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136472 Makemake Trivia Quiz

A quiz on the dwarf planet Makemake.

A multiple-choice quiz by jonthomas. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
jonthomas

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
351,538

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
386

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Before being named Makemake, the object was given the nickname Easter Bunny. Why was this? Hint

Its discoverer owned a pet bunny

Thermal scans revealed a bunny shaped image on the surface

It was discovered around Easter

It was discovered on the vernal equinox

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Question 2 of 10

2. It's common knowledge that major astronomical discoveries are named after deities. What culture does the name Makemake come from? Hint

Hindu

Australian Aboriginal

Hawaiian

Easter Island tribes

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Question 3 of 10

3. In the artwork made by the civilization that worships Makemake, the god is often depicted with what creatures? Hint

Humanoid pigs

Whales

Centaurs

Winged men

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Question 4 of 10

4. What constellation was Makemake first seen in? Hint

Triangulum Australe

Coma Berenices

Canes Venatici

Delfinus

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Question 5 of 10

5. Was Makemake seen by Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto?

Yes

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Question 6 of 10

6. Is Makemake's orbit affected by Uranus?

Yes

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Question 7 of 10

7. In terms of brightness, how did Makemake compare to other KBOs (Kuiper Belt objects) when it was discovered? Hint

Brightest

Too dim to tell

Fifth brightest

Second brightest

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Question 8 of 10

8. Does Makemake ever have an atmosphere? Hint

It comes and goes unpredictably

Never

Temporarily

Permanently

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Question 9 of 10

9. What is Makemake's assumed escape velocity? Hint

About 300 km/s

About 2.4 km/s

About 1.77 km/s

About 0.75 km/s

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Question 10 of 10

10. Unlike other TNOs (Trans-Neptunian Objects), Makemake has a nearly circular orbit.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Before being named Makemake, the object was given the nickname Easter Bunny. Why was this?

Answer: It was discovered around Easter

Discovered in 2005, the object was assigned the provisional name 2005FY9, then nicknamed Easter Bunny. It was given a permanent name in 2008.

2. It's common knowledge that major astronomical discoveries are named after deities. What culture does the name Makemake come from?

Answer: Easter Island tribes

Makemake was the creation god of an Easter Island tribe called the Rapanui. There are several carvings and paintings depicting this god.

3. In the artwork made by the civilization that worships Makemake, the god is often depicted with what creatures?

Answer: Winged men

Makemake is not only the creation god of Rapanui tribes, but is also the leader of a mythical tribe of humans with bird-like qualities, such as feathers or wings. Also, when the dwarf planet's name is translated from Chinese, it is interpreted as "Small Planet of Bird".

4. What constellation was Makemake first seen in?

Answer: Coma Berenices

Coma Berenices, or hair of Berenice, is a small constellation far north of the ecliptic, which is the path the Sun seems to carve as Earth revolves around it. This may have been a reason why Makemake was so difficult to find.

5. Was Makemake seen by Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto?

Answer: No

This seems to be a popular rumor, however it is just that: a rumor. There was a pre-discovery image of Makemake in one of Tombaugh's later searches for Pluto, though.

6. Is Makemake's orbit affected by Uranus?

Answer: No

It is, however, affected by Neptune, which is what makes it a plutoid. Makemake's perihelion (closest distance to the Sun) is 38.5 AU (astronomical units), at most eight AU away from Neptune.

7. In terms of brightness, how did Makemake compare to other KBOs (Kuiper Belt objects) when it was discovered?

Answer: Second brightest

Despite being the second smallest dwarf planet, Makemake is the second brightest KBO. The only KBO to be brighter is Pluto.

8. Does Makemake ever have an atmosphere?

Answer: Temporarily

Like Pluto and Haumea, Makemake is thought to gain an atmosphere as it approaches perihelion (closest distance to the Sun). It would consist mainly of nitrogen, ethane, and methane.

9. What is Makemake's assumed escape velocity?

Answer: About 0.75 km/s

Being a little under half the size of Pluto, Makemake is quite small, so it doesn't have strong gravity. To compare, Earth's escape velocity is a little over 11 km/s.

10. Unlike other TNOs (Trans-Neptunian Objects), Makemake has a nearly circular orbit.

Answer: False

Like all the other objects around it, Makemake has a highly eccentric orbit. This means its orbit is in the shape of an elongated ellipse, or oval shape.

Source: Author jonthomas

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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