~175 km
ESTIMATED DIAMETER
~12 DAYS
ORBITAL PERIOD
~21,000 km
DISTANCE FROM MAKEMAKE
2016
ANNOUNCED DISCOVERY
S/2015 (136472) 1
OFFICIAL DESIGNATION
1
KNOWN MOON OF MAKEMAKE
THE DARK COMPANION
MK2 is the small natural satellite of
the dwarf planet Makemake.
It was discovered in observations made
with the Hubble Space Telescope and
announced in 2016.
The moon is officially designated
S/2015 (136472) 1 and is commonly
referred to as MK2.
MK2 is much darker than Makemake.
Its dark surface makes it difficult to
observe directly from Earth, which is
one reason its discovery took so long.
The moon's orbit around Makemake
helps scientists study the mass and
density of the dwarf planet.
MK2 FEATURES
HUBBLE DISCOVERY
MK2 was identified using images from
the Hubble Space Telescope in the
outer Solar System.
VERY DARK
MK2 reflects very little sunlight,
making it significantly harder to
detect than Makemake itself.
MAKEMAKE'S MOON
MK2 is currently the only known
natural satellite of the dwarf planet
Makemake.
DID YOU KNOW?
MK2 is so dark that scientists had
difficulty detecting it next to the
much brighter Makemake.
ORBONIX · MAKEMAKE SYSTEM
S/2015 (136472) 1 · MK2
S/2015 (136472) 1 · MK2