Accurate geometric albedo, shape, and size of Hi’iaka from a stellar occultation
| Title: | Accurate geometric albedo, shape, and size of Hi’iaka from a stellar occultation |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Estela Fernández-Valenzuela; Jose Luis Ortiz; Bryan J. Holler; Bruno Sicardy; Flavia L. Rommel; Mónica Vara-Lubiano; Nicolas Morales; Frederic Vachier; Josselin Desmars; Mike Kretlow; Roberto Vieira-Martins; Emmanuel Jehin; Marin Ferrais; Pablo Santos-Sanz; Zafar Rustamkulov; Alexander de la Vega; Elizabeth Warner; Zouhair Benkhaldoun; Roxanne Kamin; Al Ryan; Bernie Earls; Dennis Conti; Julien de Wit; Artem Burdanov; Richard Francini; Philip Langill; Ruben Morales; Wesley Fraser; Csaba Kiss; András Pál; Damya Souami; Jean Lecacheux; Felipe Braga-Ribas; René Duffard; Alvaro Alvarez-Candal; Gustavo Benedetti-Rossi; Bruno Morgado; Julio I. B. Camargo; Altair Ramos Gomes Júnior; Marcelo Assafin; Djounai Baba Aissa; Zaki Grigahcene; Marc W. Buie; Javier Licandro; Miguel R. Alarcon; Miquel Serra-Ricart; Alberto Castro-Tirado; Emilio Jesus Fernandez-Garcia; Ramón Iglesias-Marzoa; Francisco J. Galindo-Guil; Hugo González; Rui Gonçalves; Adam Rengstorf; Randy Flynn; Aart Olsen; Bill Hanna; Jason Barnes; Joseph A. A’Hearn; Steven M. Kreyche; William J. Miller; Lillian E. Mortensen; Thomas C. Gibson; Gary Walker; Gerogia Stolle-McAllister; Gregory A. Feiden; Joseph Froetschel; Suzanne Steel; Destin Encardes; R. Scott Fisher; Alton Luken; Eric Holcomb; Daniel Caton; Bob Dunford; Dmitry Monin |
| Source: | Nature Communications, Vol 16, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2025) |
| Publisher Information: | Nature Portfolio, 2025. |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Collection: | LCC:Science |
| Subject Terms: | Science |
| Description: | Abstract Stellar occultations, when a distant object passes in front of a star and casts a shadow on Earth, are a powerful tool to probe the physical properties of solar system bodies. They enable precise size and shape measurements and can reveal rings, satellites, atmospheres, or surface features. Here we present results from two stellar occultations by Hiʻiaka, dwarf planet Haumea’s largest satellite, observed in April 2021. The second event yielded the first documented multi-chord occultation involving a trans-Neptunian satellite other than Charon. Combining these data with photometric observations, we find that Hi’iaka is a triaxial ellipsoid with a volume-equivalent diameter of 370 ± 20 km and a density of 640 ± 80 kg/m³, indicating a porous interior. The visible geometric albedo is $$0.76\pm 0.15$$ 0.76 ± 0.15 , (∼ $$30\%$$ 30 % higher than Haumea’s). The combination of low density and rapid rotation (9.68 ± 0.02 hours), under the assumption of a homogeneous body, indicates that Hiʻiaka deviates from hydrostatic equilibrium. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| Relation: | https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-025-65749-1 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/f0d4784c781c4af98aaa5bfbbfbf8bd3 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.f0d4784c781c4af98aaa5bfbbfbf8bd3 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |