Key Facts

Overview

Haumea is a dwarf planet whose orbit extends beyond the orbit of Neptune. NASA JPL has not classified Haumea as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Haumea orbits the sun every 103,000 days (282.00 years), coming as close as 34.32 AU and reaching as far as 51.46 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Haumea is probably between 2412.987 to 5395.603 kilometers in diameter, making it the largest asteroid/dwarf planet, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. state of Alaska.

The rotation of Haumea has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.92 hours.

No Close Approaches

Haumea's orbit is 33.40 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Haumea's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 22, 1955. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,095 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Haumea:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 42.89 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1999
  • Inclination: 28.21°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 121.97°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 240.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 219.87°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~3115.153 km
  • Magnitude: 0.21

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 103,000 days (282.00 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 4.53 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 51.46 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 34.32 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.92 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Haumea is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.