The methane gas may constitute a rarefied atmosphere, or it may come from erupting plumes on Makemake’s surface.

New observations suggest that the dwarf planet Makemake is surrounded by faintly glowing methane gas. Scientists are unsure if the gas is contained within a wispy atmosphere or being ejected into ...

Astronomers studying the outer solar system have reported a new finding about Makemake, one of the dwarf planets beyond Neptune. According to recent research, the icy body shows evidence of methane ...

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have detected gas on the distant dwarf planet, Makemake. - NASA / ESA / Southwest Research Institute / A. Parker illustration Scientists have detected ...

More than 50 times further from the Sun than Earth, the tiny dwarf planet Makemake is one of the last places you'd expect to find an intact gaseous atmosphere. Not only is it incredibly cold, being ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An illustration of confirmed dwarf planets and their moons. From left to right: Pluto (with ...

Scientists may have discovered a dwarf planet far beyond Neptune — an unearthing that may disprove a longstanding theory about the possibility of a giant ninth planet. The dwarf planet's existence ...

Three billion years ago, a sun -like star reached the end of its life, throwing off its outer layers following its red giant ...

Scientists have detected methane gas glowing faintly above Makemake, an icy dwarf planet smaller and farther than Pluto in space. Until now, Pluto was the only object that far out in the solar system ...