How much is the most expensive asteroid in the Solar System worth?
16 Psyche — a cosmic treasure trove of gold and other valuable metals
Modern scientific theory states that gold, as a chemical element, could have formed as a result of stars going supernova of neutron star cores colliding. During these processes, the dust that contains a precious metal is emitted in the outer space, where it then becomes planets and asteroids.
Space researchers manage to make amazing gold-related discoveries. We tell interesting facts about the discovery of the yellow metal in our galaxy.
Quadrillion dollars for an asteroid
The giant asteroid 16 Psyche was discovered in 1852 by the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. This is one of the largest space objects of the asteroid belt — the region of the Solar System located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
16 Psyche is belioeved to be a fragment of a planetoid’s core, most of its silicate mantle having been stripped off by a collision with one or more other celestial bodies in the distant past. According to scientists, the asteroid might be composed of about 60% of metals — iron, nickel and gold. The dimensions of 16 Psyche are 279 km by 232 km by 189 km.
This space object theoretically is worth more than the entire economy of our planet, estimated at 115 trillion dollars. According to some calculations, the asteroid contains critically important metals — iron, nickel and, supposedly, gold — worth of up to 10 quadrillion dollars.
In the photo: a computer image of the asteroid 16 Psyche.
Gold Cosmic Fever
In 2014, a research team from the University of Arizona presented a project of the scientific mission to 16 Psyche. Scientists proposed to send a robotic probe to study the biochemical composition of the asteroid. In early 2017, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration approved this project.
With the help of this experiment, NASA employees want to learn more about the asteroid, among other things for possible mining of the precious metal. This is the first step of scientists in this direction and, perhaps, the beginning of a new era in gold mining.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration approved the terms of the scientific mission to the "precious" space object and the research craft headed to 16 Psyche on October 13, 2023. The space probe is scheduled to reach the asteroid in August 2029. It won’t land on the surface but will orbit the asteroid for about two years, studying its surface, taking detailed photographs, and analyzing its chemical composition.
According to NASA, the space "gold rush" is expected to occur within the next 30 years.
The precious celestial body
In 2011, the scientists at the Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii, USA, discovered a large asteroid flying near the Earth, which allowed researchers to study it profoundly. The near-Earth object, named 2011 UW158, has a diameter of 300 meters and constitutes a rotating oblong asteroid.
According to preliminary estimates of some specialists, this space object can contain precious metals worth of 300 billion to 5 trillion dollars — though many others contested this claim.
Our galaxy is full of gold-bearing bodies. And that’s no surprise — gold formed in the Universe billions of years ago. A fascinating scientific experiment has shed light on its origins. You can read more about it in our article “How old is gold in our galaxy?”
