[meteorite-list] Fourth Dwarf Planet Named Makemake

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:31:25 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200807220031.RAA21113_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

International Astronomical Union
Paris, France

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Edward L.G. Bowell
IAU Division III President
Lowell Observatory, USA
Tel: +1-928-774-3358

Mike Brown
Professor of Planetary Astronomy
California Institute of Technology
Phone: +1-626-395-8423

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
ESA/Hubble, Garching, Germany
Phone: +49-89-32-00-63-06

Jul 19, 2008

News Release: IAU0806

Fourth dwarf planet named Makemake

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has given the name Makemake to
the newest member of the family of dwarf planets -- the object formerly
known as 2005 FY9 -- after the Polynesian creator of humanity and the god of
fertility.

Members of the International Astronomical Union's Committee on Small Body
Nomenclature (CSBN) and the IAU Working Group for Planetary System
Nomenclature (WGPSN) have decided to name the newest member of the plutoid
family Makemake, and have classified it as the fourth dwarf planet in our
Solar System and the third plutoid.

Makemake (pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh) is one of the largest objects known in
the outer Solar System and is just slightly smaller and dimmer than Pluto,
its fellow plutoid. The dwarf planet is reddish in colour and astronomers
believe the surface is covered by a layer of frozen methane.

Like other plutoids, Makemake is located in a region beyond Neptune that is
populated with small Solar System bodies (often referred to as the
transneptunian region). The object was discovered in 2005 by a team from
the California Institute of Technology led by Mike Brown and was previously
known as 2005 FY9 (or unofficially "Easterbunny"). It has the IAU Minor
Planet Center designation (136472). Once the orbit of a small Solar System
body or candidate dwarf planet is well determined, its provisional
designation (2005 FY9 in the case of Makemake) is superseded by its
permanent numerical designation (136472) in the case of Makemake.

The discoverer of a Solar System object has the privilege of suggesting a
name to the IAU, which judges its suitability. Mike Brown says: "We consider
the naming of objects in the Solar System very carefully. Makemake's surface
is covered with large amounts of almost pure methane ice, which is
scientifically fascinating, but really not easily relatable to terrestrial
mythology. Suddenly, it dawned on me: the island of Rapa Nui. Why hadn't I
thought of this before? I wasn't familiar with the mythology of the island
so I had to look it up, and I found Makemake, the chief god, the creator of
humanity, and the god of fertility. I am partial to fertility gods. Eris,
Makemake, and 2003 EL61 were all discovered as my wife was 3-6 months
pregnant with our daughter. I have the distinct memory of feeling this
fertile abundance pouring out of the entire Universe. Makemake was part of
that." WGPSN and CSBN accepted the name Makemake during discussions
conducted per email.

Makemake holds an important place in the Solar System because it, along with
Eris and 2003 EL61, was one of the objects whose discovery prompted the IAU
to reconsider the definition of a planet and to create the new group of
dwarf planets. Visually, it is the second brightest transneptunian object,
following after Pluto, and is bright enough to be seen through a high-end
amateur telescope (a peak magnitude of roughly 16.5). Mike Brown explains:
"The orbit is not particularly strange, but the object itself is big.
Probably about 2/3 the size of Pluto."

The other three dwarf planets are Ceres, Pluto and Eris. However, Ceres is
not a member of the distinctive plutoid group because its orbit is smaller
than Neptune's (Ceres is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter).

The word Makemake is Polynesian in origin and is the name of the creator of
humanity and the god of fertility in the mythology of the South Pacific
island of Rapa Nui or the Easter Island. He was the chief god of the Tangata
manu bird-man cult and was worshiped in the form of sea birds, which were
his incarnation. His material symbol was a man with a bird's head.

Notes

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together
almost 10,000 distinguished astronomers from all nations of the world. Its
mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its
aspects through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the
internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial
bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the
world's largest professional body for astronomers.

Links

* Information about Pluto and the other dwarf planets
  http://www.iau.org/public_press/themes/pluto/
* IAU website
  http://www.iau.org/
* Scientific paper estimating the size of Makemake
  http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0702538v1

[NOTE: An image supporting this release is available at
http://www.iau.org/static/archives/images/screen/iau0806a.jpg (107KB) ]
Received on Mon 21 Jul 2008 08:31:25 PM PDT