Rubin Observatory finds 2026 ED138, possible 1,500km dwarf planet
A possible new dwarf planet, 2026 ED138, has just been spotted in the outer Solar System.
Found using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, this massive world could be up to 1,500km wide, making it among the largest dwarf planet candidates discovered beyond Neptune so far.
The news was shared by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center on October 27.
Matthew Holman tracked 2026 ED138
Matthew Holman from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics discovered 2026 ED138 with help from a custom software tool he built with Kevin Napier.
They tracked it across dozens of observations this year and even found its trail in images going back to 2016.
Right now, it sits about 46 times farther from the Sun than Earth is and might qualify as a dwarf planet if future studies confirm its round shape, so stay tuned for updates!