The solar system holds many wonders, including a unique asteroid that has caught everyone’s attention: Psyche.
This asteroid has sparked curiosity since its discovery in 1852 by astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. Named after the Greek goddess of the soul, Psyche is believed to hold a treasure trove of metals that could potentially make humans billionaires.
Psyche, also known as 16 Psyche as it was the 16th asteroid discovered, is massive. It’s located about three times farther from the Sun than Earth. Interestingly, its shape resembles a potato, and if sliced at its equator, it would cover about 64,000 square miles, measuring around 144 miles long.
Early assumptions indicated that Psyche was mainly metallic. However, more recent studies suggest it could be a mix of metal and silicate, the same material found in sand and glass. This mix could be worth around $10 quintillion, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 dollars. If NASA mined this asteroid and divided the wealth among Earth’s population of over 8.3 billion, each person could receive over $1 billion.
Though enticing, this scenario is highly unlikely. Current technology doesn’t allow us to mine asteroids yet, making it more of a fantasy than a feasible plan.
NASA is taking steps to learn more about Psyche. They launched a spacecraft, also named Psyche, in 2023, aiming to reach the asteroid by 2029. The mission will help determine whether Psyche is the remains of a planetesimal, a building block of the planets.
As we await the spacecraft’s findings, the notion of becoming billionaires remains a tantalizing possibility. However, it’s essential to remember that our understanding of these celestial bodies is still growing, and much is yet to be explored.
For the latest updates, you can check NASA’s website [here](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/16-psyche/).
