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A heated debate continues regarding whether Haumea should be classified as a planet. When astronomers are asked, their typical response is that if Haumea is considered a planet, then many other celestial bodies within the Solar System should also be deemed planets. One such example is Haumea, a relatively unexplored rock in the Kuiper Belt, which stands out as one of the most peculiar entities within the Solar System. Currently, a NASA team is engaged in researching Haumea’s remarkable traits.
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There are officially five dwarf planets recognized in our Solar System, namely: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. Except for Ceres, which lies within the asteroid belt, the other dwarf planets are found beyond the belt. Jose Luis Ortiz, an astronomer at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia in Spain, and colleagues discovered a large ring around the dwarf planet Haumea, located beyond the orbit of Neptune. Haumea takes about 284 years to complete one orbit around the Sun, according to Science Alert.
Because Haumea is far from Earth, there is limited information available about this enigmatic object. Human space probes have never visited it, partly due to its small size and distance, which makes precise measurement through Earth-based telescopes challenging. Consequently, researchers frequently rely on computer models, a favorite tool of most astrophysicists.
However, these computer models necessitate specific input data to make predictions. Until now, only a handful of details about Haumea have been discovered. One is its rate of rotation, with a day lasting just four hours on its surface – significantly shorter than days on other similar-sized objects within the Solar System. Additionally, its shape is “unlike any other,” resembling an elongated ellipsoid instead of the spherical shape most objects of similar size possess.
Dr. Noviello, the lead author of the study, notes that this object also has some “siblings” – smaller objects resembling icebergs orbiting similarly around the central body – similar to the Moon but not categorized as such. Thus, to understand the oddities of this object, researchers have delved into its history, involving a series of estimates.
This process comprises two steps. First, Jessica Noviello, currently a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, developed a model requiring only three separate inputs: Haumea’s size, mass, and rotational speed. The results from this first model yield information such as the object’s size and core density, which then serve as input for another model used as a repeated basis to determine the object’s current appearance.
Introducing minor changes to the final simulation’s input parameters will yield a range of expected outcomes that can be compared against measurable facts. However, it also highlights interesting possibilities that might have occurred during Haumea’s formation.
One possibility is that during its early formation, a massive object collided with it, causing its rapid spin. This collision could have propelled parts of Haumea outward, forming smaller icy bodies now known as its “siblings.”
Forming these tiny ice orbs required a lengthier, more impactful process. The rapid spin caused denser rock fragments to descend into the dwarf planet’s core. These rocks then shifted positions, initiating the process. Like other space rocks, they radiated heat, causing the surface ice layer to melt.
Some of this water entered the core, creating a clay-like substance. Subsequent rapid centripetal forces generated the elongated shape we see today. Additionally, some ice balls detached from the main body, forming smaller icy objects still orbiting the parent dwarf planet.
At this juncture, all these results stem from simulation models. However, they hold logical and scientific significance. Nevertheless, it will be some time before we gather more specific data about Haumea or its Kuiper Belt siblings. Until then, astronomers will find satisfaction in research outcomes like Dr. Noviello’s and her team’s recent publication in the Planetary Science Journal.