For over a century, Nysa has intrigued astronomers due to its unusual brightness and composition. Recent observations using the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large Binocular Telescope and the SPHERE/ZIMPOL instrument on the Very Large Telescope have finally provided the resolution needed to map its form. These images show distinct surface features, including two deep valleys that appear to wrap around the circumference, functioning as neck-like connections between three separate lobes.

Lead author Kate Minker of Lowell Observatory noted that the findings represent the closest competition to spacecraft-quality imaging ever achieved from the ground. To confirm the structure, the research team combined these images with worldwide photometric data to generate a detailed three-dimensional model. This reconstruction strongly supports the theory that Nysa is a contact trinary, a configuration that would make it a rare outlier in the asteroid belt.

Alongside the primary body, researchers identified a small moon, temporarily designated S/2026 (44) 1. Estimated to be roughly one kilometer in diameter, the satellite orbits at least 170 kilometers from the 75-kilometer primary asteroid. The discovery of this moon, achieved through specialized high-contrast imaging, provides a vital opportunity to calculate Nysa's mass and density. Understanding these physical properties will help scientists determine whether Nysa is a remnant of a dramatic hit-and-run collision or a product of low-velocity reaccumulation, offering a clearer view into the early, chaotic phases of solar system formation.