MAH-kay MAH-kay

[glenc (Glen)]

"Recently discovered Makemake is one of the largest objects known in the outer Solar System. Pronounced MAH-kay MAH-kay, this Kuiper belt object is only slightly smaller than Pluto, orbits the Sun only slightly further out than Pluto, and appears only slightly dimmer than Pluto. Makemake, however, has an orbit much more tilted to the ecliptic plane of the planets than Pluto. Designated 2005 FY9 soon after its discovery by a team led by Mike Brown (Caltech) in 2005, the outer Solar System orb was recently renamed Makemake for the creator of humanity in the Rapa Nui mythology of Easter Island. Additionally, Makemake has been recently classified as a dwarf planet under the new subcategory plutoid, making Makemake the third cataloged plutoid after Pluto and Eris. Makemake is known to be a world somewhat red in appearance, with spectra indicating it is likely covered with frozen methane..."
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/

[CoombellKid]

Interesting stuff Glen

regards,CS

[DistroMan (Trevor)]

Plutoid

[ngcles]

Hi Glen

Thanks mate. Another well-placed nail in the coffin of good 'ol Pluto's planetary aspirations (Hasn't cleared its orbit).

Very interesting.


Best,

Les D

[Ric]

A very interesting post Glen. I enjoyed the links, very informative.

Cheers

[iceman (Mike)]

Pretty sad they used an old illustration of Sedna.

Anyway interesting news.

[glenc (Glen)]

Here is some more on Makemake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makemak...warf_planet%29
"Makemake is currently visually the second brightest Kuiper belt object after Pluto,[15] having a March opposition apparent magnitude of about 16.7 in the constellation Coma Berenices.[4] This is bright enough to be visible using a high-end amateur telescope."
It is 8.5' east of IC 3247 now (mag 15) according to Guide 8.

[glenc (Glen)]

There is another dwarf planet out there waiting to be named. The problem is who will name it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_EL61
(136108) 2003 EL61 nicknamed "Santa", is a large Kuiper belt object, roughly one-third the mass of Pluto, discovered by J. L. Ortiz et al. of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía at Sierra Nevada Observatory in Spain and Mike Brown's group at Caltech in the United States. The MPC currently gives formal discovery credit to Ortiz's group, who were first to announce the object. 2003 EL61 is generally believed[3][4] to be large enough to meet the definitions of a dwarf planet and plutoid, but has not yet been formally classified as such.

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by glenc

There is another dwarf planet out there waiting to be named. The problem is who will name it?

No problem at all... Robo 1

regards,CS

[glenc (Glen)]

We have a 5th dwarf planet now called Haumea, formerly 2003 EL61.
See APOD today. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...a_nasa_big.jpg

[Ric]

I was reading about it today, it has a very odd shape and orbit.

[glenc (Glen)]

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/28646964.html
On September 17th, the International Astronomical Union announced that an object in the Kuiper Belt — the fifth solar-system body large enough to qualify as a "dwarf planet" — had been named. It'll be called Haumea (pronounced how-MAY-uh), after the goddess of childbirth and fertility in Hawaiian mythology.

But there's far more to the story. When it comes to naming Kuiper Belt objects, the IAU typically accommodates whatever's suggested by the discoverer(s). In the case of Haumea, formerly designated 2003 EL61 and now formally numbered minor planet 136108, there's debate — controversy, actually — over who discovered it...