Psyche: The Nasa mission to study asteroid made of metal

An asteroid made of metal could have been the beginnings of a planet according to scientists.

Researchers have been studying an asteroid called 16 Psyche, using the Hubble Telescope.

Psyche is a pretty huge asteroid, and it can be found in our solar system between Mars and Jupiter.

However, the interesting thing about it, is that it is made up of precious metals like iron, platinum, nickel and even gold!

Now scientists think it could have been a proto-planet - the beginnings of a planet - but something happened to it, which stopped it from becoming a fully fledged planet.

Nasa announced earlier this year that they are launching a mission to study the unusual asteroid, which will be blasting off in 2022.

Why do scientists think it could have been a planet?

The Nasa mission won't reach the asteroid until around 2026

Almost all planets have a metal core in the middle of them, which can be liquid, gas or solid.

"Earth has a metal core, a mantle and crust. It's possible that as a Psyche proto-planet was forming, it was struck by another object in our solar system and lost its mantle and crust." said Dr Tracy Becker, a scientist from the Southwest Research Institute, who has been studying the asteroid.

"What makes Psyche and the other asteroids so interesting is that they're considered to be the building blocks of the solar system.

"To understand what really makes up a planet and to potentially see the inside of a planet is fascinating.

"Once we get to Psyche, we're really going to understand if that's the case, even if it doesn't turn out as we expect." she said.

The scientists hope the 2022 Nasa mission will help them to better understand planet cores, and how they form.

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