought to contain a staggering 1% of the mass of the entire asteroid belt.
Meanwhile, it is stated that the value of the asteroid is 10,000 quadrillion dollars, based on the current market value. The space agency actually started its plans as early as 2017. 16 Psyche expeditions are slated to begin in 2022. The destination will be observed in the orbit of the metallic space segment for 2026 and 21 months.
