James Webb Space Telescope unveils $100,000 quadrillion Psyche may be rusting | | Space

Psyche: A unique asteroid in the main belt

Asteroid 16 Psyche, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is an unusual object, spanning 173 miles (280 kilometres) at its widest. Initially believed to be entirely metallic, Psyche’s shiny surface led researchers to theorise that it might be the iron-rich core of a planetesimal, potentially offering clues about the formation of Earth and other terrestrial planets. Some estimates place the value of Psyche’s metal components at an astonishing $100,000 quadrillion.
This hypothesis about Psyche’s composition inspired NASA’s ongoing Psyche mission, launched in October 2023, with plans to reach the asteroid by 2029 for a detailed study.

New insights into Psyche’s composition

However, recent data has revealed that Psyche might not be purely metallic. Over the past decade, new information about the asteroid’s density and reflectance spectra indicates that it is likely a mix of silicate and metal.
In 2017, researchers detected traces of water on Psyche. Infrared spectra revealed the presence of hydroxyl units (OH molecules), a component of water. These findings suggested that small amounts of water…