Out beyond Pluto orbits the distant icy dwarf planet Makemake. This quiet frozen globe glides through the remote Kuiper Belt, remnants from the dawn of the solar system. But what is Makemake made of?
In this article, we’ll explore Makemake’s formation and structure. We’ll survey scientific finds about its terrain and any hidden ocean churning under the methane ice mantle.
By analyzing its gases, minerals, and potential subsurface sea, we can infer pressures and abundances from Makemake’s origins. This illuminates a portrait of the deep past glimmering distantly but significantly across space and time.
Let’s start and discover some Makemake surface features!
What Is Makemake Made Of?
Makemake, a dwarf planet beyond Neptune, primarily consists of rock and ice. This distant world, located in the Kuiper Belt, is thought to harbor a mix of frozen water, methane, other ices, and rocky material.
Its composition resembles other objects in the outer Solar System, reflecting the environment where it formed billions of years ago. Studying Makemake helps scientists understand the dynamics and composition of icy bodies in the outer reaches of our Solar System.
Surface composition
Makemake surface has a reddish hue with a very high albedo, suggesting abundant methane, ethane, or nitrogen ice. Darker hydrocarbon terrain is also observed in patches.Â
Spectra shows methane ice signatures mixed with an unidentified dark red tarry compound. This compound has complex organics probably causing the coloration.
It primarily consists of frozen methane with some trace ethane. Nitrogen ice may exist too in patches. The reddish regions may contain complex nitriles and tholins. These substances likely formed from photochemical processes.
Studying surface chemistry and mineralogy gives insights into conditions when Makemake formed and subsequent changes. Abundances connect to early solar system volatile distribution. Also, complex hydrocarbons trace organic synthesis pathways over billions of years.
Internal composition
Makemake shares a medium size with similar objects like Pluto and Eris. Yet, its structure differs due to its smaller size. Scientists suggest its interior mirrors those of other dwarf planets, featuring a silicate core encased in an ice-rich mantle.
Although resembling Pluto in the possibility of harboring a subsurface ocean, Makemake composition would lean more towards methane and less water due to its distinct chemistry. This variance stems from reduced internal activity over time and weaker radiogenic heating.
The core of Makemake is speculated to be a blend of iron- and nickel-rich silicate rocks combined with iron sulfide compounds. Enveloping this core is an icy mantle predominantly consisting of frozen methane, possibly nitrogen, and trace amounts of ammonia and water ice.
These findings shed light on the role of heat in segregating volatile materials from rocky elements. Makemake’s orbital migration extended outward over tens of millions of years after its initial formation.
Ice and volatiles on Makemake
Spectroscopy reveals that Makemake, a dwarf planet, mostly comprises ice, with absorption features indicating the presence of methane in solid, liquid, and gas states. Seasonal temperature variations lead to sublimation and precipitation, renewing the surface crust through a cycle that erodes methane ice over millions of years.
Additionally, subsurface liquid may be due to radiogenic heating, which maintains pressures conducive to an internal ocean of methane/ethane. Some models propose that this scenario cannot be dismissed. Makemake’s size as a dwarf planet and its isolation have previously facilitated more rapid decay of short-lived radioisotopes.
Alterations of the surface
During weak seasons, the high albedo of Pluto’s surface leads to equilibrium surface pressures. Over time, these pressures allow for sublimation, recondensation, and localized movement of surface ice. This process leaves behind distinctive traces in the crust similar to those observed by the New Horizon mission on plains and ridges.
This ongoing process occurs on Pluto’s dynamically changing landscape, continuously shaping its surface features. Long-term modeling suggests that cryovolcanic icy extrusions occur over billions of years. These extrusions contain dissolved hydrocarbons and sediments and exhibit sublimation and redeposition patterns.
As a result, new terrains are formed, which are distinguishable from the original accretional features. This complexity makes it challenging to determine the age of these surface processes remotely, especially without in situ elemental isotope geochemical soil sampling.
Future Research Directions
Ongoing research examines methane variations across the surface of Makemake. Large infrared observatories are being utilized to track seasonal changes in methane levels throughout its orbital cycle. Additionally, short-term fluctuations in surface reflectivity, known as light curves, are monitored to detect any signs of activity.
Detailed theoretical models, based on improved estimates of Makemake’s mass and density, are being developed to better understand its internal structure. These models are being refined to align with observational data.
NASA has allocated funding for the initial planning of potential flyby missions to Makemake and other objects in the Kuiper Belt as part of its New Frontiers program. These missions will employ visible and infrared spectroscopy and radio science to gather data from proximity.
Their primary goal is to discern the gradients of the core, mantle, and ice shell of Makemake, and other Kuiper Belt objects. Furthermore, they will utilize ice-penetrating radar scans to assess the potential viability of subsurface oceans.
In addition to these techniques, laser altimetry mapping, sampling elements, and isotopes will be conducted for comparative planetology studies. These endeavors will contribute valuable insights to models of outer solar system formation.
Advancements in Makemake research
Future radio telescopic arrays with long-baseline interferometry can produce resolved imagery surpassing the Hubble Space Telescope’s optical resolution. They can distinguish surface units based on chemistry rather than just albedo.
These arrays also provide topographic clues to past equilibrium dynamics affecting the mantling and exposure of deeper layers. Improved onboard computational power for deep space missions would facilitate real-time reconstruction and modeling.
This optimization would occur to investigate transient atmospheric and freshly exposed surface phenomena. It would involve adjustments in observational targeting at closer ranges during prospective flyby events.
Conclusion
What is Makemake made of? By analyzing the chemical fingerprints embedded within its icy surface, we have begun to piece together the story of this distant dwarf planet’s formation billions of years ago.
The recent discoveries paint a picture of a diverse internal makeup, highlighting the need to go beyond observing surface features like methane and reddish hues. However, our understanding of Makemake’s composition remains an evolving narrative.
As we explore the vast expanse beyond Pluto, we may soon unveil the full spectrum of elemental materials that constitute this peculiar inhabitant of the outer Solar System. Also, as technology allows for further investigation, our understanding of Pluto’s composition will likely grow.