Friday, 10 Oct 2025
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA
logo logo
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
  • đŸ”„
  • Trump
  • VIDEO
  • House
  • White
  • ScienceAlert
  • Trumps
  • Watch
  • man
  • Health
  • Season
Font ResizerAa
American FocusAmerican Focus
Search
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
Follow US
© 2024 americanfocus.online – All Rights Reserved.
American Focus > Blog > Tech and Science > Dwarf planet Makemake sports the most remote gas in the solar system
Tech and Science

Dwarf planet Makemake sports the most remote gas in the solar system

Last updated: September 24, 2025 3:16 pm
Share
Dwarf planet Makemake sports the most remote gas in the solar system
SHARE

Located over 2 billion kilometers beyond Pluto, a frigid celestial body known as Makemake has recently astounded astronomers by hosting the most distant gas ever identified within our solar system, according to new research findings.

Silvia Protopapa, a planetary scientist based at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, expressed her surprise, stating, “By surprise, we found evidence of gas” surrounding Makemake, which is currently situated 53 times farther from the sun than Earth. This discovery was detailed in a paper submitted by Protopapa and her colleagues on September 8 to arXiv.org.

With an orbital period of 306 years, Makemake is even more remote than Pluto, which takes 248 years to complete its journey around the sun. The presence of Pluto’s atmosphere was first detected in 1988 during an event when it obscured a star’s light.

Remarkably, Protopapa and her team did not anticipate finding any gaseous envelope around Makemake. Earlier observations indicated no signs of gas during its transit in front of a distant star. This was primarily because the gas is exceedingly sparse: should it form an atmosphere, its surface pressure would be roughly 100 billionths that of Earth’s atmosphere, making it approximately one-millionth the density of Pluto’s atmosphere. Nonetheless, the remarkable observations obtained from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2023 were able to identify traces of this elusive gas. The JWST’s large aperture provides exceptional sensitivity, particularly in detecting infrared light, which is crucial for analyzing the compositions of these distant, icy worlds.

William McKinnon, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis who did not participate in the study, remarked on the significance of this detection, saying, “The thing that [the detection] says most of all is the extreme, fabulous power of the Webb telescope to make discoveries. It’s blown the doors off the outer solar system in terms of figuring out what’s on the surfaces of all these mysterious worlds.”

See also  Every fusion startup that has raised over $100M

A high-resolution view of Pluto, showcasing its bright heart-shaped area contrasted against the darker, cratered plains.

Makemake experiences extreme cold, allowing methane to freeze and form an icy surface that reflects about 80 percent of sunlight. The observed methane gas could originate from this ice vaporizing under the faint sunlight, creating an extremely tenuous atmosphere.

Protopapa suggests, however, an exciting alternative explanation: the potential for internal processes to produce gas plumes, akin to geysers that launch water into space from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Although Enceladus benefits from gravitational forces that generate internal heat, Makemake could still exhibit some geological activity due to its relatively large size. With a diameter of approximately 1,430 kilometers—about 60 percent that of Pluto—it ranks as the fourth largest known object in the outer solar system beyond Neptune’s orbit.

Like Pluto, Makemake appears orange in color, likely due to the transformation of sunlight and cosmic rays altering its methane into more complex compounds. In contrast to Pluto’s nitrogen-rich atmosphere, JWST observations found no trace of nitrogen on Makemake. Researchers suspect that over time, Makemake lost its nitrogen—more volatile than methane at its frigid surface temperature—due to its weak gravitational pull. However, it remains a possibility that nitrogen ice is present beneath the methane layer.

This groundbreaking discovery raises intriguing questions: If Makemake can harbor gas, what about even more distant celestial objects in our solar system? The dwarf planet Eris, nearly twice as far from the sun as Makemake and comparable in size to Pluto, possesses both methane and nitrogen ice on its surface. However, a 2010 observation while Eris was in transit before a star did not reveal any gas. To date, JWST observations have yet to detect gas around Eris. Currently, Protopapa notes, Makemake is unique in its display of methane emissions at such a significant distance from the sun—but future observations from JWST could potentially illuminate new findings about Eris and other remote worlds.

See also  Will we ever have confirmation of life outside our solar system?
TAGGED:DwarfgasMakemakePlanetRemotesolarsportsSystem
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article American Airlines failed to divert flight after passenger suffered debilitating stroke, forced to pay .6M in damages: jury American Airlines failed to divert flight after passenger suffered debilitating stroke, forced to pay $9.6M in damages: jury
Next Article 10 money market accounts with interest rates of 4% APY and higher (updated weekly) 10 money market accounts with interest rates of 4% APY and higher (updated weekly)
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

The Dividend Champions List Wouldn’t Be Complete Without Enterprise Products Partners (EPD)

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) has earned a spot on the Best Dividend Stocks for…

October 7, 2025

Huyeron de la violencia en Guatemala, luego su hija fue asesinada en una escuela de EE. UU.

The tragic story of Josselin Corea Escalante, a 16-year-old girl who was shot and killed…

February 1, 2025

Why everything you thought you knew about your immune system is wrong

Becki Gill You've likely heard that taking vitamin C can prevent a cold, or perhaps…

October 8, 2025

Dwight Howard Says Ric Flair Talked Him Out Of Wrestling Career

Dwight Howard, the former NBA player, has decided to put his wrestling dreams to rest,…

September 11, 2024

For Gaza Catholics, Pope Francis’ death is a special loss : NPR

Members of the clergy celebrate Mass for the late Pope Francis at the Holy Family…

April 22, 2025

You Might Also Like

Physicists are uncovering when nature’s strongest force falters
Tech and Science

Physicists are uncovering when nature’s strongest force falters

October 10, 2025
‘Backyard Sports’ Animated Special to Debut in 2026; Playground Productions to Complete Video Game Re-Release Lineup
Entertainment

‘Backyard Sports’ Animated Special to Debut in 2026; Playground Productions to Complete Video Game Re-Release Lineup

October 10, 2025
In a First, Pig Liver Helped a Cancer Patient Survive for More Than a Month
Tech and Science

In a First, Pig Liver Helped a Cancer Patient Survive for More Than a Month

October 10, 2025
Want to See the Best Fall Colors This Year? Science Has the Answer
Tech and Science

Want to See the Best Fall Colors This Year? Science Has the Answer

October 10, 2025
logo logo
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


Explore global affairs, political insights, and linguistic origins. Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of world news, politics, and Lifestyle.

Top Categories
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Sports
  • Tech and Science
Usefull Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA

© 2024 americanfocus.online –  All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?