Haumea is a Kuiper Belt dwarf planet stretched into a football-like shape by a ~3.92-hour spin. Press Play to watch the elongated body rotate, then toggle the schematic ring discovered in the 2017 stellar occultation.
Published figures: axes at least ~2322 x 1704 x 1138 km; spin ~3.92 h; ring ~70 km wide at ~2287 km (Nature 2017 occultation); orbit ~285 yr / ~43 AU (NASA).
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Press Play or toggle Ring.
Related explorers: Triton Cantaloupe Terrain 3D Explorer and Hyperion Sponge Moon 3D Explorer. Walk the step-by-step guide.
Haumea Elongated Dwarf Planet 3D Explorer
Haumea is a Kuiper Belt dwarf planet whose ~3.92-hour spin stretches it into a football-like triaxial body. A 2017 multi-chord stellar occultation (Nature) set axes of at least about 2,322 by 1,704 by 1,138 kilometers and revealed a narrow ring about 70 kilometers wide near 2,287 kilometers radius.
NASA places Haumea near 43 AU with an orbit of about 285 Earth years. This explorer shows a schematic elongated ellipsoid and ring toggle - not a DEM, not a dynamical ring model, and without moons Hi'iaka and Namaka.
- Elongated Haumea body scaled from published axes
- Toggleable narrow ring schematic
- Speed slider and Play/Pause
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Value | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Axes (minimum) | ~2322 x 1704 x 1138 km | Nature 2017 occultation |
| Spin period | ~3.92 hours | Light-curve / Britannica summary |
| Ring width / radius | ~70 km / ~2287 km | Nature 2017 |
| Orbit / distance | ~285 yr / ~43 AU | NASA Science |
| Density upper limit | ~1885 kg/m3 | Nature 2017 |
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. Axis ratios and ring width are exaggerated for readability.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, read the Haumea Elongated Dwarf Planet 3D Explorer step-by-step guide. The Space 3D collection also includes Triton Cantaloupe Terrain 3D Explorer and Hyperion Sponge Moon 3D Explorer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Haumea elongated?
Its spin period is only about 3.92 hours - among the fastest for large Solar System bodies - so centrifugal stretch produces a triaxial, football-like shape.
What did the 2017 occultation show?
A multi-chord stellar occultation constrained projected axes near 1704 by 1138 km, a largest axis of at least ~2322 km, and a ring ~70 km wide at ~2287 km radius (Nature).
What do Play, Ring, and Speed do?
Play starts or pauses spin. Ring shows or hides the schematic ring. Speed changes how fast the animation runs.
Is this a shape model from a spacecraft?
No. It is a procedural schematic grounded in published occultation sizes. No spacecraft has flown by Haumea.
Where are the moons?
Hi'iaka and Namaka are real satellites but are not modeled here so the elongated body and ring stay readable.