Let G be a simple algebraic group with
${\mathfrak g}={\textrm{Lie }} G$
and
${\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}\subset{\mathfrak g}$
the minimal nilpotent orbit. For a
${\mathbb Z}_2$
-grading
${\mathfrak g}={\mathfrak g}_0\oplus{\mathfrak g}_1$
, let
$G_0$
be a connected subgroup of G with
${\textrm{Lie }} G_0={\mathfrak g}_0$
. We study the
$G_0$
-equivariant projections
$\varphi\,:\,\overline{{\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}}\to {\mathfrak g}_0$
and
$\psi:\overline{{\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}}\to{\mathfrak g}_1$
. It is shown that the properties of
$\overline{\varphi({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})}$
and
$\overline{\psi({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})}$
essentially depend on whether the intersection
${\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}\cap{\mathfrak g}_1$
is empty or not. If
${\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}\cap{\mathfrak g}_1\ne\varnothing$
, then both
$\overline{\varphi({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})}$
and
$\overline{\psi({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})}$
contain a 1-parameter family of closed
$G_0$
-orbits, while if
${\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}\cap{\mathfrak g}_1=\varnothing$
, then both are
$G_0$
-prehomogeneous. We prove that
$\overline{G{\cdot}\varphi({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})}=\overline{G{\cdot}\psi({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})}$
. Moreover, if
${\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}\cap{\mathfrak g}_1\ne\varnothing$
, then this common variety is the affine cone over the secant variety of
${\mathbb P}({\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}})\subset{\mathbb P}({\mathfrak g})$
. As a digression, we obtain some invariant-theoretic results on the affine cone over the secant variety of the minimal orbit in an arbitrary simple G-module. In conclusion, we discuss more general projections that are related to either arbitrary reductive subalgebras of
${\mathfrak g}$
in place of
${\mathfrak g}_0$
or spherical nilpotent G-orbits in place of
${\mathcal O}_{\textsf{min}}$
.