A Southwest Research Institute-led team has discovered an elusive, dark moon orbiting Makemake, one of the “big four” dwarf planets populating the Kuiper Belt region at the edge of our solar system.

"It shows that Makemake is not an inactive remnant of the outer solar system, but a dynamic body where methane ice is still evolving." Scientists have detected methane gas on the dwarf planet Makemake ...

For the first time since 2008, two new planets are being added to one of northern Maine's most famous — and scientifically accurate — roadside attractions. Dwarf planets Haumea and Makemake are the ...

Many bodies in the Solar System have rings—gas giants, dwarf planets, even an asteroid. These examples have allowed us to get a good picture of their physics, leading to models for how rings form and ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Beyond the familiar planets lies a fascinating frontier filled with icy worlds, mysterious orbits ...

Small celestial bodies, like comets or dwarf planets, can sometimes have bizarre shapes — just look at ‘Oumuamua, the interstellar visitor whose strange, elongated form sparked endless theories as it ...

Beyond the familiar planets lies a fascinating frontier filled with icy worlds, mysterious orbits, and cosmic curiosities. These are the dwarf planets—small but mighty members of our solar system that ...