GoKawiilVera Rubin Observatory finds candidate dwarf planet 4.3 billion miles out
Astronomers at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile announced detection of an object, provisionally named 2026 ED138, orbiting about 4.3 billion miles from the Sun, roughly 46 times Earth's distance. Early estimates put its diameter between 370 and 930 miles, and its orbit is tilted 25 degrees from the plane most planets follow. If confirmed, it would be the first new dwarf planet classified since the International Astronomical Union set the category's rules in 2006.
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Confirming dwarf planet status requires showing the object has enough gravity to have pulled itself into a round shape, distinguishing it from a large asteroid, so further observation is needed before any official designation. Astronomer Matthew Holman's described surprise suggests such finds are considered rare, and researchers are framing the detection as an early showcase of the Rubin Observatory's sky-scanning capability, which could point to more discoveries of distant solar system bodies ahead.
- Candidate dwarf planet 2026 ED138 sits about 4.3 billion miles from the Sun, 46 times Earth's distance.
- Its estimated diameter of 370–930 miles would make it smaller than Pluto and Eris if confirmed.
- It would be the first new dwarf planet since the IAU's 2006 classification, pending proof it is gravitationally rounded.
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Published there as: “Astronomers Spot Mysterious Object Lurking Beyond Pluto”
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