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| (136472) Makemake | |
|---|---|
| Name | Makemake |
| Designation | (136472) |
| Discovery date | 2005-03-31 |
| Discoverers | Michael E. Brown; Chad Trujillo; David Rabinowitz |
| Aphelion | 53.1 AU |
| Perihelion | 38.5 AU |
| Semi major axis | 45.7 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.159 |
| Inclination | 29.0° |
| Mean diameter | 1430 km |
| Mass | ~3.1×10^21 kg |
| Albedo | 0.77 |
| Spectral type | methane ice |
| Satellites | 1 known (discovered 2015) |
(136472) Makemake Makemake is a trans-Neptunian object and dwarf planet in the outer Solar System discovered in 2005. It ranks among the largest known members of the Kuiper belt and has been the subject of observational campaigns by observatories and space missions focusing on Solar System small bodies. Researchers have linked its discovery and characterization to work at institutions such as the California Institute of Technology and the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Makemake was discovered on 2005-03-31 by a survey team including Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz working with the Palomar Observatory and the Quail Hollow Observatory pipelines. The announcement followed analyses using instruments at the Palomar Mountain facility and data cross-checks with archives from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Spacewatch program. The object's provisional designation was later replaced by the permanent numeric designation assigned by the Minor Planet Center. The chosen name derives from the creation deity of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island, and the naming was approved by the International Astronomical Union; the process involved correspondence with cultural stakeholders, the Chilean government, and scholars at institutions such as the University of Chile.
Makemake orbits the Sun in the distant region known as the Kuiper belt, with a semi-major axis near 45.7 AU and an orbital period of about 310 years. Its orbit is moderately eccentric and highly inclined relative to the ecliptic, which places it among the dynamically "classical" or "scattered" populations studied by groups at the European Southern Observatory and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Classification debates have involved committees from the International Astronomical Union and researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory assessing criteria that also applied to 2003 UB313 (nicknamed Eris), Pluto, and Haumea. Comparative dynamical studies reference numerical simulations performed at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii.
Photometric and thermal observations from facilities including the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have constrained Makemake's diameter and albedo. Measurements indicate a high geometric albedo consistent with bright ices, making it comparable in reflectivity to Enceladus and brighter than many Main belt asteroids. Estimates of mass and density derive indirectly from satellite dynamics measured with the Hubble Space Telescope and adaptive optics at the Keck Observatory and the Very Large Telescope. Comparative morphology studies link Makemake to other large trans-Neptunian objects such as Eris (dwarf planet), Haumea, and Pluto, and to models developed at the Southwest Research Institute and the Planetary Science Institute.
Spectroscopy from instruments at the Keck Observatory, the Gemini Observatory, and the Very Large Telescope reveals dominant absorption bands attributed to methane ice, with secondary signatures suggestive of ethane and perhaps nitrogen frost. Laboratory spectroscopy comparisons use facilities at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NASA Ames Research Center to model radiative transfer and grain size. The surface shows color and spectral similarities to some centaurs and Kuiper belt objects cataloged by projects at the University of Arizona and the Carnegie Institution for Science. Seasonal and volatile transport models developed at the University of Colorado Boulder and MIT explore how Makemake's surface composition evolves over its orbit.
Stellar occultation campaigns organized by teams from the International Occultation Timing Association, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and observatories such as the Kitt Peak National Observatory probed the presence of a tenuous atmosphere. Results indicate that unlike Pluto, Makemake either lacks a substantial atmosphere or hosts a transient, localized exosphere consistent with sublimating methane or nitrogen under certain conditions; atmospheric modeling has been advanced by researchers at the University of Leicester and the Southwest Research Institute. A moon was discovered in 2015 using the Hubble Space Telescope and announced by teams including researchers from the European Space Agency and the American Astronomical Society, enabling mass estimates and dynamical studies that involve researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Hawaii.
Makemake has not been visited by a spacecraft but has been extensively observed by ground-based and space-based facilities. Significant data sets come from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, and large ground observatories including Keck Observatory, Very Large Telescope, Subaru Telescope, and Gemini Observatory. Occultation observations coordinated by consortia such as the International Occultation Timing Association and surveys like the Outer Solar System Origins Survey have refined size and atmospheric constraints. Future mission concepts proposed at forums hosted by the European Space Agency and NASA have been discussed in meetings of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society.
The naming of Makemake engaged cultural and ethical discussions involving the Rapa Nui community, scholars at the University of Chile, and the International Astronomical Union naming committees. Debates paralleled controversies surrounding the reclassification of Pluto and the demotion decision at the IAU 2006 General Assembly in Prague, drawing commentary from media outlets, universities, and cultural organizations. Popular science coverage in outlets such as Nature (journal), Science (journal), The New York Times, and BBC News amplified discussions on indigenous rights in astronomical nomenclature, leading to policy reviews at the International Astronomical Union and scholarly work at institutions like Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution.