Astronomers Identify Candidate Dwarf Planet Beyond Pluto
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile have identified a candidate for a new dwarf planet, provisionally named ED138, located in the outer solar system beyond Pluto's orbit. Further observations are required to confirm its status and physical…
Cleveland Akron, OH, October 28, 2026 —
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile have identified ED138 as a candidate for a new dwarf planet in the outer solar system, beyond Pluto’s orbit. Its name is provisional, and further observations are needed before its status and physical characteristics can be confirmed.
The available information does not specify when the candidate was identified, how it was detected, or which astronomers or research team made the identification. It also does not provide details about ED138’s size, composition, or other physical properties. Those characteristics remain among the matters requiring further observation.
For now, ED138 is described as a candidate, rather than a confirmed new dwarf planet. The summary of the finding provides no timeline for additional observations or for a decision on its status. It also does not identify an organization or process that would make such a determination.
The identification is associated with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is in Chile, but no further details about the observations or the observatory’s role in the finding were provided. No additional objects or findings are mentioned.
As a result, the information currently available establishes the candidate’s provisional name and general location, while leaving its physical characteristics and classification unresolved. Further observations are required to clarify those points. Until that work is completed, ED138 remains a potential new dwarf planet, not a confirmed one.
Story summarized from the original created by Jacopo Prisco, CNN on www.news5cleveland.com, see more information here.
