Makemake
Dwarf planet in the Outer Solar System / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Makemake[lower-alpha 5] (minor-planet designation: 136472 Makemake) is a dwarf planet and the second-largest of what is known as the classical population of Kuiper belt objects,[lower-alpha 2] with a diameter approximately that of Saturn's moon Iapetus, or 60% that of Pluto.[24][25] It has one known satellite.[26] Its extremely low average temperature, about 40 K (−230 °C), means its surface is covered with methane, ethane, and possibly nitrogen ices.[21] Makemake shows signs of geothermal activity and thus may be capable of supporting active geology and harboring an active subsurface ocean.[27]
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | |
Discovery date | March 31, 2005 |
Designations | |
(136472) Makemake | |
Pronunciation | UK: /ˌmækiˈmæki/, US: /ˌmɑːkiˈmɑːki/ or /ˌmɑːkeɪˈmɑːkeɪ/ ⓘ[lower-alpha 1] |
Named after | Makemake |
2005 FY9 | |
Dwarf planet TNO cubewano[5] scattered-near[lower-alpha 2] | |
Adjectives | Makemakean[6][7] |
Symbol | (mostly astrological) |
Orbital characteristics[8] | |
Epoch May 31, 2020 (JD 2458900.5) | |
Earliest precovery date | January 29, 1955 |
Aphelion | 52.756 AU (7.8922 Tm) |
Perihelion | 38.104 AU (5.7003 Tm) |
45.430 AU (6.7962 Tm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.16126 |
306.21 yr (111,845 d) | |
Average orbital speed | 4.419 km/s |
165.514° | |
Inclination | 28.9835° |
79.620° | |
17 November 2186[9] | |
294.834° | |
Known satellites | 1 |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | |
Mean radius |
|
Flattening | 0.0098[lower-alpha 3] |
6.42×106 km2[lower-alpha 4][11] | |
Volume | 1.53×109 km3[lower-alpha 4][12] |
Mass | ≈ 3.1×1021 kg[13] |
Mean density | ≈ 1.7 g/cm3 (using Ortiz et al. 2012 radius) ≈ 2.1 g/cm3 (using Brown 2013 radius[10])[13] |
Equatorial surface gravity | < 0.57 m/s2 |
Equatorial escape velocity | < 0.91 km/s |
22.8266±0.0001 h[14] | |
0.82±0.02 geometric[14] 0.74±0.06 Bond[15] | |
Temperature | 32–36 K (single-terrain model) 40–44 K (two-terrain model)[16] |
B−V=0.83, V−R=0.5[17] | |
17.0 (opposition)[18][19] | |
−0.12[8] 0.049±0.020[14] | |
Makemake was discovered on March 31, 2005 by a team led by Michael E. Brown, and announced on July 29, 2005. It was initially known as 2005 FY9 and later given the minor-planet number 136472. In July 2008, it was named after Makemake, a creator god in the Rapa Nui mythology of Easter Island, under the expectation by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) that it would prove to be a dwarf planet.[25][28][29][30]