Makemake is the fourth dwarf planet officially recognized in our solar system and the third Plutoid.
Makemake's Discovery and Classification
Makemake was discovered on March 31, 2005, by a team led by Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology. The object was discovered just a few days after Easter and was nicknamed "Easterbunny." Its official designation was 2005 FY9.
In July 2008, the IAU, or International Astronomical Union, gave the name Makemake to the dwarf planet. Brown suggested the name because it is a god from Rapa Nui, or Easter Island. Makemake (pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh) is the supreme god in this region of the South Pacific. The word Makemake is Polynesian in origin.
Facts about Makemake
The surface of Makemake is cloaked in large amounts of nearly pure frozen methane. Methane ice is the surface covering believed to be on Pluto and other transneptunian objects, or solar system bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. Makemake's surface is a reddish color.
Makemake is the second brightest transneptunian object known after Pluto. With a peak magnitude of 16.5, Makemake can be seen by amateur with especially large telescopes. In comparison, Pluto has an average magnitude of 15.
Unlike the other two dwarf planets in the region, Pluto and Eris (once known as Xena), Makemake is not known to have any satellites. Makemake's year lasts for 310 days and its orbit takes it on a very inclined and elliptical path around the sun. It currently lies at 52 AU. Pluto's orbit varies from 30 to 50 AU.
Dwarf Planets and Plutoids
It was the discovery of Makemake and two other objects that lie far out in the solar system, Eris and 2003 EL61, that spurred the creation of the category known as dwarf planets. Eris is larger than Pluto, which in turn is a bit larger than Makemake. These three named objects in the outer solar system are the three Plutoids (Pluto-like objects). The one other dwarf planet in the solar system is Ceres. Ceres is not in the outskirts of the solar system but in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres was once referred to as a minor planet but now comes under the classification of dwarf planet.
The Naming of Makemake
Mike Brown, discoverer and namer or the fourth dwarf planet, explains how they came about with the new name and shows how an astronomer's life sometimes feels connected to his or her work.
"We consider the naming of objects in the Solar System very carefully. Makemake's surface is covered with large amount of almost pure methane ice, which is scientifically fascinating, but really not easily relatable to terrestrial mythology. Suddenly, it dawned on me: the island of Rapa Nui. [Easter Island.] Why hadn't I thought of this before? I wasn't familiar with the mythology of the island so I had to look it up, and I found Makemake, the chief god, the creator of humanity, and the god of fertility. I am partial to fertility gods. Eris, Makemake, and 2003 EL61 were all discovered as my wife was 3-5 months pregnant with our daughter. I have the distinct memory of feeling this fertile abundance pouring out of the entire Universe. Makemake was part of that."
Source: IAU Press Release dated July 19, 2008
