Hypothesized Surface Features: Psyche Asteroid Illustration
This illustration depicts the 140-mile-wide (226-kilometer-wide) asteroid Psyche, which lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Psyche is the focal point of NASA’s mission of the same name.
Based on data obtained from Earth, scientists believe Psyche is a mixture of metal and rock. This illustration shows a variety of science hypotheses about the asteroid: It might have broken along fault lines and formed cliffs as it cooled; sulfur-rich magma might have erupted onto its surface through those cracks while the asteroid solidified from its ancient molten state, forming yellow and orange lava fields; and craters into metal might have sharper edges and different textures in their bowls than craters in rock form. Once the spacecraft reaches the asteroid, we will find out whether our hypotheses are right, and work on solving the question of how the asteroid formed.
Exploring the asteroid could also give valuable insight into how our own planet and others formed. The Psyche team will use a magnetometer to measure the asteroid’s magnetic field. A multispectral imager will capture images of the surface, as well as data about Psyche’s composition and topography. Spectrometers will analyze the neutrons and gamma rays coming from the surface to reveal the elements that make up the asteroid itself.
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