Astronomers observe dwarf planet Makemake for the first time
Astronomers observe dwarf planet Makemake for the first time
An international team of astronomers has for the first time studied the dwarf planet Makemake, one of the five dwarf planets, including erstwhile planet Pluto, in our solar system.
Using several telescopes in Brazil and Chile, the researchers observed Makemake last April as it came between Earth and a distant star, allowing them to observe how the star’s light was changed. What the astronomers were able to determine from the transit was not only the dwarf planet’s size and density, but also the observation that Makemake did not have any observable atmosphere. Details of the astronomer’s findings have just been published in the journal Nature.
The observation of the transit of Makemake was almost fleeting—only one minute—but as it was caught between Earth and the star, Nomad 1181-0235723, astronomers were able to determine a great deal, such as finding that the dwarf planet was not entirely spherical, and that it weighed around 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter, almost equal to that of fellow dwarf Pluto but far less than that of Earth.
Lead researcher Jose Luis Ortiz spoke about Makemake’s atmospheric observations,saying, “As Makemake passed in front of the star and blocked it out, the star disappeared and reappeared very abruptly, rather than fading and brightening gradually. This means that the little dwarf planet has no significant atmosphere. It was thought that Makemake had a good chance of having developed an atmosphere—that it has no sign of one at all shows just how much we have yet to learn about these mysterious bodies. … Finding out about Makemake’s properties for the first time is a big step forward in our study of the select club of icy dwarf planets.”
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