[yarddog]

Interesting but why go away from the tradition of naming them after characters in Greek or Roman mythology? I have no idea where Makemake comes from but would bet long odds that it has something to do with political correctness.

[MediaMole]

Makemake is a polynesian god.

I’m waiting for the first person to try naming a dwarf planet “allah.” That should be fun to watch.

[LibWhacker]

Yup... From the discovering astronomer's page:

Makemake is the creator of humanity and the god of fertility in the mythology of the South Pacific island of Rapa Nui. He was the chief god of the Tangata manu bird-man cult and was worshipped in the form of sea birds, which were his incarnation. His material symbol, a man with a bird's head, can be found carved in petroglyphs on the island.

Makemake, being of Polynesian descent, is pronounced Hawaiian-style (or at least what I think of as Hawaiian style), as “Maki-maki.”

[Tanniker Smith]

Planets have Roman names. But I guess that they can get around this by claiming it's not a planet.

Then again, the moons all have strange rules. If I remember correctly, the moons of Jupiter have to end with a specific letter. It's something like the moons ending with "a" orbit one way and the ones ending in "o" orbit the other way.

so is it Make - Make or is it Mah Key Mah Key ??