Asteroid · 16
Psyche
A metal-rich asteroid · artist’s illustration
NASA’s Psyche mission is travelling to this main-belt asteroid to study its composition and structure. It has not yet obtained close-up surface photographs.

Measurements
- Effective diameter
- 222 km
- Semimajor axis
- 2.926 AU
- Orbital period
- 1,827.88 Earth days
Orbit, physical values and uncertainties
- eccentricity
- .1349324738201893 ± 2.963E-9
- semi-major axis
- 2.925720466462538 au ± 2.8949E-9
- perihelion distance
- 2.53094576621639 au ± 9.9504E-9
- inclination; angle with respect to x-y ecliptic plane
- 3.098749116151128 deg ± 2.96E-7
- longitude of the ascending node
- 149.9753859305033 deg ± 6.0558E-6
- argument of perihelion
- 230.0326782748359 deg ± 6.1737E-6
- mean anomaly
- 79.76939505329617 deg ± 1.8216E-6
- time of perihelion passage
- 2460795.475337075717 TDB ± 8.8496E-6
- sidereal orbital period
- 1827.87996016922 d ± 2.713E-6
- mean motion
- .1969494758105845 deg/d ± 2.9232E-10
- aphelion distance
- 3.320495166708687 au ± 3.2856E-9
- absolute magnitude
- 6.20
- magnitude slope
- 0.20
- diameter
- 222 km ± -1/+4
- extent
- 278 x 238 x 171 km ± 6 x 5 x 3
- GM
- 1.601 km^3/s^2 ± 0.017
- bulk density
- 4.172 g/cm^3 ± 0.145
- rotation period
- 4.196 h
- geometric albedo
- 0.1203 ± 0.004
- B-V
- 0.729 ± 0.023
- U-B
- 0.299 ± 0.058
- Tholen spectral type
- M
- SMASSII spectral type
- X
Published JPL orbital elements describe their stated epoch; they are not current positions. Small-body diameters can be effective/model-dependent sizes, not spherical shapes. Missing measurements remain unavailable. Pluto’s diameter uses the New Horizons reference rather than an empty SBDB field. Orbital epoch: JD 2461200.5 TDB.
Object reference ↗Missions & milestones
1 launches · 9 connected events
These are target-related flights and every connected programme record in the production catalogue. A connected event may concern another stage or target of the same journey. Launch outcome does not establish arrival or current operation.
Psyche
October 13, 2023 · UTC
Psyche Rollout Show
October 11, 2023 · UTC
Psyche Prelaunch News Conference
October 11, 2023 · UTC
Psyche Mission and Science Briefing
October 10, 2023 · UTC
Falcon Heavy Static Fire for Psyche
September 30, 2023 · UTC
Deep Space Optical Communications Media Teleconference
September 20, 2023 · UTC
Psyche Mission Press Conference
September 6, 2023 · UTC
Psyche Independent Review Media Teleconference
June 5, 2023 · UTC
NASA Psyche Independent Review Teleconference
November 4, 2022 · UTC
NASA Psyche Media Teleconference
June 24, 2022 · UTC
Complete source cohort: 9,386 records.
