Our Planets Found: Makemake

When found:
March 31, 2005.

By who:
Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz.

Description:
Makemake is the third-largest dwarf planet and a classical Kuiper belt object.

Discovered in 2005 shortly after Eris, it was part of the wave of trans-Neptunian discoveries that solidified the need for the dwarf planet category.

Initially known by its provisional designation, it was officially named and classified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2008, as it achieves hydrostatic equilibrium but does not dominate its orbital zone.

With a diameter of about 1,430 km, its surface is coated in methane, ethane, and possibly nitrogen ices, with tholins imparting a reddish tint, and evidence suggests geothermal activity beneath.

Distance from Earth:
Closest distance: approximately 3.57 billion miles.

Length of Year & Day:
Year: 111,845 Earth days (about 306 years).
Day: 22.8 hours.

Interesting fact:
Makemake displays signs of geothermal activity, hinting at an active subsurface ocean that could foster chemical reactions or even primitive life forms, despite its extreme distance and cold environment.

Like its Finder:
Like Mike Brown, the innovative Caltech astronomer whose keen observations expanded the known frontiers of our Solar System and sparked paradigm shifts in classification, Makemake dwells in the serene yet enigmatic Kuiper belt, concealing layers of icy complexity like a subtle architect of distant mysteries.