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Scientists have found an enormous new dwarf planet beyond Pluto. And there could be many more
BBC Sky at Night Magazine • • general
Key Points:
- Astronomers have potentially discovered a new dwarf planet, named 2026 ED138, in the outer Solar System beyond Pluto, using data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
- 2026 ED138 is a bright and large trans-Neptunian object located about 46 astronomical units from the Sun, with an estimated diameter between 600 and 1,500 km, making it one of the largest dwarf planets found in that region.
- The object's orbit is tilted nearly 25 degrees from the plane of the Solar System, suggesting past gravitational interactions with Neptune, and it was detected in a densely star-populated area near the Milky Way plane.
- Confirmation of ED138's dwarf planet status requires further infrared observations to verify its size and shape, as a dwarf planet must be massive enough for gravity to form it into a round shape.
- The discovery highlights the Rubin Observatory's advanced capabilities in monitoring the southern sky and analyzing vast amounts of data, potentially enabling the detection of more hidden objects in the outer Solar System over its 10-year survey.
