Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bizarre Dwarf Planet Wrapped in Ice Blanket
Space.com ^ | 25 July 2011 | Charles Q. Choi

Posted on 07/29/2011 11:10:53 PM PDT by Windflier

Radioactivity and gravity may be why the strange football-shaped dwarf planet known as Haumea and its moons are unexpectedly sheathed in crystalline ice, shining in space, researchers suggest.

Haumea, named after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth, orbits the sun beyond the path of Neptune, with two moons in orbit around it named Hi'iaka and Namaka, two of the deity's daughters.

Haumea is a bizarre dwarf planet world shaped like a cigar, or perhaps an American football, measuring about 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) long, and makes one full rotation in less than four hours. This is one of the fastest rotation speeds in the solar system, which gave Haumea its odd shape.



TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: haumea; hiiaka; namaka; planets; space; xplanets
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-75 next last
Our solar system sure has lots of surprises.
1 posted on 07/29/2011 11:10:58 PM PDT by Windflier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Windflier

I thought it was “little people’s” planet, not dwarf.


2 posted on 07/29/2011 11:13:16 PM PDT by irishtenor (Everything in moderation, however, too much whiskey is just enough... Mark Twain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier

A close up of the surface reveals....
3 posted on 07/29/2011 11:14:26 PM PDT by RandallFlagg ("I can see 2012 from my house!" Jim Thompson, 7-16-2011)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier

Interesting


4 posted on 07/29/2011 11:14:50 PM PDT by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier

You have better dope and scotch than me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4xm5w_6nww&feature=fvst


5 posted on 07/29/2011 11:15:39 PM PDT by Lazlo in PA (Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier; SunkenCiv; KevinDavis

This is in our solar system?


6 posted on 07/29/2011 11:20:49 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier
They discovered a Planet called Mignon that is wrapped in Bacon.
7 posted on 07/29/2011 11:30:32 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Would you rather live in Obamaville or Palintown?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

We can’t see any dwarf planets outside our solar system.


8 posted on 07/29/2011 11:31:07 PM PDT by FredZarguna (This is hugh! And series!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: GeronL
This is in our solar system?

Yes. Per the article, it's out beyond the orbit of Neptune. Strange little object, eh?

9 posted on 07/29/2011 11:31:24 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Lazlo in PA
You have better dope and scotch than me.

Not really. I'm just tired and bored.

When it gets this late, and I can't read another word about politics, I wander off in search of far out things of interest. Sometimes I post them here.

10 posted on 07/29/2011 11:33:54 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Windflier
Haumea is a bizarre dwarf planet world shaped like a cigar, or perhaps an American football.

The qualifier is unnecessary: there is no other kind of football.

11 posted on 07/29/2011 11:34:12 PM PDT by FredZarguna (At the last minute, they reached a compromise, and the country was saved: 10 more years of football.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier
Haumea is a bizarre dwarf planet world shaped like a cigar, or perhaps an American football.

The qualifier is unnecessary: there is no other kind of football.

12 posted on 07/29/2011 11:34:23 PM PDT by FredZarguna (At the last minute, they reached a compromise, and the country was saved: 10 more years of football.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kickass Conservative
They discovered a Planet called Mignon that is wrapped in Bacon.

Cool. You can have your planet and eat it, too.

13 posted on 07/29/2011 11:35:45 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Windflier

14 posted on 07/29/2011 11:37:27 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open ( <o> ---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Windflier

Well have some fun. I am on a Steely Dan tear like no one would believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkENeuzVtUM


15 posted on 07/29/2011 11:38:25 PM PDT by Lazlo in PA (Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: FredZarguna

The Europeans would disagree of course ie: soccer.


16 posted on 07/29/2011 11:39:15 PM PDT by Republic_of_Secession.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: FredZarguna
The qualifier is unnecessary: there is no other kind of football.

Well, Canada has a football league, and Europe had one back in the 90's (don't know if they still do, or not).

When I lived in England, we only used to get one NFL game a week on TV, so we watched the European league all the time.

17 posted on 07/29/2011 11:39:15 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Lazlo in PA
I am on a Steely Dan tear like no one would believe.

Which is precisely why I won't click on your link. I'll be up until dawn, listening to all their music!

18 posted on 07/29/2011 11:41:29 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Windflier

bflr


19 posted on 07/29/2011 11:41:33 PM PDT by Captain Beyond (The Hammer of the gods! (Just a cool line from a Led Zep song))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Windflier
Here's the known large Kuiper Belt objects. Haumea was discovered in 2004.


20 posted on 07/29/2011 11:41:57 PM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-75 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson