Science & Tech · Space · 2 hrs ago
Distant icy object could become the solar system’s sixth dwarf planet
Astronomers found a large icy object beyond Pluto in data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Provisionally named 2026 ED138, it is about 46 times farther from the Sun than Earth is.
Early estimates put its diameter between 600 and 1,500 kilometers, but its exact size is not yet known.
If it meets the requirements, it would be the sixth officially recognized dwarf planet, joining Pluto and four other recognized worlds.
The object was hard to spot because it appeared against a crowded field of stars near the Milky Way.
Its size and orbit could help scientists understand how the solar system formed and changed over time.
More observations are needed to confirm its size and status.
Astronomers have identified 2026 ED138, a large icy object beyond Pluto that could become the solar system’s sixth officially recognized dwarf planet.
Early estimates put its diameter between 600 and 1,500 kilometers, but more observations are needed to confirm its size and whether it qualifies.
The object was found in data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
It is about 46 astronomical units from the Sun and belongs to a group of objects that orbit beyond Neptune.
- Who
- Astronomers Matthew Holman and Mario Jurić identified and studied the candidate.
- What
- 2026 ED138 is a large icy object that could qualify as a dwarf planet.
- When
- It was identified in 2026 observations; the results were presented on October 27, 2026.
- Where
- Beyond Neptune, about 46 astronomical units from the Sun.
- Why
- Its estimated size suggests it may be large enough for gravity to make it round, a requirement for dwarf planet status.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Matthew Holman processed earlier Rubin observations and found ED138 in the search results.
Holman and Mario Jurić presented the results at a press conference.
- Estimated diameter
- 600 to 1,500 kilometers
- Distance from Sun
- About 46 astronomical units
- Discovery telescope
- Simonyi Survey Telescope at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
- Recognized dwarf planets
- Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake
What people are saying
Finding an object this big, roughly 1,000 kilometers across, is something that happens maybe once in a generation
My first reaction was one of excited disbelief