Key Information
Haumea
| Type | Dwarf Planet |
| Diameter | 1,300 x 1,040 x 665 miles |
| Distance from the Sun | 4,007,882,586 miles |
| Orbit Time | 283.12 years |
| Length of Day | 3.91 hours |
| Atmosphere | Unknown |
| Temperature | -370 °F |
| Date of Discovery | December 28, 2004 (Mike Brown & Caltech) |
| Moons | 2 |
Learning Point
- Haumea is one of the most unusual dwarf planets in our Solar System. It has an unusual, ellipsoid shape, two moons and a ring, the only one discovered around a dwarf planet. The strange shape has been the subject of a lot of study.
Project
- Draw a picture of Haumea and its two moons.
- Overview
- Rotation
Location
| Located in | Solar System, orbiting the Sun |
Fun Facts
- Haumea is likely to have its unusual shape because of an ancient impact that partly destroyed Haumea, ejecting parts into space to become the moons and other Trans-Neptunian Objects.
- Its rings were discovered in 2017 because of Haumea moving in front of a star.
- Who discovered Haumea has also been debated, as at least one team is known to have accessed data of another team’s records.
- Haumea sits in a part of the sky that wasn’t explored thoroughly by earlier astronomers looking for planets, which is why its discovery has taken so long.
- A good amateur telescope can see Haumea.
Past Lessons
| 165 | February 13, 2024 | (North America) |