Key Information
Makemake
| Type | Dwarf Planet |
| Diameter | 888 to 918 miles |
| Distance from the Sun | 4,222,962,896 miles |
| Orbit Time | 306.21 years |
| Length of Day | 22.826 hours |
| Temperature | -402 °F to -380 °F |
| Atmosphere | None |
| Date of Discovery | March 31, 2005 |
| Moons | 1 |
Learning Point
- Makemake has a moon that orbits around it, and is one of the furthest objects we can see in our Solar System while using a good amateur telescope.
Project
- Create a list of the dwarf planets and when they were discovered.
- Overview
- Comparison
Location
| Located in | Solar System, orbiting the Sun |
Fun Facts
- Makemake’s name comes from the Rapa Nui god. All dwarf planets are named after the different creator gods of cultures around the world.
- It may be that Makemake is more red in color, but is very unlikely to have a permanent atmosphere.
- Clyde Tombaugh could have found Makemake if he had looked in the right part of the sky during the years he was looking for new planets.
- Astronmers have looked back at old photographs of the night sky and found Makemake on them from images as old as 1955.
- Makemake’s orbit is inclined or tilted very high compared to the other planets.
- Makemake’s moon doesn’t yet have a name, though it has been nicknamed MK2, and is thought to be about 110 miles diameter.
Past Lessons
| 125 | February 3, 2025 | (North America) |