SciencePhys.orgRubin Observatory reveals its first dwarf planet candidate in our solar system
A new telescope has spotted what could be the largest dwarf planet candidate found in our solar system in about 20 years, orbiting beyond Pluto.
Scientists may add a new dwarf planet to the official roster of our solar system. The distant, icy body, provisionally dubbed 2026 ED138, orbits our system beyond Pluto. It was spotted earlier this month by a scientist combing through data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Scientists using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory discovered a distant icy body, provisionally called 2026 ED138, that may qualify as a new dwarf planet.
The object is estimated to be roughly 1,000 kilometres across, making it one of the largest trans-Neptunian objects found in about 20 years, researchers said.
If confirmed, it would join Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake as only the sixth dwarf planet recognised by the International Astronomical Union.
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