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Rubin Observatory team identifies possible sixth dwarf planet, ED138

Researchers at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, led by Matthew Holman, have identified a trans-Neptunian object called ED138 that may qualify as a dwarf planet. The object was first flagged by object-tracking software Holman wrote with Kevin Napier, then confirmed in archival data stretching back to 2016 using the Dark Energy Camera and the Asteroid Institute's precovery service. Preliminary estimates put ED138's diameter between 600 and 1,500 kilometers, within the range needed for gravity to pull it into a round shape.