No, Charon is not bigger than Makemake. Makemake is considerably larger than Charon.
Both Charon and Makemake are fascinating objects residing in the distant Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune. While Charon is known primarily as the largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto, Makemake holds the distinction of being a dwarf planet itself.
Understanding Their Relative Sizes
When ranking the largest known Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), Makemake consistently appears ahead of Charon in terms of size. Among the significant bodies in this distant region, Charon is recognized as one of the larger objects, but it is surpassed by several others, including Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake. This established hierarchy clearly places Makemake as the larger of the two.
To put their sizes into perspective, here's a comparison of their approximate diameters:
- Makemake: Approximately 1,420 kilometers (882 miles) in diameter.
- Charon: Approximately 1,212 kilometers (753 miles) in diameter.
This difference in diameter makes Makemake roughly 17% larger than Charon.
Key Characteristics Comparison
Here’s a comparative look at some of the fundamental characteristics of Makemake and Charon:
| Feature | Makemake | Charon |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Dwarf Planet, Trans-Neptunian Object | Moon of Pluto, Trans-Neptunian Object |
| Approx. Diameter | 1,420 km (882 miles) | 1,212 km (753 miles) |
| Primary Orbit | Sun | Pluto |
| Discovery Year | 2005 | 1978 |
| Significance | One of the largest dwarf planets after Pluto and Eris | Largest moon of Pluto, forms a binary system with Pluto |
What are Makemake and Charon?
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Makemake is the third-largest known dwarf planet in our solar system, after Pluto and Eris. It is a classical Kuiper Belt object, meaning its orbit lies far from Neptune's gravitational influence. Named after the Rapa Nui creator god, Makemake is thought to be covered in frozen methane and ethane, giving it a reddish-brown hue. Its surface temperature is extremely low, estimated to be around -243 °C (-405 °F). You can learn more about this distant world at Makemake - Wikipedia.
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Charon is the largest of Pluto's five known moons. It is so large relative to Pluto (about half Pluto's diameter) that the two are often considered a binary system, orbiting a common barycenter located outside Pluto's surface. Charon's surface is primarily water ice, unlike Pluto's nitrogen and methane ices. It features a distinctive reddish polar cap, likely formed from gases escaping Pluto's atmosphere and interacting with ultraviolet radiation. Discover more about Charon at Charon (moon) - Wikipedia.
Why is Size Important in the Outer Solar System?
The size of these distant objects is crucial for their classification and understanding their geological history. Objects large enough to be spherical due to their own gravity are often classified as dwarf planets, provided they orbit the Sun and have not cleared their orbital path. The significant size of both Makemake and Charon points to their potential for internal geological activity in their past, and their study offers insights into the formation and evolution of the outer solar system.
