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The world's largest space telescope just got an unexpected new role: asteroid hunter

^{Published on 2024-12-18 16:22:20 - National Geographic news}
 

• Even small asteroids can do a lot of damage
• and new research shows the James Webb Space Telescope is adept at spotting the tiniest of space rocks.

The article from National Geographic discusses the observations made by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of the asteroid 16 Psyche, which is believed to be the exposed core of a planetesimal, offering insights into the building blocks of planet formation. The JWST, with its advanced infrared capabilities, has provided detailed images and data about Psyche's surface composition, revealing that it might not be as metallic as previously thought, but could contain significant amounts of rock and possibly iron. This finding challenges earlier assumptions about Psyche's composition, suggesting it might be a mix of metal and silicates rather than a solid metal core. The observations help scientists understand the processes of planetary differentiation and the violent history of our solar system, where collisions could strip away outer layers of celestial bodies, exposing their cores. The article also touches on the upcoming NASA mission, Psyche, set to launch in 2023, which aims to study this asteroid up close to further unravel its mysteries.

Read the Full National Geographic news Article at:
[ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/asteroid-james-webb-space-telescope ]

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