Makemake (dwarf planet)
Makemake (officially known as 136472 Makemake) is a dwarf planet. It was discovered on March 31, 2005 by astronomers Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo and David Rabinowitz. It was announced as a dwarf planet on June 11, 2008. Makemake is a Trans-Neptunian object, because it orbits the Sun after Neptune.
It is called Makemake after the god of the ancient civilization that lived on Easter island.
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Name[change]
Originally the object was nicknamed 'Easter Bunny' as it was discovered around Easter time. The International Astronomical Union said this wasn't a good name so it was given the name Makemake, the creator god of the Easter Island people to keep its connection to Easter.[1]
Structure[change]
Makemake appears to be made mainly of ice and rock. However, at its very low temperature, ice is as hard as many types of rock.
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| Sun • Heliosphere |
Planets ☾ = moon(s) ∅ = rings |
Mercury | Venus | Earth ☾ | Mars ☾ | ||
| Jupiter ☾ ∅ | Saturn ☾ ∅ | Uranus ☾ ∅ | Neptune ☾ ∅ | ||||
| Dwarf planets | Ceres | Pluto ☾ | Haumea ☾ | Makemake | |||
| Eris ☾ | |||||||
| Small Solar System bodies |
Asteroids (minor planets) |
Groups and families: Vulcanoids · Near-Earth asteroids · Asteroid belt Jupiter Trojans · Centaurs · Neptune Trojans · Asteroid moons · Meteoroids · Pallas · Juno · Vesta · Hygiea · Interamnia · Europa |
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| See also the list of asteroids. | |||||||
| Trans- Neptunians |
Kuiper belt – Plutinos: Orcus · Ixion – Cubewanos: Varuna · Quaoar · Huya |
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| Scattered disc: Sedna | |||||||
| Comets | Periodic comets and non-periodic comets Damocloids · Oort cloud |
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| See also the list of solar system objects | |||||||
