Vera C. Rubin Observatory identifies potential new dwarf planet

Astronomers at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered a candidate for a new dwarf planet located beyond the orbit of Pluto. Provisionally named ‘2026 ED138’, the object is described as large and bright, with preliminary calculations suggesting a diameter between 600 and 1,500 kilometers.

To be officially classified as a dwarf planet, the object must be large enough for its own gravity to pull it into a spherical shape. The object is currently located approximately 46 times further from the Sun than Earth, roughly 6.9 billion kilometers away. It possesses an orbital period of approximately 281 years and an orbital plane inclined 25 degrees relative to the plane of Earth and the other planets.

Mario Jurić, the solar system principal scientist for the Rubin Observatory, noted that the observatory has already discovered approximately 2,300 objects beyond Pluto, increasing the known population by 50 percent. While this discovery does not directly confirm the existence of the theoretical Planet Nine, researchers suggest it demonstrates the increasing capability to find significant celestial bodies in the outer reaches of the solar system.