Makemake is the second furthest dwarf planet from the Sun and it’s also one of our solar system’s third-largest dwarfs. The dwarf planet, Makemake was discovered on March 31st, 2005, and recognized by the International Astronomical Union in July 2008. Until April 2016, Makemake was thought to be the only one of four outer dwarf planets without any moons.
Facts About Makemake
- The length of Makemake is only three times that of the Grand Canyon.
- Makemake has one moon.
- The moon of Makemake was only recently discovered by NASA scientists.
- Makemake lacks an atmosphere.
- The dwarf planet, Makemake is a classical Kuiper Belt object.
- The discovery of the dwarf planet, Makemake was named three years after its discovery in 2008.
- The dwarf planet Makemake has an extremely cold temperature of about 30 degrees Kelvin or -243.2 Fahrenheit!
- Makemake’s size is one reason that Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet
- The surface of Makemake is so volatile, it’s been a difficult task for astronomers to study.
- With over 95% of Makemake’s surface still unexplored, much about this dwarf planet remains a mystery.
- Astronomers are trying to map the dwarf planet Makemake and its moon with a new telescope.
Makemake size compared to the Moon and Earth
Ask An Astronomer About Makemake
Do you have a question about Makemake? We answer many questions that people ask Astronomers.
How Long Does It Take Makemake to Orbit the Sun
306 years
How Far From the Sun Does Makemake Orbit
Makemake is an incredible 45.8 astronomical units away from the sun, a distance of 4,253 million miles (6.847 billion kilometers).
How Long Does It Take For Makemake To Rotate
As Makemake orbits the sun, it completes one rotation every 22 and a half hours. This makes its day length similar to Earth’s orbit of 27 days.
How Long Is a Year on Makemake
306 Earth years
How Long Is a Day on Makemake
A day on Makemake is 22.5 hours.
How Old Is Makemake
In 2005, a team led by Michael E. Brown discovered the dwarf planet Makemake, which was given its official name on July 29th of that year. Initially known as 2005 FY9 and later assigned minor-planet number 136472; this is an exciting discovery for astronomers worldwide!
How Did Makemake Get Its Name
Makemake was named after the Polynesian god of fertility.
Who Discovered Makemake
The discovery of a new planet is always an exciting event, and the world was introduced to Makemake on July 29th. A team led by Michael E. Brown found the dwarf-sized icy rock orbiting away from Pluto in 2005 at Palomar Observatory.
What Is Makemake’s Great Red Spot
Haumea, the dwarf planet in our solar system that is known for its unusual shape and fast spin, has another distinguishing feature: a dark red spot. Astronomers have discovered this recent finding of Haumea to be richer in minerals with organic compounds than the surrounding icy surface.
Does Makemake Have Rings
There are no known rings around Makemake.
Does Makemake Have Moons
Makemake is a dwarf planet with one provisional moon, S/2015 (136472) 1 and nicknamed MK 2. It orbits Makemake at an estimated distance of 13,000 miles from its surface. Its radius has been calculated to be around 50 miles or 80 kilometers in size–much smaller than the Dwarf Planet’s nearly 600-mile diameter!
How Many Moons Does Makemake Have
Makwmake has one moon
How Much Gravity Is on Makemake
0.5 m/s²
How Big Is Makemake
Makemaker has a radius of approximately 444 miles (715 kilometers)
What Is the Diameter of Makemake Makemake has a diameter of more than 1,400 km (900 miles)
What Is Makemake Made of
Makemake has a density of 1.4-3.2 g/cm³ and is believed to be composed largely of frozen methane (CH4) and ethane (C2H6). Like Pluto, Makemake’s surface ice may also consist largely out of CH 4 .
What Is Makemake Atmosphere Made of
Makemake may develop a very thin atmosphere, most likely made of nitrogen near perihelion – when it is closest to the sun.
What Is The Temperature on Makemake
Makemake, a small and distant dwarf planet orbiting the sun in just under three decades time is quite an interesting celestial body. This ancient rock’s surface temperature of minus 240° C (-406° F) makes it one of the coldest bodies ever recorded. The brilliant red color that Makemake has to offer also adds another layer for research scientists who study these objects as well because they find this feature very curious indeed!
What Color Is Makemake
Like Pluto, Makemake appears red in the visible spectrum and significantly more so than Eris.
How Far Is Makemake From Earth
The distance of Dwarf Planet Makemake from Earth is currently 3.486 billion miles away.
How Big Is Makemake Compared to Earth
Makemake is 45.8 astronomical units away from the sun and 1/9th of Earth’s radius, making it about as big as mustard seed in comparison to a nickel-sized earth!
How Long Does It Take to Get to Makemake
Makemake is so far away that if we sent a spacecraft to it, even with a boost given by Jupiter – which can take as long as 16 years for the spacecraft to arrive- when at its closest point of Earth orbit.
How Far Is Makemake From the Sun
From a distance of 4,253,000,000 miles (6.847 billion kilometers), Makemake is 45.8 astronomical units away from the sun!
