$ 10 quintillion asteroid is rusting, study finds


A study published in the Planetary Science Journal points out that the asteroid 16 Psyche may be more valuable than the entire economy on Earth. The asteroid of 225 kilometers in diameter, with orbit in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, is entirely formed by iron and nickel, which would be worth about US $ 10 quintillion (about R $ 56 quintillion) in the price of metals. The information is from the newspaper O Globo.

According to researcher Tracy Becker of the Southwest Research Institute, it is possible that the asteroid is a remnant of the nucleus of a protoplanet. “The Earth has a metallic core, a mantle and a crust. It is possible that Psyche was a protoplanet in formation, which was hit by another object in our Solar System and lost its mantle and its crust ”, explained Tracy to the newspaper O Globo.

The new discoveries were made with the aid of the Huble space telescope. With the telescope’s records, the researchers were able to observe in detail the asteroid discovered by an Italian astronomer in 1852. The study also points to a unique feature of 16 Psyche: the asteroid is rusting.

“We were able to identify for the first time in an asteroid what we think are signs of ultraviolet absorption of iron oxide. This is an indication that oxidation is taking place on the asteroid, which may be the result of the impact of solar winds on the asteroid’s surface, ”Tracy told O Globo.

NASA prepares trip

After the observations made by Hubble, NASA is preparing to launch a spacecraft that will travel to the asteroid to verify the information. The mission is scheduled for 2022, with the arrival of the asteroid scheduled for 2026. According to the researchers, 16 Psyche offers a unique opportunity to observe what the nucleus of a planet would look like.

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