Astronaut Printables for Students


Makemake, like Pluto, shows a red hue in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The near-infrared spectrum is marked by the existence of the broad methane absorption bands--and methane has also been observed on Pluto. Spectral analysis of Makemake's surface shows that its methane must be present in the form of large grains that are at least one centimeter in size. In addition to methane, there appears to be large quantities of ethane and tholins as well as smaller quantities of ethylene, acetylene, and high-mass alkanes (like propane)--most likely formed as a result of the photolysis of methane by solar radiation. The tholins are thought to be the source of the red color of the visible spectrum. Even though there is some evidence for the existence of nitrogen ice on Makemake's frozen surface, at least combined with other ices, it is probably not close to the same abundance of nitrogen seen on Pluto and on Triton. Triton is a large moon of the planet Neptune that sports a retrograde orbit indicating that it is a captured object. Many astronomers think that Triton is a wandering refugee from the Kuiper Belt that was captured by the gravity of its large, gaseous planet. It is possible that eventually the doomed Triton will plunge into the immense, deep blue world that it has circled for so long as an adopted member of its family. Nitrogen accounts for more than 98 percent of the crust of both Pluto and Triton. The relative lack of nitrogen ice on Makemake hints that its supply of nitrogen has somehow been depleted over the age of our Solar System. People with 'Airy' Moon, (Gemini, Libra or Aquarius) will need to communicate to others their ideas, opinions, ideals, knowledge or beliefs to others in order to feel right about themselves. Finding out, learning and passing on information on will be nourishment for them, as well as a good conversation with like-minded or intellectual people. Curiosity and the need to know could be the thing that forces them out their comfort zone. Negatively they could be too influenced by others options, be indecisive or simply a 'gossip'. Envision that astrology is made up of the study of all of the planets and the sun. The astrological birth chart and the study of how planetary alignments affect sun signs are based on these aspects of astrology. The moon actually influences this overall picture, and can cause certain aspects of astrological phenomena to influence our lives differently than was otherwise predicted.