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A RARE DALLIANCE with a star in a remote part of our Solar System has allowed scientists to glean data on a distant, icy dwarf planet about which we knew very little before, astronomers said Wednesday.
They had expected to find an atmosphere similar to that of Pluto on the planet named Makemake but instead saw “no sign of one at all”, the group wrote in the journal Nature.
They also discovered that Makemake, one of five dwarf planets known to exist on the edge of our Solar System, reflected more light from the Sun than its near neighbour Pluto.
Makemake reflected 77 percent of the Sun’s light compared to Pluto’s 52 percent — akin to the reflective power of dirty snow, the team reported.
Makemake is about two-thirds the size of Pluto and orbits at a distance of about 7.8 billion kilometres from the sun — somewhere between Pluto and Eris, the biggest and most distant of the known dwarf planets.
Previous observations had shown Makemake to be similar to its fellow dwarfs in many ways, leading some to expect that its atmosphere would resemble Pluto’s, said a statement issued by the team led by Jose Luis Ortiz of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia in Spain.
To make its observations, the team had to wait until Makemake passed in front of a distant star, which happened on April 23, 2011, and then trained seven telescopes in Brazil and Chile on the mysterious body.
“As Makemake passed in front of the star and blocked it out, the star disappeared and reappeared very abruptly, rather than fading and brightening gradually,” said Ortiz.
“This means that the little dwarf planet has no significant atmosphere.”
Makemake’s lack of moons and its great distance from us make it difficult to study.
But with their new observations, the team was able to glean new data about the planet’s size and density.
The concluded it is a sphere slightly flattened at the poles — its polar equatorial axis about 1,430 kilometres.
“Makemake was the poorest-known dwarf planet and thanks to our study we have revealed several important properties of this body,” Ortiz told AFP.
The opportunity was a rare one, as Makemake moves in an area of the sky with relatively few stars, said the statement.
The planet was initially nicknamed Easterbunny, having been discovered a few days after Easter in March 2005.
It was officially christened in July 2008 — named for the creator of humanity and god of fertility in the myths of Eastern Island.
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This is how those who think they are unaccountable feel about those who would try and hold them to account.
@Dave Doyle: No, this is how those trying to do their best with limited resources feel when hounded by a bunch of short-term, ignorant politicians scrambling to score quick political points at the expense of those who actually do the work that the politicians take credit for.
@Dr Richard DeWitt:
What planet are you Richard?
Have you forgotten the Tunnel , Luas, Broadband , case after case of mind numbing incompetence from our cosseted and grossly overpaid Civil Service bosses.
@Barry Foster: I am not a planet Barry, but thanks for asking.
Besides all that, the Sec Gen probably earns around 180k. That’s a take home of less than 9k per month. While it may seem like a lot of money to many, this guy has responsibility beyond the imagination of most people. And, let’s not forget, the vast, vast majority of his staff are earning nothing like that – typical 40-70k salaries I would imagine.
@Dr Richard DeWitt: The purpose of the Public Accounts Committee is to scrutinize how etc public money is spent from Accounting Officers of Government Departments and Government funded agencies taking into account C&AG Report’s(who attends all meetings)& in my opinion they are an excellent hardworking Committee.
Governments form policies which are then carried out by Departments.
PAC has done tremendous work re many issues eg Garda College Scandal, Cervical Check,etc.It is their duty to ask questions and scrutinize public spending,value for money,etc.
@Dr Richard DeWitt:
Sorry Richard but you really do seem to be at a considerable distance from reality. You mention the Sec.Gen (180K) as having a very responsible job but he is not accountable in the true sense of the word and in keeping with large swathes of the Public Sector will never be fired or even sanctioned . The Sec Gen. would need to actually physically assault somebody before he might lose his job.
Senior Civil servants who denigrate PAC verbally or simply do not appear before them when requested to do so illustrate in no uncertain terms the problems which are rife at the higher levels of our Public Sector.
Some if the committee’s are a mob… politicians showboating their feigned outrage at the public service … nobody ever gets fired … demoted or any other sanctions … down with this sort if stuff.
@John Kelly: What I heard on radio the other day is that many of the committee members come and go during a session. They come, ask their question AKA showboating, then leave. Disgraceful carry on, they get paid extra to sit on these committees which in itself is wrong.
@John Kelly: I think you need folks who have a bit of a thick skin to ask the hard questions. Without these type of folks, the powers to be would have to answer to no one. I think we need people that ask the hard questions
@James Wallace:
Agreed. Most of this committee is comprised of poorly educated self promoting individuals who constantly engage in poorly researched showboating rants. The Supreme Court agreed with this assessment in their judgment last week in relation to the case concerning the lady from Rehab.
@Dan: We do … but this format isn’t working .. it’s turned into a showboating exercise .. especially the shinners and in fairness they are good at asking awkward questions and expressing outrage but they get nowhere unfortunately..
@Colonel Grant: 100% agree. Dail Committee’s have been brought into dispute by the actions of the PAC. There needs to be a total overhaul of how committees work, they are too important to be used for showboating and grandstanding. The first thing that needs to be done is that Oireachtas members on committees should stand aside from their political parties for the duration of their time on a committee. Their service is to the state not their political party especially given they are paid to sit on committees.
@Colonel Grant: the lady from rehab was destroyed in a non legally binding witchhunt… nothing was proven … deserves every penny she gets… not standing up for rehab btw… just the rights of the individual in our democracy…
@James Wallace: I cannot understand why a TD should get payed extra to be part of a committee.
@CrabaRev: getting paid extra for doing the job they’re already paid to do.
@James Wallace: They come and go if there are votes in the Dail!
I think the light bulb in Watt’s head is set on dim but he need not worry, he’ll meet no resistance.
He’s be right I’d say. A talking shop with tones of pseudo disgust and anger .
@Eugene Walsh: it’s not about him being right, it’s the attitude of these guys in these positions.
They don’t give one toss, they get well paid to spend other people’s money, and if it goes pear shaped .. so what?. They figure the common people are just muppets, and know well they can tie these clown committees in knots.
These civil servants are insulting the public by refusing to be held to account. Imagine the boss saying he wants to see you in his office and you refused,you would be sacked,legislation must be brought forward to hold these people to account.
@@mdmak33: The guy on the committee is not his boss. The minister of his dept is his boss
@Ronan Fahy: Accounting Officers of Government Departments are obligated to attend PAC & to answer questions!
The PAC is comprised of self serving crawthumpers seeking media exposure by sound bytes of self righteous indignation. At times the committee adopt the mob mentality to achieve this exposure.
Based on the appalling treatment the PAC meted out to Rehab’s Angela Kearns, Mr Watson’s alleged description of the PAC as “a mob” is entirely accurate and well justified.
Its probably more like a mob alright when its made up of incompetent politicians.
Imagine when you’ve got suitable qualifications, rose up the civil service rankings, got every job and promotion through rigourous job interviews, and at the end of it all, your boss is a grossly incompetent career politician with little more than a few years of local county council work experience. You’d be pulling your hair out with them, if you had any left.
Thats pretty much the whole of the FF and FG parties, which makes them grossly unfit for national gov.
Some of the TDs involved in the various committees cannot help themselves. On one hand most are woefully inexperienced and unqualified in the matters they are examining and feel they have “carte blanche” to disregard their witnesses rights in their quest for the “truth.” If this approach results in juicy broadcastable soundbites which gain them cheap populist publicity then they consider it a perk. Judical committees are a safer type of procedure.
It just shows these people have never been held accountable for any of there actions and when somebody questions them they literally shite a brick and throw the rattler out of cradle.
This guy(Watt) needs to be moved to a less onerous position which requires no common sense or diplomacy
@Niall Nordell: yeah like out the door altogether
These comments demonstrate the attitude within the Public Sector hierarchy to being called to account for gross incompetence. No heads will roll ,and in a very short time we will again be presented with more instances of gross cost overruns, whether it’s a Tunnel, a Luas Line, Broadband contract or a Hospital we should be getting used to it by now .
It’s so typically Irish unelected State employees think they are unaccountable to us the Irish people.
It’s simple answer the questions and account for the expenditure and don’t feel it’s your duty to protect those who are inept including line ministers.
Christina in the article you write that he intended to offend but it must be Not intended.
PAC meetings can be found on Oireachtas Debates as transcripts and their numerous Reports there also.From reading comments not many have accessed these transcripts or Reports which is a pity as I feel PAC unfairly critisized!
Marc macsharry, was his Dad a friend of Charlie ? And European Commissioner ?
Give him and his colleague their P45s
We all know that Robbie Watt is a quality public servant from his personal performance over the years, but he & all public servants need to respect & acknowledge, that the elected Dail & Government depend on them for the effective administration of the state.
These Dail committees presently have a pile of administrative failings to examine, despite huge expenditures on consultancies before, during, & after capital projects, & whilst some elected TDs can overstep from frustration or showboating, it is a very necessary process.
We want to see our taxes used properly, you are all accountable, so leave your annoyance at some TDs back in the office, please.
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