Makemake

Authors: ASE Tech Team

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Makemake is a bright, icy world in the Kuiper Belt.

Concordance, Etymology, History

Makemake was discovered by teams from the United States (led by Mike Brown) using the Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory.

In 2008, Makemake was classified as a dwarf planet by IAU.

Origin of Constellation

This body was discovered in March 2005, a few days after the Easter celebration; the discovery team gave the object a unique provisional nickname: "Easterbunny." Under IAU rules, large objects in the Kuiper Belt must be named after mythological deities associated with creation. In July 2008, the IAU officially announced its status as a dwarf planet and approved the name Makemake.

The name is derived from the mythology of the indigenous people of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in Chile. In their culture, Makemake is the creator god of humanity and a god of fertility. The name was chosen to honor the object's initial nickname, "Easterbunny."

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

IAU Nomenclature

The IAU considered Makemake as a dwarf planet.

Mythology

no mythology

Weblinks

• Wikipedia entry on [Makemake]
• IAU WGSBN

References

• References (general)