Retired CAG officers ready for debate on 2G spectrum report

NEW DELHI: Joining the controversy over the CAG report on 2G spectrum allocation, retired senior officers of the public auditor have expressed their keenness to debate the issue with government functionary on any platform.

"If the Minister and his colleagues having been outdone on television debates and still desire another public debate, we -- retired senior officers -- are willing for any debate on any platform of their choice. After all, their star performer is also a retired Indian Audit & Accounts Service officer," B S Gill, former deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on behalf of senior retired officials, said in a statement.

The statement comes in response to a call by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari who sought an open debate on the 2G spectrum report with Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai.

A new twist to the controversy had been added earlier by retired CAG Director General R P Singh who had distanced himself from the report which had said that government suffered a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore on account of allocation of 2G spectrum without auction.

The CAG, the statement said, is too high and dignified a Constitutional authority to engage in any unseemly public debate.

"It is for good reasons that the founding fathers of our Constitution have compared his (CAG) position to that of a Supreme Court judge. Even when Ministers preferring to ignore Constitutional decorum, make such unreasonable statements, we would never advise the CAG to be a party to such an extraordinary impropriety," Gill said.

Noting that government finding CAG reports uncomfortable was not a new phenomenon, he said, "never has there been such a strident attack in the media against the institution of the CAG. To prop up a retired officer and have him make disparaging remarks against the professional practices of the department is a new low."

Read More..

Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling.

Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group of dwarf planets in 2006. (Related: "Pluto Not a Planet, Astronomers Rule.")

Just like the slightly larger Pluto, this icy world circles our sun beyond Neptune. Researchers expected Makemake to also have a global atmosphere—but new evidence reveals that isn't the case.

Staring at a Star

An international team of astronomers was able for the first time to probe Makemake's physical characteristics using the European Southern Observatory's three most powerful telescopes in Chile. The researchers observed the change in light given off by a distant star as the dwarf planet passed in front of it. (Learn how scientists found Makemake.)

"These events are extremely difficult to predict and observe, but they are the only means of obtaining accurate knowledge of important properties of dwarf planets," said Jose Luis Ortiz, lead author of this new study and an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, in Spain.

It's like trying to study a coin from a distance of 30 miles (48 kilometers) or more, Ortiz added.

Ortiz and his team knew Makemake didn't have an atmosphere when light from the background star abruptly dimmed and brightened as the chilly world drifted across its face.

"The light went off very abruptly from all the sites we observed the event so this means this world cannot have a substantial and global atmosphere like that of its sibling Pluto," Ortiz said.

If Makemake had an atmosphere, light from the star would gradually decrease and increase as the dwarf planet passed in front.

Coming Into Focus

The team's new observations add much more detail to our view of Makemake—not only limiting the possibility of an atmosphere but also determining the planet's size and surface more accurately.

"We think Makemake is a sphere flattened slightly at both poles and mostly covered with very white ices—mainly of methane," said Ortiz.

"But there are also indications for some organic material at least at some places; this material is usually very red and we think in a small percentage of the surface, the terrain is quite dark," he added.

Why Makemake lacks a global atmosphere remains a big mystery, but Ortiz does have a theory. Pluto is covered in nitrogen ice. When the sun heats this volatile material, it turns straight into a gas, creating Pluto's atmosphere.

Makemake lacks nitrogen ice on its surface, so there is nothing for the sun to heat into a gas to provide an atmosphere.

The dwarf planet has less mass, and a weaker gravitational field, than Pluto, said Ortiz. This means that over eons of time, Makemake may not have been able to hang on to its nitrogen.

Methane ice will also transform into a gas when heated. But since the dwarf planet is nearly at its furthest distance from the sun, Ortiz believes that Makemake's surface methane is still frozen. (Learn about orbital planes.)

And even if the methane were to transform into a gas, any resulting atmosphere would cover, at most, only ten percent of the planet, said Ortiz.

The new results are detailed today in the journal Nature.

Read More..

New Congress: Fewer Moderates Make Deals Harder

When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and 11 fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010 who sought a second term.

Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of pragmatic, centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist Blue Dog Democrats and several moderate House Republicans.

That could leave the parties more polarized even as President Barack Obama and congressional leaders talk up the cooperation needed to tackle complex, vexing problems such as curbing deficits, revamping tax laws and culling savings from Medicare and other costly, popular programs.

"This movement away from the center, at a time when issues have to be resolved from the middle, makes it much more difficult to find solutions to major problems," said William Hoagland, senior vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a private group advocating compromise.

In the Senate, moderate Scott Brown, R-Mass., lost to Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who will be one of the most liberal members. Another GOP moderate, Richard Lugar of Indiana, fell in the primary election. Two others, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Olympia Snowe of Maine, are retiring.

Moderate Democratic senators such as Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, James Webb of Virginia are leaving, as is Democratic-leaning independent Joe Lieberman.

While about half the incoming 12 Senate freshmen of both parties are moderates, new arrivals include tea party Republican Ted Cruz of Texas, conservative Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and liberals such as Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Hawaii's Mazie Hirono.

There's a similar pattern in the House, where 10 of the 24 Democratic Blue Dogs lost, are retiring or, in the case of Rep. Joe Donnelly, R-Ind., are moving to the Senate. That will further slash a centrist group that just a few years ago had more than 50 members, though some new freshmen might join.

Among Republicans, moderates like Reps. Judy Biggert of Illinois and New Hampshire's Charles Bass were defeated while others such as Reps. Jerry Lewis of California and Steven LaTourette of Ohio decided to retire.

"Congress seems to be going in the opposite direction of the country, just as the country is screaming for solutions to gridlock," said Democratic strategist Phil Singer.

Whether the changes are good is often in the eye of the beholder.

Seventy-one of the 83 House GOP freshmen of 2010 were re-elected Nov. 6, but 11 lost, including one of the group's highest profile members, conservative Rep. Allen West, R-Fla. Another faces a runoff in December.

"Some of the people who are the anti-government ideologues, some of them are gone," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "And that message has been rejected by the American people."

Sal Russo, strategist for the Tea Party Express, said such departures would be balanced by newly elected conservatives, including the Senate's Cruz and GOP Reps.-elect Ted Yoho of Florida and Mark Meadows of North Carolina.

"Pretty much everybody that ran in 2012 was talking about the economic woes we face, stopping excessive spending, controlling unsustainable debt," he said.

Read More..

Football: Mignolet howler helps WBA up to third

SUNDERLAND, United Kingdom: West Bromwich Albion took advantage of a howler from Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to move up to third place in the Premier League with a 4-2 win at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Steve Clarke's side were leading through Zoltan Gera's blistering first half strike when Mignolet allowed the ball to slip from his grasp and Shane Long tapped in to cement Albion's lead.

Craig Gardner got one back for Sunderland in the second half before a penalty from Albion forward Romelu Lukaku.

Stephane Sessegnon struck late for the hosts, but Marc-Antoine Fortune sealed the Baggies' fourth successive win in stoppage time.

West Brom's victory lifted the season's surprise package above Chelsea and within two points of leaders Manchester City, while Sunderland lie only three points above the relegation zone.

Black Cats defender John O'Shea, who had already been booked, was involved in an early flashpoint when he challenged Long just outside the Sunderland penalty area.

Initially it seemed Mike Dean was about to show the former Manchester United star a second yellow card, but instead the referee booked Long for diving.

Albion snatched the lead against the run of play in the 30th minute when Gera pounced on Adam Johnson's poor control 25 yards from goal and unleashed a superb shot that had too much power and movement for Mignolet to keep out.

Martin O'Neill's side suffered a blow when midfielder Lee Cattermole was forced off with an injury. And it got worse for Sunderland when Mignolet's blunder gifted Albion their second goal in the 44th minute.

Chris Brunt's over-hit through pass should have been easy for Mignolet to collect, but the Belgian somehow let the ball escape and Long was on hand to pounce as the Irish striker slotted into the empty net.

Mignolet was more secure when Brunt slipped Long clear in the second half, this time the 'keeper was off his line to block the striker's shot.

Gardner reduced the deficit in the 73rd minute when his free-kick took a deflection off Fortune in the defensive wall and looped into the net.

But Johnson's rash lunge on Liam Ridgewell in the 81st minute conceded a penalty that on-loan Chelsea forward Lukaku calmly converted.

Sessegnon then fired home from close-range after Steven Fletcher's header was saved in the 87th minute, but Albion substitute Fortune netted on the counter-attack with virtually the last kick of the match.

- AFP/fa

Read More..

Shatrughan joins Jethmalani and Yashwant, calls for Gadkari's exit

PATNA: In mounting dissidence, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday joined Ram Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha in demanding the resignation of party President Nitin Gadkari facing allegations of corruption.

"The issue raised by them (Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha) should be looked at seriously," Shatrughan Sinha, BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib, told reporters here in replying to a question whether he agreed with the other two BJP leaders' demand for Gadkari's resignation.

The actor-turned-BJP leader said "he (Gadkari) is a friend but a person occupying a responsible post should not only be honest but should also be seen as honest."

Jethmalani, while demanding Gadkari's resignation, had claimed some other BJP leaders were with him on the demand for Gadkari's exit as party chief.

The campaign for the resignation of beleagured Gadkari had recently got fresh ammunition with Yashwant Sinha demanding that he step down immediately. Earlier, Jethmalani and his son Mahesh had made the demand in the wake of reports of alleged dubious financing of Purti Sugar and Power Group, which was promoted by Gadkari.

Praising Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani, Shatrughan Sinha said they are capable persons and have all the qualification to become Prime Minister of the country. "But among the present leaders in BJP, LK Advani is the best candidate for the PM's post."

Shatrughan Sinha endorsed Jethmalani's views on the appointment of Ranjit Sinha, a Bihar cadre IPS officer, as CBI director.

"An important organisation like CBI cannot be kept headless ... The appointment of its new director has been done in a fair manner," he told PTI.

Ranjit Sinha is the senior most IPS officer and a "competent" officer to occupy the responsible post of CBI Director, he added.

Jethmalani flayed BJP during the day for criticising the appointment of new CBI Director and had said the government's decision has averted a national calamity".

Leaders of the opposition in Parliament Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that the decision on the appointment of Ranjit Sinha be kept in abeyance.

Read More..

Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling.

Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group of dwarf planets in 2006. (Related: "Pluto Not a Planet, Astronomers Rule.")

Just like the slightly larger Pluto, this icy world circles our sun beyond Neptune. Researchers expected Makemake to also have a global atmosphere—but new evidence reveals that isn't the case.

Staring at a Star

An international team of astronomers was able for the first time to probe Makemake's physical characteristics using the European Southern Observatory's three most powerful telescopes in Chile. The researchers observed the change in light given off by a distant star as the dwarf planet passed in front of it. (Learn how scientists found Makemake.)

"These events are extremely difficult to predict and observe, but they are the only means of obtaining accurate knowledge of important properties of dwarf planets," said Jose Luis Ortiz, lead author of this new study and an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, in Spain.

It's like trying to study a coin from a distance of 30 miles (48 kilometers) or more, Ortiz added.

Ortiz and his team knew Makemake didn't have an atmosphere when light from the background star abruptly dimmed and brightened as the chilly world drifted across its face.

"The light went off very abruptly from all the sites we observed the event so this means this world cannot have a substantial and global atmosphere like that of its sibling Pluto," Ortiz said.

If Makemake had an atmosphere, light from the star would gradually decrease and increase as the dwarf planet passed in front.

Coming Into Focus

The team's new observations add much more detail to our view of Makemake—not only limiting the possibility of an atmosphere but also determining the planet's size and surface more accurately.

"We think Makemake is a sphere flattened slightly at both poles and mostly covered with very white ices—mainly of methane," said Ortiz.

"But there are also indications for some organic material at least at some places; this material is usually very red and we think in a small percentage of the surface, the terrain is quite dark," he added.

Why Makemake lacks a global atmosphere remains a big mystery, but Ortiz does have a theory. Pluto is covered in nitrogen ice. When the sun heats this volatile material, it turns straight into a gas, creating Pluto's atmosphere.

Makemake lacks nitrogen ice on its surface, so there is nothing for the sun to heat into a gas to provide an atmosphere.

The dwarf planet has less mass, and a weaker gravitational field, than Pluto, said Ortiz. This means that over eons of time, Makemake may not have been able to hang on to its nitrogen.

Methane ice will also transform into a gas when heated. But since the dwarf planet is nearly at its furthest distance from the sun, Ortiz believes that Makemake's surface methane is still frozen. (Learn about orbital planes.)

And even if the methane were to transform into a gas, any resulting atmosphere would cover, at most, only ten percent of the planet, said Ortiz.

The new results are detailed today in the journal Nature.

Read More..

'Dallas' Star Larry Hagman Dead at 81

Larry Hagman, who emerged in the 1960s as the slightly befuddled astronaut in "I Dream of Jeannie," then became a major star in the 1980s primetime soap "Dallas," playing evil oil baron J.R. Ewing, has died. He was 81.

Hagman's cause of death was due to complications related to his battle with cancer according to his family.

Linda Gray, who played Hagman's on-screen wife on "Dallas" was at the actor's bedside when he died.

"He brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the fullest," Gray said in a statement released through her publicist.

Warner Bros."Dallas" executive producers Cynthia Cidre and Michael M. Robin, and the show's cast and crew released the following statement today: "Larry Hagman was a giant, a larger-than-life personality whose iconic performance as J.R. Ewing will endure as one of the most indelible in entertainment history. He truly loved portraying this globally recognized character, and he leaves a legacy of entertainment, generosity and grace. Everyone at Warner Bros. and in the "Dallas" family is deeply saddened by Larry's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and dear friends during this difficult time."

Hagman inherited the acting gene from his mother, Broadway musical legend Mary Martin. He'd had roles in television programs 20 years prior to "Dallas," including "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1965-70.

"Dallas," which debuted in 1978 on CBS and had an astonishing 13-year run, centered on the Ewings, a family of Texas oil barons who had money, cattle, and more scandals and power struggles than the Kardashians.

AP Photo/Dr. Scott M. Lieberman

The original strategy behind "Dallas" was to focus on the newly-married Bobby and Pam Ewing. But Hagman made his role more than the producers had intended, and he quickly became the focus of the program.

When TNT revived the program earlier this year, he was the undisputed power villain.

"All of us at TNT are deeply saddened at the news of Larry Hagman's passing. He was a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor," TNT officials said in a statement. "We will be forever thankful that a whole new generation of people got to know and appreciate Larry through his performance as J.R. Ewing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.

VIEW: "Dallas" Then and Now

But though he may be best known as a villain, Hagman used his fame to try to give back.

In addition to actively supporting charities like the National Kidney Foundation and, in what might seem an irony, efforts to develop solar power, Hagman just last month announced the formation The Larry Hagman Foundation, to fund education programs promoting the fine arts and creative learning opportunities for economically disadvantaged children in Dallas.

Hagman began his acting career in the late 1950s, but it wasn't until "I Dream of Jeannie" premiered in 1965 that he found himself a star. He played Anthony Nelson, an astronaut who during a mission finds an unusual bottle, and when he opens it, out pops a genie named Jeannie -- Barbara Eden.

Through the series' five-year run, Jeannie found new ways to make Hagman's life difficult, as she tried to serve her "master."

Though Hagman continued to work regularly after "I Dream of Jeannie" ended in 1970, it wasn't until "Dallas" hit the air in 1978, that he again struck a chord with audiences.

The show was originally only supposed to be a five-episode miniseries, but the show caught on so quickly, that it was extended and eventually became a series that would become the highest rated TV show of all time.

Unlike many TV stars, who find themselves playing variations on the same character over and over, the Hagman viewers saw in J.R. Ewing was worlds away from Major Nelson.

While the astronaut was always at wits end, trying to keep Jeannie a secret and trying to prove to the base psychiatrist that he was sane, Ewing was a man who seemed completely in control of his world, wheeling and dealing, backstabbing and cheating on his wife.

Read More..

Doctors "ethically bound" not to charge unfair fees: SMC

SINGAPORE: Doctors here are ethically bound not to charge unfair and unreasonable fees for their services, said the Singapore Medical Council's (SMC) lawyers in a 190-page statement.

The statement was a response to prominent surgeon Susan Lim's appeal against her three-year suspension and S$10,000 fine for professional misconduct.

The council had found Dr Lim guilty of 94 charges, the bulk of which involved overcharging the late sister of Brunei's Queen, whose bills amounted to S$24.8 million for care rendered in 2007.

In her appeal, Dr Lim, 57, argued, among several other things, that Singapore does not have any guidelines or a cap on what a doctor can charge a patient.

According to documents submitted to the court, SMC's lawyers from WongPartnership pointed out that "there is an intrinsic ethical limit prohibiting doctors from charging unfair and unreasonable fees".

"Excessive charging undermines the foundation of any profession based on honour, trust and integrity", they said.

Drawing reference from the legal fraternity, SMC's lawyers argued that the principles of honour and integrity apply to the medical profession with or without written rules in their ethical guidelines.

Pointing out that Dr Lim's fees are in "an extraordinary class of exorbitance on its own", they also said that the assessment of a practitioner's fee is determined objectively by her peers.

While Dr Lim has insisted that the fees were agreed between her and her patient, the SMC's disciplinary committee ruled otherwise.

Even if there was a fee agreement, "that does not mean that it is ethical … for a doctor to charge excessive fees", the lawyers said.

"As a concomitant, whilst a fee agreement can be valid under general contract law, that does not mean that the agreement is ethical under the rules of professional conduct," they added.

In the legal profession, for example, the courts have also previously ruled that solicitors might be found guilty of overcharging despite having a fee agreement, the lawyers noted.

They reiterated that the case is not one of inadvertence or negligence - Dr Lim knew what she was doing was wrong.

Not showing remorse, she continued to assert that there was nothing wrong with her conduct, the lawyers said.

They reiterated that "it is not the SMC's intention to make a public example of Dr Lim".

The SMC is charged with the statutory duty to regulate the conduct and ethics of registered medical practitioners, and to uphold the standards and reputation of the medical profession, the lawyers said.

"And it is a matter of fundamental importance… that practitioners refrain from levying grossly excessive, unfair and unreasonable fees that bring the entire profession into disrepute," said the lawyers.

It is "equally important that medical practitioners maintain the highest standards of integrity in their billing practices", they said.

"That, however, is precisely what Dr Lim has not done."

The court is scheduled to hear Dr Lim's appeal in January 2013.

- TODAY/jc

Read More..

Map row: India calls China's action 'unacceptable', hits back

NEW DELHI/BEIJING: India on Friday termed as "unacceptable" China depicting Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as its territory in maps of the country on their new e-passports, a step that led to retaliatory action by New Delhi.

China sprung the surprise on India when it showed these territories as part of its own in the maps on their new e-passports.

The Indian embassy in Beijing responded by issuing visas to Chinese nationals with a map of India including Arunachal and Aksai Chin as part of its territory.

In India's first official reaction, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said, "We are not prepared to accept it."

"We, therefore, ensure that our flags of disagreement are put out immediately when something happens. We can do it in an agreeable way or you can do it in a disagreeable way," he told NDTV.

China, on its part, sort of fudged the issue with its foreign ministry spokesperson saying that the matter should be dealt with in a "level headed and rational manner" to avoid "unnecessary disruptions" to people to people exchanges.

"Hope the countries regard it in a cool-headed manner. China would like to maintain communication with other counties to ensure convenience of travel for both Chinese and foreigners", she said in Beijing.

After the Chinese government started issuing new e-passports, carrying pages with watermark Chinese maps including Arunachal and Aksai Chin as its parts, India hit back by issuing visas to Chinese nationals with a map of India including these places as part of its territory.

Earlier also, China had triggered a diplomatic row by issuing stapled visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir, terming it as a "disputed territory" and denied visas to those hailing from Arunachal Pradesh.

Peeved over this action, India lodged a strong protest with China which subsequently reverted to issuing normal visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir but without officially admitting that they were doing so.

China's claim to Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a 1,030km unfenced border with it, is not new.

In 1962, China and India fought a brief war over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, but in 1993 and 1996 the two countries signed agreements to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to maintain peace and tranquility.

Significantly, these developments occur even as a high- level team of Chinese diplomats, for the first time, visited Sikkim in connection with consular issues, which was seen as reconfirmation of Beijing's stance of accepting the state as part of India.

The development comes even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Cambodia where the two leaders discussed ways to move forward on the vexed boundary issue.

National security adviser Shivshankar Menon is expected to visit Beijing soon for the next round of boundary talks at the level of special representatives with his Chinese counterpart Dai Bingguo.

Read More..

Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling.

Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group of dwarf planets in 2006. (Related: "Pluto Not a Planet, Astronomers Rule.")

Just like the slightly larger Pluto, this icy world circles our sun beyond Neptune. Researchers expected Makemake to also have a global atmosphere—but new evidence reveals that isn't the case.

Staring at a Star

An international team of astronomers was able for the first time to probe Makemake's physical characteristics using the European Southern Observatory's three most powerful telescopes in Chile. The researchers observed the change in light given off by a distant star as the dwarf planet passed in front of it. (Learn how scientists found Makemake.)

"These events are extremely difficult to predict and observe, but they are the only means of obtaining accurate knowledge of important properties of dwarf planets," said Jose Luis Ortiz, lead author of this new study and an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, in Spain.

It's like trying to study a coin from a distance of 30 miles (48 kilometers) or more, Ortiz added.

Ortiz and his team knew Makemake didn't have an atmosphere when light from the background star abruptly dimmed and brightened as the chilly world drifted across its face.

"The light went off very abruptly from all the sites we observed the event so this means this world cannot have a substantial and global atmosphere like that of its sibling Pluto," Ortiz said.

If Makemake had an atmosphere, light from the star would gradually decrease and increase as the dwarf planet passed in front.

Coming Into Focus

The team's new observations add much more detail to our view of Makemake—not only limiting the possibility of an atmosphere but also determining the planet's size and surface more accurately.

"We think Makemake is a sphere flattened slightly at both poles and mostly covered with very white ices—mainly of methane," said Ortiz.

"But there are also indications for some organic material at least at some places; this material is usually very red and we think in a small percentage of the surface, the terrain is quite dark," he added.

Why Makemake lacks a global atmosphere remains a big mystery, but Ortiz does have a theory. Pluto is covered in nitrogen ice. When the sun heats this volatile material, it turns straight into a gas, creating Pluto's atmosphere.

Makemake lacks nitrogen ice on its surface, so there is nothing for the sun to heat into a gas to provide an atmosphere.

The dwarf planet has less mass, and a weaker gravitational field, than Pluto, said Ortiz. This means that over eons of time, Makemake may not have been able to hang on to its nitrogen.

Methane ice will also transform into a gas when heated. But since the dwarf planet is nearly at its furthest distance from the sun, Ortiz believes that Makemake's surface methane is still frozen. (Learn about orbital planes.)

And even if the methane were to transform into a gas, any resulting atmosphere would cover, at most, only ten percent of the planet, said Ortiz.

The new results are detailed today in the journal Nature.

Read More..