International News: A small asteroid millions of kilometers away from Earth can change the fate of the entire human race. There is so much gold on this celestial body that if it is brought to Earth, every person can become a billionaire. The US space agency NASA has identified this unique asteroid full of metals, named 16 Psyche.
NASA launched a special space mission called 'Psyche Spacecraft' in October 2023 to study this planet. This spacecraft will travel about 3.5 billion kilometers and reach 16 Psyche by August 2029. After this, scientists will decide whether mining will be possible on it or not.
What is 16 Psyche?
This asteroid is located in the orbit between Mars and Jupiter. It is shaped like a potato and is 280 kilometers wide and 232 kilometers long at its widest part. Its surface area is approximately 165,800 square kilometers.
This planet is made of gold, iron, and platinum
According to scientists, 16 Psyche is a wonderful mixture of rocks and precious metals. Gold, iron, platinum, and other rare metals are found in large quantities in it. Analysis so far shows that this asteroid is much more valuable than celestial rocks.
This is the estimated price of this planet
The total estimated value of 16 Psyche is said to be around 10,000 quadrillion dollars. That means if the treasure present on it is brought to Earth, then every person in the world can become a billionaire. (1 quadrillion = 1,000,000,000,000,000)
Who discovered it and when?
It was discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. It was named after the Greek mythological character 'Psyche.' Since then it has remained the center of interest of scientists.
Will this treasure really be brought back?
After reaching this planet, NASA's Psyche spacecraft will study its surface, structure, and types of metals in depth. Based on this study, it will be decided whether it is possible to mine it and bring it to Earth. However, there are many technical and ethical challenges in this, on which research is still going on.
