On the morning of October 12, if all goes according to plan, NASA will send a high-tech spacecraft called Psyche on a 2.2 billion-mile journey to the curious asteroid of the same name. To be clear, this asteroid is known as 16 Psyche.
The goal of the Psyche mission is to study this space rock in detail. That’s because not only is this space rock thought to be rich in metals, it’s actually speculated to be the remaining iron core of what was once an entire planet. And potentially, earthThe core of is made of similar – i.e. 16 Psyche It could offer us a direct tunnel to the center of the world, a place we can’t reach any other way.
But before this mission takes off, scientists are using other mechanisms to study the 140-mile-wide space rock.Then maybe you’ll know what happens NASASpacecraft upon arrival in 2029.In fact, recently one of his teams at Southwest Research Institute announced Some results they collected about the asteroid. These are the results they collected using his two powerful infrared instruments. james webb space telescope (JWST) and is currently retired. Stratospheric Infrared Astronomy Observatory (Sofia). Infrared sensors, unlike standard optical sensors, can observe data in the infrared region. electromagnetic spectrum. The light associated with this area is essentially invisible to the human eye. We can only see a small portion of the spectrum, naturally known as the visible region.But this is why infrared astronomy Very important. This will help clarify some of the issues. macrocosm Usually hidden from us and our regular old telescopes.
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But while the data from these tools provided a sufficiently important lens into 16 Psyche, perhaps the most thought-provoking finding was that they both reached their limits.
“All observations using different techniques continue to show results that do not make sense in their respective contexts,” said Anicia Arredondo, a postdoctoral researcher at SwRI and lead author of a paper on this discovery. He says: stated in a statement. “That’s why it’s so important that we have a mission to get there now.”
“This analysis and previous research on Psyche takes us to the limits of what astronomical observations can tell us about this fascinating asteroid,” said Maggie, a research scientist at NASA Ames and the study’s principal investigator. McAdam said in the paper. another statement.
But they found something. In a sense.
First, the team observed 16 Psyche using SOFIA in early 2022. SOFIA is essentially a flying observatory equivalent to a Boeing 747 aircraft with a reflecting telescope.
SOFIA ceased operations in the same year due to high operating costs, but it was able to scan asteroids in the infrared range as the space rock rotated. In doing so, the telescope gathered information that scientists say can be used to understand whether Psyche is a residual nucleus of a differentiated life form. asteroid — an asteroid that has undergone major chemical or physical changes — or a protoplanet.
“If that were the case,” Arredondo says, “multiple shocks would have stripped away all the outer layers, leaving only the metal core. But those shocks could also cause fluctuations. But the observations The results show that Psyche is a metal, which is not too surprising; at least at mid-infrared wavelengths, we don’t see any significant changes due to rotation.”
Simply put, the researchers knew Psyche was likely metallic because there were no spikes in SOFIA’s spectral data (a graph of the different forms of light emitted by the asteroid). There was also no feature called the 10-micron plateau. The researchers say these hint at the presence of rocks, such as “fluffy” regolith-like ground.
Meanwhile, JWST helped the research team determine whether water is present on the asteroid. “Observations over the 3- and 6-micron wavelength range tell us whether hydration exists in the form of hydroxyls or actual water,” said SwRI research scientist and member of the research team. one Stephanie Jermak said in a statement. A molecule consisting of one oxygen atom And one hydrogen atom.
“Even if we don’t find it, it wouldn’t be surprising since Psyche is thought to be a mostly metal world,” Germack continued. But now the research team says they will have to wait until Psyche arrives in 2029 to begin employing unique technology aimed at studying the elusive space rock.
For example, the 6,056-pound (2,747-kilogram) spacecraft carries a multispectral imager that can image asteroids at visible and near-infrared wavelengths.it is gamma ray A neutron spectrometer helps reveal the chemical elements that make up a rock’s surface.and magnetometers searching for evidence of antiquity. magnetic field on the subject. That’s not all.
“We need to actually visit Psyche and study it up close to learn more about what appears to be a very unique planetary body,” McAdam said.
