Water Discovered on Asteroid Psyche: Scientists Find Hydration Evidence

A recent and noteworthy discovery has been made on the asteroid Psyche, where evidence of hydration has been detected using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

The research, led by a team from the Southwest Research Institute, confirmed the presence of hydroxyl molecules on the surface of Psyche, a metallic asteroid. This finding has sparked interest in the asteroid’s history, particularly as it orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter.

Psyche, with a diameter of 140 miles, is one of the largest space rocks within the main asteroid belt. It is a dense, predominantly metallic object, believed to be the remnants of a planetary core left exposed after a catastrophic collision.

NASA launched the Psyche spacecraft on October 13, 2023, which is set to travel 2.2 billion miles and reach the asteroid by August 2029.

Dr. Tracy Becker, the second author of the study published in the Planetary Science Journal, stated, “By using telescopes that observe different wavelengths of infrared light, the research led by SwRI will provide varied but complementary information to what the Psyche spacecraft aims to investigate.”

Lead author Dr. Stephanie Jarmak emphasized the importance of this discovery, saying, “Our understanding of solar system evolution is closely linked to interpretations of asteroid composition, particularly M-class asteroids that have higher metal concentrations. These asteroids were once thought to be exposed cores of differentiated planetesimals, a theory based on their spectral similarity to iron meteorites.”

The data from the James Webb telescope suggests not only the presence of hydroxyl on Psyche’s surface but also hints at the possibility of water. These hydrated minerals might have originated from external sources, such as impactors. However, if the hydration is intrinsic to Psyche, it could imply a different evolutionary history than current models propose.

Co-author Dr. Anicia Arredondo explained, “Asteroids are remnants from the planetary formation process, and their compositions vary based on where they formed in the solar nebula. If the hydration is endogenous, it could indicate that Psyche is not the remnant core of a protoplanet. Instead, it may suggest that Psyche formed beyond the ‘snow line,’ where temperatures in the protoplanetary disk were low enough for volatile compounds to condense into solids, before migrating to its current location in the outer main belt.”