16 Psyche
16 Psyche is a very big Main belt asteroid, well over 200 kilometers in diameter, and likely the biggest of the metallic M-type asteroids. It is estimated to have 0.6 percent of the mass of the entire asteroid belt.[6]
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Annibale de Gasparis |
| Discovery date | March 17, 1852 |
| Designations | |
| none | |
| Main belt | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch October 22, 2004 (JD 2453300.5) | |
| Aphelion | 497.884 Gm (3.328 AU) |
| Perihelion | 375.958 Gm (2.513 AU) |
| 436.921 Gm (2.921 AU) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.140 |
| 1823.115 d (4.99 a) | |
Average orbital speed | 17.34 km/s |
| 323.379° | |
| Inclination | 3.095° |
| 150.352° | |
| 228.047° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | ~280×230×190 km[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Mass | ~1.7×1019 kg [6] |
Mean density | 3.3 ± 0.7 g/cm³[7] |
| ~0.06 m/s² | |
| ~0.13 km/s | |
| 0.1748 d (4.196 h) [8] | |
| Albedo | 0.120 (geometric)[1] |
| Temperature | ~160 K max: ~280 K (+7 °C) |
Spectral type | M |
| 9.27 (brightest?) | |
| 5.90 | |
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This asteroid was found by Annibale de Gasparis on March 17, 1852 from Naples and named after the Greek nymph Psyche. The first fifteen asteroids to be found were given symbols by astronomers as a type of short-hand notation. In 1851, however, J. F. Encke suggested using a circled number. 16 Psyche was the first new asteroid to be found that was designated with this scheme (in 1852 by J. Ferguson).[9]
Characteristics
Radar[10][11] observations indicate that it is made of iron-nickel. Psyche appears to be a case of an exposed metallic core from a bigger differentiated parent body. Unlike some other M-type asteroids, Psyche shows no sign of the presence of water or water-bearing minerals on its surface, consistent with its interpretation as a metallic body.[12] Small amounts of pyroxene appear to be present.[13]
If Psyche is the core remnant of a bigger parent body, we might expect other asteroids on similar orbits. Psyche does not belong to any asteroid family.[14] One theory is that the collision occurred very early in the solar system's history, and all the other remnants have since been ground into fragments by subsequent collisions or had their orbits perturbed beyond recognition.
Psyche is massive enough that its perturbations on other asteroids can be measured, which enables a mass measurement. Its density is fairly low for metal (although fairly common for asteroids as such), indicating a fairly high porosity of 30–40%.[7]
Psyche appears to have a fairly round surface and is approximately ellipsoidal in shape. Recent lightcurve analysis indicates that its pole points towards either ecliptic coordinates (β, λ) = (-9°, 35°) or (β, λ) = (-2°, 215°) with a 10° uncertainty.[3] This gives an axial tilt of 95°.
Two stellar occultations by Psyche have been seen (from Mexico on March 22, 2002, and another on May 16, 2002). Lightcurve changes indicate a non-spherical body, consistent with the lightcurve and radar results.
16 Psyche Media
Insignia of the NASA Psyche mission
The symbol for the asteroid 16 Psyche.
Symbol for asteroid 16 Psyche. The butterfly wing is traced from
- Vanessa cardui specimen.jpg, an image of Vanessa cardui, the most cosmopolitan butterfly species.
Multiple views of 16 Psyche imaged by the Very Large Telescope
Illustration of Psyche commissioned by NASA
The orbit of Psyche, between Mars and Jupiter, with eccentricity of 0.140: much higher than most planets, but typical for an asteroid.
Artist's concept of the Psyche spacecraft orbiting asteroid Psyche
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Supplemental IRAS Minor Planet Survey. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ↑ Dunham, D. W. and Herald, D.. Asteroid Occultations. EAR-A-3-RDR-OCCULTATIONS-V4.1 (2006)NASA Planetary Data System. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 M. Kaasalainen. 'Models of Twenty Asteroids from Photometric Data'. Icarus 159 (2) (2002). p. 369. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6907. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ↑ Asteroid Spin Vectors. EAR-A-5-DDR-ASTEROID-SPIN-VECTORS-V4.2 (1996)NASA Planetary Data System. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ↑ A. Cellino. 'Speckle interferometry observations of main belt asteroids at TNG'. Proceedings of Asteroids, Comets, Meteors - ACM 2002. International Conference 500 (2002). p. 497.[dead link]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 B. Vitaeau. 'Mass and density of asteroids (16) Psyche and (121) Hermione'. Astronomy & Astrophysics 354 (2000). p. 725. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lupishko, D. F.. On the bulk density and porosity of M-type asteroid 16 Psyche. Solar System Research 40 (3) (2006). p. 214–218. doi:10.1134/S0038094606030051. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- ↑ PDS lightcurve data. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ↑ Hilton, J.. When Did the Asteroids Become Minor Planets? (September 17, 2001)U.S. Naval Observatory. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ↑ S.J. Ostro. 'Radar observations of asteroids and comets'. Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Publications 97 (1985). p. 877. doi:10.1086/131619.
- ↑ C. Magri. 'Mainbelt Asteroids: Results of Arecibo and Goldstone Radar Observations of 37 Objects during 1980-1995'. Icarus 140 (2) (1999). p. 379. doi:10.1006/icar.1999.6130.
- ↑ E. Merényi. 'Prediction of Water in Asteroids from Spectral Data Shortward of 3 µm'. Icarus 129 (2) (1997). p. 421. doi:10.1006/icar.1997.5796.
- ↑ P.S. Hardersen, M.J. Gaffey, and P.A. Abell. 'Near-IR spectral evidence for the presence of iron-poor orthopyroxenes on the surfaces of six M-type asteroids'. Icarus 175 (1) (2005). p. 141. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.10.017.
- ↑ D.R. Davis, P. Farinella, & M. Francesco. 'The Missing Psyche Family: Collisionally Eroded or Never Formed?'. Icarus 137 (1) (1999). p. 140. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.6037.
Other websites
- Shape model deduced from lightcurve Archived 2008-02-16 at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
- Occultation of TYC 5783-1228 by 16 Psyche Archived 2007-12-27 at the Wayback Machine (Video)
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Ephemeris