In late 2004 and 2005, two large icy bodies where discovered at the fringes of the solar system. The two moons have surfaces unlike most Kuiper Belt objects. They are made of nearly pure crystals. The larger moon is called Hi'iaka and the smaller is called Namaka. Both moos are two small to have gone under any heating prossess that might have caused the heavier elements to sink to their cores. Micheal Brown of the Califronia Institite of Techhnology in Pasadena, who codiscovered the moons, said, "These things could be, essentially, ice cubes." He feels that the two moons were chipped off the surface of the dwarf planet Haumea, due to a cataclysmic event. Hawaiin mythology has said that Hi'iaka and Namaka are both the duaghter so of Haumea, the goddess of fertility. Brown commented sayd that they are indeed offspings of the dwarf planent.
In the next couple of years namaka will travel across different sections of Haumea. This will tell researchers the exact shape and size of the moons. Finally, on July 2, 2009, Namaka will pass in front of Hi'iaka revealing various new information about both bodies.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/42280/title/Ice_cubes_in_space
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1 comment:
3-The article was well written
-The topic of the article was interesting to read
- The article was easyto compensate and understand
2- Could have went into more detail on how they were found
- Could have gone into more detail on the cotnents and element present in the moons
1- I never knew that new moons were discovered at the edge of the solar system and that they are made of mostly crystals
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