Rendered surface image of Psyche

This interactive experience will entrench you on a journey to learn how life differs on the asteroid 16 Psyche to your home planet of Earth. Along the way you will learn the believed origin of the asteroid, how it was named, its location within our solar system, what a typical day is like, weather, physics, to include gravity, and more.

We hope you enjoy your journey with us!

How did Psyche get its name

Psyche was discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. Because it was the 16th asteroid to be discovered, it is sometimes referred to as 16 Psyche. It’s named for the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology, often depicted as a butterfly-winged female figure.

Location in our Solar System

Psyche is located in between Mars and Jupiter, and because Psyche and Earth orbit at different speeds, the distance from Earth to Psyche varies from less than 186 million miles to more than 372 million miles

A day on Psyche

A day on Psyche is not like a day here on Earth. Shorter days, longer years, and a lower amount of birthdays

Psyche's Surface

Psyche's surface is believed to very greatly, as radar technology has provided us with what is believed to be many small craters and two very large craters.

Psyche Jr

We have created a page dedicated to educating our Jr Explorers on the asteroid 16 Psyche. This page contains all of the content above, plus some fun interactive experiences dedicated just for kids!