~1,560 km
LONGEST DIMENSION
3.9 HOURS
ROTATION PERIOD
~43 AU
AVERAGE DISTANCE FROM SUN
2003
DISCOVERY / IDENTIFICATION
2
KNOWN MOONS
HIʻIAKA + NAMAKA
SATELLITES
THE RAPID ROTATOR
Haumea is a dwarf planet located in
the Kuiper Belt beyond the orbit of
Neptune.
It is one of the most unusual known
objects in the Solar System because
it rotates extremely quickly, completing
one rotation in only about four hours.
This rapid rotation causes Haumea to
be strongly elongated rather than
spherical.
Haumea is also surrounded by a thin
ring and has two known moons:
Hiʻiaka and Namaka.
Its surface is thought to contain a large
amount of crystalline water ice.
HAUMEA FEATURES
FAST ROTATION
Haumea rotates once approximately
every four hours, making it one of the
fastest rotating large Solar System
objects.
TWO MOONS
Haumea has two known natural
satellites: Hiʻiaka and Namaka.
RING SYSTEM
Haumea has a narrow ring surrounding
the dwarf planet, making it one of the
few known dwarf planets with a ring.
DID YOU KNOW?
Haumea is so elongated because its extremely rapid rotation
stretches the dwarf planet into an
unusual oval shape.
HAUMEA'S MOONS
HIʻIAKA
The larger and outer moon of Haumea.
Click to explore Hiʻiaka.
NAMAKA
The smaller and inner moon of Haumea.
Click to explore Namaka.
A FAST-SPINNING ELONGATED WORLD
Haumea rotates unusually rapidly, completing a rotation in only a few hours. This rapid spin contributes to its strongly elongated shape, making it one of the most distinctive large bodies beyond Neptune.
Haumea also has a ring and two known moons, Hiʻiaka and Namaka. A family of objects with related orbital and compositional properties is associated with Haumea, providing evidence of a major collision in its past.
ORBONIX · DWARF PLANETS
HAUMEA · HIʻIAKA · NAMAKA
HAUMEA · HIʻIAKA · NAMAKA