It’s called 16 Psyche.
One of the 2 million asteroids of the asteroid belt, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.
It’s also the most expensive asteroid ever found, for it's absurdly rich in precious metals.
Stuffed with so much gold, platinum, nickel and other stuff that it's total value is put around $ 700 quintillion. Over 70,000 times more valuable than the global economy.
Assuming there are 7 billion people on Earth, it's enough to give everyone $100 billion.
Artist’s concept: The surface of 16 Psyche.
There's an interesting reason behind its richness in precious metals— This asteroid might be the exposed core of a long dead planet.
The early solar system had hundreds of planets, but most of them were either destroyed or thrown out by the violent collisions back then.
One of those planets had its outer layers stripped away by something enormous, and gave rise to this unique asteroid.
During the formation of planets, heavier elements like gold and iron sink to the bottom. So, if 16 Psyche is the remaining core of a planet, this explains why is it so rich in these precious metals.
NASA has already launched a spacecraft called Psyche in 2023, which is on its way to the asteroid, and expected to reach there in 2029.
The future awaits us..