Rubin Observatory Reveals First Dwarf Planet Candidate
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have identified a potential new dwarf planet, provisionally named 2026 ED138, located beyond Neptune. The object is estimated to be about 1,000 kilometers in diameter, making it a rare and significant discovery for solar system research.
Why it matters
This discovery provides new insights into the composition of the outer solar system and demonstrates the high-resolution capabilities of the new Rubin Observatory.
Scientists may add a new dwarf planet to the official roster of our solar system.
The distant, icy body, provisionally dubbed 2026 ED138, orbits our system beyond Pluto. It was spotted earlier this month by a scientist combing through data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory . Initial measurements place ED138 among the largest dwarf planet candidates ever discovered beyond Neptune; if confirmed, it would join the five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union : Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake.
The results were presented at a press conference today by Matthew Holman , a senior astrophysicist at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and by Mario Jurić , a University of Washington professor of astronomy and leader of Rubin's solar system team. Holman first spotted the candidate and Jurić contributed additional observations.
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