Complex sentence: It is thought to be "nearly certainly" a dwarf planet, and on September 17,2008, it was designated a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and named after Haumea, the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth.
Split into simpler sentences: It is thought to be "nearly certainly" a dwarf planet, and the IAU has formally designated it as such. On September 17,2008, it was designated a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and named after Haumea, the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth.