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Hubble telescope finds new moon

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The Hubble space telescope has found a tiny moon circling the dwarf planet Makemake.

Makemake is only 1300km wide, much smaller than planet Earth, and its newly discovered moon is just 160km across.

The team who found the moon says it was hard to spot because of how bright Makemake is.

The mini planet is part of the Kuiper belt, an area beyond Neptune that also includes Pluto.

Makemake was previously thought not to have a moon, unlike the other dwarf planets near it. Now it’s no longer the odd one out.

For the time being, Nasa has called the new moon MK2. Hopefully it will be given a more memorable name in the future.

21 Responses

  1. That is so cool! I wonder if they will give it a better name, and also a better name because i don’t think MK2 is a very good name for a little moon. That is amazing that they found a new moon though!

  2. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think MK2 is a fine name but i think it should be called the new moon just for a while so we actually know it is a new planet found!
    I think their could still be a better name than MK2.
    In my opinion they should call it mini moon. It sounds cute though!
    doesn’t it?

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