An incredibly detailed map of Psyche shows the asteroid has a very eventful history
Metals, rock, and craters are sprinkled all throughout its surface.
Alexandru Micu by Alexandru Micu June 20, 2022
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A sneak peek at the asteroid Psyche, provided by an array of NASA telescopes in Chile, hints at a very lively history for the body which includes metallic eruptions, asteroid impacts, and even a now-lost rocky mantle.
A digital reconstruction of Psyche. Image credits NASA.
Psyche is the target of an upcoming NASA mission later this year. During this, a probe will spend almost two years orbiting and analyzing Psyche to give us a better understanding of how it formed. As such, the asteroid is understandably drawing quite a bit of attention from astronomers around the world eager to tease out as much data about it as possible for the upcoming mission.
As part of this effort, a trio of US researchers has used readings from an array of telescopes in northern Chile to create the most detailed map to date of the asteroid’s surface properties. The map reveals swathes of metal-rich areas on Psyche, along with a large depression that could give us a glimpse through its surface into the ancient mantle below.
An eventful history
“Psyche’s surface is very heterogeneous,” says lead author Saverio Cambioni, the Crosby Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in 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.”
More:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/psyche-surface-mapped-first-843735735/
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