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Astronomers have found a possible new dwarf planet far beyond Pluto. The icy world, provisionally named 2026 ED138, orbits about 46 times farther from the Sun than Earth and may measure up to 1,500 kilometres across, researchers announced on October 27, 2026.
How the new world was found
The discovery came from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, according to the US National Science Foundation and Department of Energy observatory team. Senior astrophysicist Matthew Holman, of the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard and Smithsonian, first noticed the object on the night of October 13, 2026, while running earlier Rubin data through a search program he developed with colleague Kevin Napier.
Rubin solar system lead scientist Mario Juric, of the University of Washington, then found 20 further sightings in Rubin data reaching back to March 4, 2026. In total, the telescope recorded the object 30 times on 20 nights between March and July 2026. Researchers also traced it in archival images from other surveys going back to 2016. The team presented its findings on October 27 at the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Spokane, Washington, and the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center announced the discovery the same day.
How big is 2026 ED138?
Based on its distance, brightness and estimated reflectivity, researchers estimate the object measures between 600 and 1,500 kilometres across, or roughly 370 to 930 miles. That would make it comparable in size to some of the largest known distant worlds, and possibly the largest trans-Neptunian object found in about 20 years. It also appears to be the brightest object discovered in the solar system in nearly 20 years.
The object sits about 46 astronomical units from the Sun, where one astronomical unit is the average distance between Earth and the Sun. Pluto, by comparison, orbits at an average of about 40 astronomical units. Because it circles the Sun beyond Neptune, 2026 ED138 is classed as a trans-Neptunian object, in the region astronomers call the Kuiper Belt, which stretches from beyond Neptune at about 30 astronomical units out to about 50.
Why it stayed hidden for so long
Despite its size, the object escaped detection because it sits in a crowded stretch of sky near the plane of the Milky Way, where millions of background stars can hide a faint moving body. Rubin’s ability to cut through that crowded starfield is what allowed the discovery, researchers said. The object’s orbit is also tilted about 25 degrees from the plane of the solar system, which researchers said points to a gravitational encounter with a massive body such as Neptune in its past.
What happens next
2026 ED138 is a candidate, not yet a confirmed dwarf planet. Under the International Astronomical Union’s definition, a dwarf planet must orbit the Sun, be massive enough for its own gravity to pull it into a nearly round shape, and not have cleared its orbital neighbourhood. Icy bodies as large as this one are expected to be round, but researchers said infrared observations are still needed to pin down its exact size and confirm its shape.
If confirmed, it would become the sixth officially recognised dwarf planet, joining Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake. It would not, researchers stressed, be the long-hypothesised Planet Nine: it is far too small and too close to the Sun to fit that description.
The discovery came from data collected during Rubin’s commissioning phase, before its ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time formally began in June 2026. Perched on Cerro Pachon in northern Chile, the observatory pairs an 8.4-metre telescope with a 3,200-megapixel camera, the largest digital camera ever built, and will survey the southern sky repeatedly for a decade. Researchers said the find, made before the main survey even started, hints at many more distant worlds to come.
Questions People Ask
What is 2026 ED138?
2026 ED138 is a newly announced candidate dwarf planet, an icy world orbiting the Sun beyond Pluto at about 46 times Earth’s distance from the Sun.
Who discovered 2026 ED138?
It was first spotted by astrophysicist Matthew Holman in data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, with further sightings confirmed by Rubin solar system lead scientist Mario Juric of the University of Washington.
How big is 2026 ED138?
Researchers estimate it measures between 600 and 1,500 kilometres across, which would make it one of the largest distant objects in the solar system and possibly the largest trans-Neptunian object found in about 20 years.
Is 2026 ED138 officially a dwarf planet yet?
Not yet. It is a candidate: follow-up observations, including infrared measurements, are still needed to confirm its size and round shape before the International Astronomical Union could recognise it.
