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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
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Our solar system sure has lots of surprises.
1
posted on
07/29/2011 11:10:58 PM PDT
by
Windflier
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)
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)
To: Windflier
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)
To: Windflier
5
posted on
07/29/2011 11:15:39 PM PDT
by
Lazlo in PA
(Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
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)
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?)
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!)
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.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
To: Windflier
14
posted on
07/29/2011 11:37:27 PM PDT
by
smokingfrog
( sleep with one eye open ( <o> ---)
To: Windflier
15
posted on
07/29/2011 11:38:25 PM PDT
by
Lazlo in PA
(Now living in a newly minted Red State.)
To: FredZarguna
The Europeans would disagree of course ie: soccer.
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.)
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.)
To: Windflier
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))
To: Windflier
Here's the known large Kuiper Belt objects. Haumea was discovered in 2004.
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