Rubin Observatory finds large dwarf planet candidate beyond Pluto
Scientists at the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory announced the discovery of a new dwarf planet candidate named 2026 ED138 during a press conference today.
Discovery details and size
Matthew Holman spotted the object while analyzing data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope. Mario Jurić added further observations to confirm its characteristics. Initial measurements show the body is roughly 1,000 kilometers across.
Orbital location and status
The distant icy object orbits the sun beyond Pluto in our solar system. It remains a candidate until the International Astronomical Union officially recognizes it. If confirmed, it would join the existing five known dwarf planets.
Future observation plans
Researchers will continue to image the southern sky repeatedly over the next decade. This ongoing survey aims to find other worlds that previous surveys missed. The team expects to identify additional objects hiding in those regions.
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