Namaka’s Shadow: Catching a Tiny Moon Eclipse a Distant Star

Astronomers observed the first stellar occultation by Namaka, a small moon of the dwarf planet Haumea, revealing a minimum size of 83 km. This rare event helps refine Namaka’s orbit and hints at Haumea’s internal structure. The study demonstrates how brief stellar eclipses by distant objects can uncover key details about our solar system’s outermost regions.