With a rotation period of 3.915 h, Haumea is the fastest‑spinning Solar System body larger than 100 km. A multi‑chord stellar occultation in 2017 provided an estimate of its best-fit ellipsoid, revealing that it cannot be explained by a homogeneous body in hydrostatic equilibrium. When Haumea is instead modelled with two or three internal layers, hydrostatic solutions become compatible with the observed chords. Some of these models even depart significantly from ellipsoids, with a pinch at the end of the equatorial major axis, indicating a state of critical rotation. Such a feature could have been detectable during the last stellar occultation in May 2026, and its presence would support a centrifugal‑breakup origin for the Haumean family.
Hydrostatic models for Haumea
Lundi 22 juin 2026
de
16:00 à
17:00
Salle de conférence, bâtiment 17 - Visio
