Asteroids with Satellites Database--Johnston's Archive

(44) Nysa

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 2 August 2026

--Orbital and physical data--

(See this page for definitions of quantities; source codes in brackets, see this link for full references; *A, *D, and *E indicate assumed, derived, and estimated values, respectively.)

dynamical type, primary: main belt asteroid


orbital data, primary (osculating elements) [JPL] :
semimajor axis a: 2.4231907048 AU
orbital period P: 3.7721555562 yr
(= 1377.7798169 d)
eccentricity e: 0.1498776973
perihelion distance q: 2.0600084619 AU
aphelion distance Q: 2.7863729477 AU
inclination i: 3.71255278°
argument of perihelion ω: 343.9936855°
ascending node Ω: 131.4770225°
mean anomaly M: 349.1062102°
perihelion passage TP: 2026 Jan 01.6923437
Epoch: 2025 Nov 21
data arc: 1864-2025 (8769 obs.)
Earth MOID: 1.07617 AU
Jupiter Tisserand invariant TJ: 3.494


orbital data, secondary:
semimajor axis as: 180 km (separation) [B26d]
separation/primary radius as/rp:4.8 [*E]
separation/Hill radius as/rH:0.013 [*E]
orbital period Ps: 0.96 d [*E]
eccentricity es: ?
normalized ang. mom. αL: ?

other data, system (combined):
absolute mag. H: 6.75 [MPC]
slope parameter G: 0.46 [JPL]
effective diameter dE: 75.66 ± 0.74 km [U11a]
geometric albedo: 0.479 ± 0.013 [U11a]
color index U-B: 0.245 [JPL]
color index B-V: 0.703 [JPL]
taxonomic type: Xc (SMASSII) [B02e]
E (Tholen) [T89a]
mass m: ?
density ρ: (2.2 g/cm3) [*A]
Hill radius rH: 13000 km [*E]

other data, primary:
diameter dp: 75.66 ± 0.74 km [U11a]
dimensions :113 x 67 x 65 km [**]
axial ratios a/b, b/c:1.69, 1.03 [*D]
rotation period RPp: 6.4214175 ± 0.0000005 h [M26d]
amplitude in mag., rotational ΔM: ?
pole direction Β, λ: 102.7 ± 0.5° , 55.3 ± 0.5° [M26d]


other data, secondary:
diameter ds: 1.0 ± 0.5 km [M26d]
diameter ratio ds/dp: 0.013 [*D]
component mag. difference ΔM: 9 [B26d]
rotation period RPs: ?

-- (44) Nysa --discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 1857 May 27 from Paris, France by H. Goldschmidt. Alternate designation(s): 1977 CE.

Companion discovered 2026 Feb 15 by A. Berdeu, K. Minker, G. Li Causi, A. Conrad, F. Pedichini, S. Antoniucci, M. Marsset, B. Carry, and F. Vachier, using imaging observations from Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Announced 2026 May 26 [B26d].

--Links, more technical:

--Links, less technical:

--Links to ADS abstracts:


© 2026 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 2 August 2026.
Return to Home. Return to Astronomy and Space. Return to Asteroids with Satellites.