Posted AT 7:39 PM EST on 19/07/08
Dwarf planet named for Polynesian god
WASHINGTON — A dwarf planet orbiting beyond Neptune has been designated the third plutoid in the solar system and given the name Makemake, the International Astronomical Union said on Saturday.
The red methane-covered dwarf planet formerly known as 2005 FY9 or “Easterbunny” is named after a Polynesian creator of humanity and god of fertility.
The full text of this article has 217 words.
To continue reading this article, you will need to purchase this article.
Already have a member account? Login now
Pay-Per-View Offers To read the complete article, select one of the following options
Purchasing from globeandmail.com is quick and secure.
In Pictures
- Into the teeth of the storm
- Hurricane hunters ply risky trade to try to solve mystery of weather
Video Picks
- Into the wild
- Remote camera catches rare up-close images of bears, wolverines in the wild
- Rare rhino caught on tape
- Rare footage of the world's most threatened rhino shows it charging a hidden camera in Indonesia
- Fading flowers?
- New research suggests pollution is changing the way flowers smell
- Thames seahorses rebound
- Despite almost vanishing because of pollution, seahorses are now back and thriving in London's Thames River
Spectrum
- Smokin' roaches
- The sexual habits of male Madagascar hissing cockroaches
2
-
Video:
Smokin' roaches
Weird science
- Even platypus's genome is extraordinary
- Scientists say newly mapped platypus genome could help explain evolution
22
