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44 Nysa

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science2 days ago•16 min saved

Three-headed asteroid 44 Nysa spotted with its own moon, Earth safe for now

Astronomers using the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona and the Very Large Telescope in Chile have found asteroid 44 Nysa is three-lobed and has a moon, S/2026(44)1, orbiting about 106 miles away. The ~47-mile-wide, enstatite rock could have formed from fused lobes or a battered body and may shed light on how Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago. Nysa is roughly 27 million miles from Earth and, while NEAs exist, it won’t hit us anytime soon; scientists also discuss potential planetary-defense options for future threats.

via Metro.co.uk|

#44-nysa #asteroid #enstatite

space19 days ago•132 min saved

44 Nysa Revealed: the first triple‑lobed belt asteroid with a moon

Astronomers using the Large Binocular Telescope and the Very Large Telescope have imaged 44 Nysa, the first known triple‑lobed asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, which also hosts a ~1 km moon, S/2026 (44) 1. The unusual shape likely results from a contact-trinary configuration or a past collision, and tracking the moon’s orbit will help determine Nysa’s mass and density and shed light on the inner solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago.

via Space|

#44-nysa #large-binocular-telescope #s2026-44-1