Astronomers Discover First Triple-Lobed Asteroid with a Moon in Our Solar System
Astronomers have identified the first known triple-lobed asteroid, 44 Nysa, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This discovery was made using advanced imaging techniques from the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona and the Very Large Telescope in Chile. The asteroid, which was initially discovered in 1857, was previously thought to be bi-lobed. However, recent observations have revealed that it has three distinct lobes and a small moon orbiting it. The moon, designated S/2026 (44) 1, is approximately 0.6 miles wide and orbits Nysa at a distance of at least 106 miles. The research team, led by Kate Minker from Arizona's Lowell Observatory, suggests that Nysa could either be a contact trinary, consisting of three connected components, or an irregular coherent body. The findings were achieved through the use of high-contrast imaging devices and adaptive optics to counteract atmospheric blurring. 
