Haumea is the third closest dwarf planet to the Sun and it’s located beyond Neptune. The dwarf planet, named Eris by Mike Brown and his team at the Palomar Observatory in California, is only 1/3 as massive as Pluto. Haumea was also “discovered” in 2005 by a team headed by J. L. Ortiz at the Sierra Nevada Observatory in Spain. The claim from J. L. Ortiz has been contested. Haumea is the most interesting of all dwarf planets. It has a strange elongated shape, which makes it unlike any other planet in our solar system!
Facts About Haumea
- The shape of Haumea is believed to be the result of its rapid rotation.
- The International Astronomical Union (IAU) classified Haumea as a dwarf planet on September 17th, 2008.
- Haumea is the newest discovered planet in our solar system. It has two moons orbiting it called Hi’iaka and Namaka, respectively.
- The moons of Haumea are thought to be the result of a collision from a space object.
- Every day on Haumea lasts 3.9 Earth hours!
- Scientists have confirmed that the dwarf planet is made from a rock with a thick coating of ice, but what they can’t understand yet are its origins.
- The third brightest object in the Kuiper belt is Haumea!
- The dwarf planet Haumea has a red spot.
Haumea Size Compared to the Moon and Earth
Ask An Astronomer About Haumea
Do you have a question about Haumea? We answer many questions that people ask Astronomers.
How Long Does It Take Haumea to Orbit the Sun
284 years
How Far From the Sun Does Haumea Orbit
Haumea, which is 43 astronomical units away from the Sun, orbits at a distance of 4.01 billion miles (6.45 million kilometers).
How Long Does It Take For Haumea To Rotate
The fast spinning Haumea is one of the most interesting planetary bodies in our solar system. This unique satellite orbits at a breakneck speed and rotates every 4 hours.
How Long Is a Year on Haumea
284 Earth years
How Long Is a Day on Haumea
A day on Haumea lasts only four Earth hours, making it one of the fastest rotating large objects in our solar system.
How Old Is Haumea
4.503 billion years
How Did Haumea Get Its Name
Haumea was named after the Hawaiian goddess of fertility.
Who Discovered Haumea
The discovery of Haumea is a complicated topic as two teams, one from the United States and another from France claim to have discovered it.
Does Haumea Have Rings
After watching Haumea, a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt Object, pass in front of a star for six days and hours. Scientists announced their discovery that it had rings when they observed its shadow on Jupiter’s moons: Io and Europa.
Does Haumea Have Moons
Haumea is a dwarf planet with two moons: Namaka and Hi’iaka.
How Many Moons Does Haumea Have
Haumea has two moons
What Are the Names of Haumea Moons
Hiʻiaka and Namaka
Haumea’s Biggest Moon
Hiʻiaka is the larger, outer moon of the dwarf planet Haumea. It has a quirky name and an orbit that makes it slightly different from its sister moons in our solar system. Hiʻiaka orbits once every 49.12±0.03 d at a distance of 49880±198 km, with an eccentricity of 0 ̊π ±0 ̊78° and inclination 126º 356′ ±064′.
How Much Gravity Is on Haumea
0.401 m/s²
Is There Water On Haumea
Haumea is the fifth dwarf planet of our solar system and it has two satellites. The crystalline water ice on these celestial bodies was caused by its tidal forces with one another, in addition to radiogenic elements that are heating them up from within.
How Big Is Haumea
507.04 mi
What Is the Diameter of Haumea
1,014.1 mi
What Is Haumea Made of
Haumea is a frozen comet with an ice crust that may be hiding some rocky interior. It’s one of the densest objects in the Kuiper belt, and it probably has even more surprises waiting to be discovered!
What Is Haumea Atmosphere Made of
The Haumea is a fascinating world, made up entirely of rock covered by an icy shell. This makes it one of the densest objects in our solar system; its density hovers around 1.885 grams per cubic centimeter!
What Color Is Haumea
Scientists have found that Haumea’s surface is bright and gleaming, despite the fact that it has a rocky interior. It also appears to have one area of darker red spot on its surface which may contain more minerals or organic compounds than other areas around it.
How Far Is Haumea From Earth
The Dwarf Planet Haumea is currently 49.373258 Astronomical Units away from Earth, and its current distance to the sun; which equals 7,386,134 kilometers.
How Big Is Haumea Compared to Earth
Haumea is the smallest dwarf planet in our solar system. It’s about 1/14th of Earths size which gives it a radius 385 miles (620 kilometers). If you were to put Haumea next to earth, its as big as your sesame seed on top of an american nickel!
How Long Does It Take to Get to Haumea
The dwarf planet is currently 7.39 billion kilometers away from Earth, which means the light takes six hours and fifty minutes to travel between them!
How Far Is Haumea From the Sun
Haumea, in an average distance of 4.01 billion miles (6.542 trillion kilometers), is the farthest dwarf planet from the Sun at 43 astronomical units away!
