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Psyche radar albedo
0.42
Measured
Shepard et al. 2008 mean OC radar albedo of (16) Psyche, 0.42
A 2008 radar paper printed Psyche’s mean radar albedo as 0.42, ranging from 0.26 to 0.51. The number is a published measurement. It is not Psyche’s eternal 42.
What it supports
Shepard, Clark, Nolan et al., Icarus 195 (2008): when radar albedo is normalized by a bandwidth-based area proxy, the mean is 0.42. High reflectivity helped the metal-near-surface reading. Later work moved the mean: Shepard 2017 prints 0.37 ± 0.09; a 2021 shape paper prints 0.34 ± 0.08.
What it does not
Not “Psyche’s albedo is 42.” Not an invariant of the rock. Optical albedo is a different number.42.
ExactnessApproximate
Form4.2
Unitradar albedo
Strengthhard
When2008