With a value of 10 thousand quadrillion dollars... The discovery of an entire planet of precious metals
A new scientific study revealed details for the first time about an asteroid rich in precious metals, in a step that will help in knowing the shapes that the minerals take in that celestial body.
In 2017, the US space agency “NASA” revealed an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt region, and the asteroid is about 370 million kilometers from Earth.
NASA named the asteroid Psyche, and it consists of various metals, most notably iron, nickel, and a number of other rare metals, including gold, platinum and copper.
The agency estimated the value of the precious metals that make up the asteroid at about 10,000 quadrillion dollars (a quadrillion: a number equals approximately one million billion).
The new study, published by researchers in the scientific journal "Planetary Science", helps give a closer look to this asteroid, which is about 200 kilometers long, in preparation for the space mission.
The study revealed that the amount of heat radiated by the asteroid is 60 percent less than was thought, which means that the asteroid suffers from thermal inertia.
Thermal emission there is affected by the presence of metals on the orb's surface, so scientists believe that metals make up at least 30 percent of the surface.
The analysis of thermal emission helped to know roughly the shape of the metal there, especially on the surface, which appeared smooth and solid.
After the discovery of PSAIC 16 in March 1852, the 124-mile-wide space rock will be the centerpiece of NASA's project, which is scheduled to launch in August 2022. The spacecraft will arrive four years later, in early 2026.
This would be the first exploration of the world of minerals rather than rocks and ice. And NASA said: “Unlike most other asteroids that are rocky or icy bodies, scientists believe that the asteroid (Psyke 16) is a type (M-metal) composed mostly of metallic iron and nickel similar to Earth.” The asteroid is located between Mars and Jupiter.
According to the Daily Mail, it is believed to be "the remnants of a protoplanet that was destroyed by collisions when the solar system formed."
Researchers from the latest study said: "The results are a step towards solving the mystery of the origin of this unusual asteroid, which some believe is part of the core of a former protoplanet."
Source: Translations + Shahba Press + Daily Mail