Friday, July 25, 2008

Makemake

Makemake is the name given by the International Astronomical Union to the fourth dwarf planet in our Solar System. Previously known as 2005 FY9, Makemake, which is named after a Polynesian fertility god, is also classified as a plutoid.

Discovered in 2005 by astronomers from the California Institute of Technology, Makemake is smaller than Pluto, and is located in a region just beyond Neptune. Its surface may be covered in frozen methane.

Source: International Astronomical Union

This is published in Google Knol.

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