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ORBONIX · DWARF PLANETS

HAUMEA

A rapidly rotating dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, famous for its unusual elongated shape and two known moons.
HAUMEA
KUIPER BELT · DWARF PLANET · TWO KNOWN MOONS
~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
ORBONIX · DWARF PLANETS
HAUMEA · HIʻIAKA · NAMAKA