Haumea

Haumea is the 3rd Dwarf Planet from the Sun. Haumea is also the fastest rotating object in the Solar System. It is located in the Kuiper Belt.

Overview
Haumea is the fastest rotating object in the Solar System. One day on Haumea is 3.9 Earth Hours. 1 day on Earth is equal to 6 days on Haumea. Scientists believe that the reason that the small Dwarf Planet rotates so fast is because of it's oval appearance, similar to the way a water balloon which stretch out when thrown with a spin. This rotational speed, along with its collisional origin make Haumea one of the densest dwarf planets discovered to date. Haumea has a dark red spot. In 2009, a dark red spot was discovered which stands out from surrounding crystalline ice. It’s thought this spot could be an area of the dwarf planet that is with a higher concentration of minerals and carbon rich compounds than the rest of the icy surface. Haumea was classified as a Dwarf Planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on September 17, 2008. Haumea has 2 small satellites or moons, and their names are Hi'iaka and Namaka. Haumea is the third brightest object in the Kuiper Belt, after the dwarf planets Pluto and Makemake. On a clear night with a good quality telescope, this makes it possible to see Haumea in the night sky. Haumea's moons are thought to be a collision of a large object with Haumea billions of years ago – causing pieces of Haumea to fragment and begin orbiting the planet.