Scientists spot new dwarf planet candidate beyond Pluto

WASHINGTON Scientists using a telescope in Chile have identified an icy object orbiting beyond Pluto that may join the solar system’s small roster of dwarf planets. Researchers said the candidate, named 2026 ED138, has an estimated diameter of roughly 370 to 930 miles (600 to 1,500 km). It orbits about 46 times farther from the sun than Earth. By comparison, Pluto orbits at an average distance of about 40 times Earth’s distance from the sun. New telescope spots icy object beyond Pluto The object was spotted using the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on the summit of Cerro Pachón mountain in central Chile. The telescope is a joint initiative of the US National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy. Further observations are needed to confirm that the object is a dwarf planet.