Hubble Discovers Moon Orbiting the Dwarf Planet Makemake
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2016/18/full/

Peering to the outskirts of our solar system, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a small, dark moon orbiting Makemake, the second brightest icy dwarf planet — after Pluto — in the Kuiper Belt.

The moon — provisionally designated S/2015 (136472) 1 and nicknamed MK 2 — is more than 1,300 times fainter than Makemake. MK 2 was seen approximately 13,000 miles from the dwarf planet, and its diameter is estimated to be 100 miles across. Makemake is 870 miles wide. The dwarf planet, discovered in 2005, is named for a creation deity of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.

The observations were made in April 2015 with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. The observing team used the same Hubble technique to observe the moon as they did for finding the small satellites of Pluto in 2005, 2011, and 2012. Several previous searches around Makemake had turned up empty.

Makemake is in the class of rare Pluto-like objects, so finding a companion is important. Finding this moon only increases the parallels between Pluto and Makemake. Both objects are already known to be covered in frozen methane.

mollwollfumble said:

Hubble Discovers Moon Orbiting the Dwarf Planet Makemake
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2016/18/full/

Peering to the outskirts of our solar system, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a small, dark moon orbiting Makemake, the second brightest icy dwarf planet — after Pluto — in the Kuiper Belt.

The moon — provisionally designated S/2015 (136472) 1 and nicknamed MK 2 — is more than 1,300 times fainter than Makemake. MK 2 was seen approximately 13,000 miles from the dwarf planet, and its diameter is estimated to be 100 miles across. Makemake is 870 miles wide. The dwarf planet, discovered in 2005, is named for a creation deity of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.

The observations were made in April 2015 with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. The observing team used the same Hubble technique to observe the moon as they did for finding the small satellites of Pluto in 2005, 2011, and 2012. Several previous searches around Makemake had turned up empty.

Makemake is in the class of rare Pluto-like objects, so finding a companion is important. Finding this moon only increases the parallels between Pluto and Makemake. Both objects are already known to be covered in frozen methane.

Makemake (previously known as Easter Bunny) ought to be a planet. The following illustrative image is completely up to date.

I’d never heard of Quaoar, Huamea or Orcus.

I wonder whether there will be any more according-to-IAU planets discovered in this solar system.

Divine Angel said:

I’d never heard of Quaoar, Huamea or Orcus.

8-O

mollwollfumble said:

Makemake (previously known as Easter Bunny) ought to be a planet.

If the body is smaller than our moon I have to agree it is not really a planet(sorry pluto).

dv said:

Divine Angel said:

I’d never heard of Quaoar, Huamea or Orcus.

8-O

Bloody Illuminati! They should be called Obscurafactii…..

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

Postpocelipse said:

dv said:

Divine Angel said:

I’d never heard of Quaoar, Huamea or Orcus.

8-O

Bloody Illuminati! They should be called Obscurafactii…..

Maybe Obscuranauti….

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

There is only one way to pronounce in crow. Do they even have more than one word?

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

Beside Pluto all the dwarf planets are named after characters from Game of Thrones

Postpocelipse said:

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

There is only one way to pronounce in crow. Do they even have more than one word?

I don’t get it

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGswC8v458o

It’s actually exactly how I thought it was pronounced.

dv said:

Postpocelipse said:

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

There is only one way to pronounce in crow. Do they even have more than one word?

I don’t get it

I assumed you could at least spell ‘caw’ more than one way.

dv said:

Postpocelipse said:

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

There is only one way to pronounce in crow. Do they even have more than one word?

I don’t get it

Ask Graham Kennedy. He could speak fluent crow.

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGswC8v458o

It’s actually exactly how I thought it was pronounced.

My mistake

Quaoar’s moon is called Weywot.

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

You think you know a girl and then it turns out she’s never heard of Quaoar. Probably can’t even pronounce it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGswC8v458o

It’s actually exactly how I thought it was pronounced.

Just like that toddler of yours :)

kii said:

Just like that toddler of yours :)

She can say “toothbrush” and “strawberry”.

Divine Angel said:

kii said:

Just like that toddler of yours :)

She can say “toothbrush” and “strawberry”.

Very impressive.

Divine Angel said:

I’d never heard of Quaoar, Huamea or Orcus.

Have you heard of Santa? Haumea used to be called Santa. Quaoar and Orcus have now been around for yonks, every high school child should know of them.

In addition to Santa and Easterbunny we used to have Xena and Buffy.

The solar system model is going to get all it’s lines twisted I can just tell……

Eris has shrunk since that second image I quoted. It’s out of date.

mollwollfumble said:

Eris has shrunk since that second image I quoted. It’s out of date.

Orbital body shrinkage can only be human error right?