Mount Graham scope helps crack mystery of 3-lobed asteroid
Adaptive-optics observations obtained with the Large Binocular Telescope's SHARK-VIS instrument reveal the unusual shape of asteroid (44) Nysa. The asteroid appears highly concave and may consist of three connected lobes, making it a potential contact-binary object. Continuous observations on February 15, 2026, provided the most detailed view of Nysa to date. The asteroid's tiny moon, S/2026 (44) 1 is marked with a pink arrow.
Kate Minker and the University of Arizona
Scientists have discovered that one of the brightest asteroids in our solar system has an unusual three-part structure and its own small moon.
An international research team used powerful telescopes to capture the clearest images ever taken of asteroid (44) Nysa, which orbits the sun in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. The observations revealed the asteroid appears to have three distinct sections connected by narrow valleys that wrap around its surface, according to the University of Arizona.
Researchers used the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham in southeastern Arizona, managed by the University of Arizona, along with telescopes in Chile to study the asteroid. The LBT's advanced imaging system allowed scientists to see details sharper than what the Hubble Space Telescope can capture.