| Minor Planet Designation | 16 Psyche | | Asteroid Group | Main Asteroid Belt | | Asteroid Family | Not applicable | | Composition Class | M-type (metallic) | | Orbital Period | 5 years | | Distance from the Sun | Semi-Major Axis: 437,374,000 km (2.92 AU)
Perihelion: 378,681,000 km (2.53 AU)
Aphelion: 496,066,000 km (3.32 AU) | | Eccentricity | 0.1342 | | Diameter (Mean) | 223 kilometres | | Notes | Psyche has the form of an approximate ellipsoid, but with significant distortions in its overall shape. Its high density of metals implies that it likely originated as the core of a larger planetoid, broken apart by later impacts or collisons. The asteroid is notable for two large craters, named Meroe and Panthia, that lie side-by-side on its surface. |
With an elongated ellipsoid shape measuring more than 250 kilometres along its longest axis, Psyche is among the largest bodies in the Asteroid Belt. It is metallic in nature, with a surface apparently composed of iron and nickel.
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