In the frozen reaches beyond Neptune, where sunlight is a distant glimmer and planetary motion slows to a centuries-long crawl, a quiet revelation has stirred the astronomy world. Makemake—one of the solar system’s most remote dwarf planets—has been caught exhaling.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists have detected a faint methane atmosphere hovering above Makemake’s icy surface. This discovery makes Makemake only the second trans-Neptunian object, after Pluto, known to possess a detectable atmosphere. And while it’s thinner than anything we experience on Earth—roughly 100 billion times less dense—it’s a game-changer for how we understand the outer solar system.

A Breath in the Void

Makemake orbits the Sun at a staggering 53 astronomical units (AU)—that’s 53 times farther than Earth, or about 4.9 billion miles. It takes 306 Earth years to complete a single orbit. Until now, it was considered a frozen relic: a bright, methane-coated sphere reflecting 80% of sunlight, but geologically inert.

The JWST’s infrared sensors changed that. By detecting solar-excited fluorescence—methane molecules absorbing sunlight and re-emitting it—astronomers confirmed the presence of gas above the surface. The methane isn’t just frozen in place; it’s active, dynamic, and possibly escaping.

Atmosphere or Eruption?

The nature of Makemake’s methane remains under debate. Scientists propose two possibilities:

 🌌 A tenuous, bound atmosphere in equilibrium with surface ice, similar to Pluto’s.

 🌌 Localized outgassing or cryovolcanic plumes, akin to geysers seen on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

Either scenario suggests Makemake is more than a static ball of ice—it may be geologically alive.

Extreme Conditions

Makemake’s surface pressure is estimated at just 10 picobars. For comparison, Earth’s atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 1,000,000,000 picobars. Even Pluto’s atmosphere is a million times thicker. Yet this whisper of methane is enough to reshape planetary models.

The dwarf planet spans roughly 890 miles across—about two-thirds the size of Pluto—and its surface is dominated by frozen methane and ethane. The presence of gas implies sublimation, seasonal change, or even internal heat.

What Comes Next

Further JWST observations will probe whether Makemake’s methane is stable or episodic. Scientists are also watching Eris, another distant dwarf planet, for similar signs.

This discovery adds Makemake to a growing list of icy bodies that defy expectations. It’s a reminder that even in the coldest corners of our solar system, change is possible—and the cosmos still holds secrets waiting to be revealed.