16 Psyche is a large M-type asteroid, which was discovered by the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, on 17 March 1852 and named after the Greek goddess Psyche.
The prefix "16" signifies that it was the sixteenth minor planet in order of discovery.
It is the largest and most massive of the M-type asteroids, and one of the dozen most massive asteroids. It has a mean diameter of approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi) and contains about one percent of the mass of the asteroid belt. It was thought to be the exposed core of a protoplanet, but recent observations cast doubt on that hypothesis. Psyche will be explored by NASA, with a spacecraft of the same name, marking the first time a manmade object will journey to a metallic asteroid, launched on 13 October 2023, with an expected arrival in 2029.
Multiple views of 16 Psyche imaged by the Very Large Telescope
Illustration of Psyche done by NASA
Shape model of asteroid 16 Psyche, with some of the observed surface features indicated.
Artist's concept of the Psyche spacecraft orbiting asteroid Psyche
M-type asteroids are a spectral class of asteroids which appear to contain higher concentrations of metal phases than other asteroid classes, and are widely thought to be the source of iron meteorites.
Image of the M-type asteroid 21 Lutetia taken by the ESA Rosetta Spacecraft during a flyby in 2010
An iron–nickel meteorite with characteristic Widmanstätten pattern.
A mesosiderite showing a mixture of metals and silicates.
An enstatite chondrite displaying a mix of metals and silicates (enstatite).
