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.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-30
Harvard-Smithsonian researcher Matthew Holman spotted a trans-Neptunian object, designated ED138, on October 13 while reviewing 2026 data from the Rubin Observatory. Follow-up analysis of archival images traced the object's path back more than a decade to 2016, though its exact size and shape remain unconfirmed.
wired.com
· 2026-10-29
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have identified a trans-Neptunian object called 2026 ED138, located about 46 times farther from the Sun than Earth and estimated at 600 to 1,500 kilometers wide. Researchers Matthew Holman and Kevin Napier found it using a new search code, then traced additional sightings back to 2016 to map its orbit, which is tilted roughly 25 degrees from the solar system's plane.
science.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-28
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