When was the moon Hi'iaka discovered by Michael E. Brown?
Michael E. Brown spotted the moon on the 26th of January 2005 using adaptive optics at the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
Questions about Hiʻiaka (moon)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the origin story for the formation of the moon Hi'iaka?
A 2022 study led by Jessica Noviello proposed rotational fissioning happened roughly 80 million years after the initial collision to form the moon Hi'iaka from icy debris flung off by Haumea's rapid spin.
How large and dense is the moon Hi'iaka compared to other moons?
Hiiaka serves as the sixth-largest known moon orbiting a trans-Neptunian object with a mass estimate near 4.9 times 10^20 kilograms and low density indicating a highly porous interior composed mostly of loosely packed water ice and rock.
What surface composition does spectroscopic data reveal about the moon Hi'iaka?
Spectroscopic data reveals deep absorption features dominated by water ice in crystalline form with a geometric albedo measuring 0.74 which makes it even more reflective than its parent body Haumea.
Why has the moon Hi'iaka not achieved hydrostatic equilibrium despite its size?
The elongated shape resembling an ellipsoid contradicts expectations for its current rotation period so high material strength likely explains why the body has not rounded itself out over billions of years.