Astronomers discover mysterious object lurking beyond Pluto
Candidate 2026 ED138 is located approximately 46 astronomical units from the Sun and may turn out to be one of the largest dwarf planets.
The candidate was discovered by Matthew Holman, a member of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory team and an employee of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. He used an algorithm to search for moving objects in data collected before the start of the main Legacy Survey of Space and Time program. The Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union reported the finding on October 27, 2026.
The object's size is preliminarily estimated to range from 600 to 1,500 kilometers. Its designation remains provisional: infrared observations and clarification of its mass, shape, and reflectivity will be required to confirm its status as a dwarf planet.
The candidate's orbit is inclined nearly 25 degrees to the plane of the Solar System. Additional data, including archival images, allowed scientists to trace its movement for over 10 years.
