For almost 170 years, a bright asteroid called (44) Nysa, first seen in 1857, hid its true shape. It was thought to be a single rock orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. However, new technology has shown that Nysa is not one solid object. Instead, it looks like three separate bodies joined together. Scientists have identified narrow connections between these parts, making Nysa the first known asteroid system with three connected parts.
Al Conrad, a scientist, said that the team is now discovering the asteroid's real nature. Kate Minker, the lead researcher, explained that the images show a very unusual object, likely made of three linked pieces or one very irregularly shaped mass.
In early 2026, astronomers also found a tiny moon orbiting Nysa. This moon is only about one kilometer wide and circles the main asteroid, which is about 75 kilometers across. Finding this small moon was difficult because Nysa is very bright. Its surface is covered in a reflective mineral, making it shine so much that even binoculars can see it. To find the faint moon, scientists used special techniques, similar to those used to find planets far from our sun.
The team used powerful telescopes and cameras, including the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona and the Very Large Telescope in Chile. They also used computer programs to map the asteroid's shape and rotation. The images they got are very detailed, almost like those from space probes.
The unusual shape of Nysa raises questions about how it formed. Scientists think it might be leftover pieces from a large collision or fragments that slowly came back together. Studying Nysa could provide clues about the early solar system.