Rubin Observatory detects candidate dwarf planet beyond Pluto

Astronomers have discovered a candidate dwarf planet in the outer reaches of the solar system, Phys.org Space reported. The distant, icy object has been provisionally named 2026 ED138 and orbits beyond Pluto. Phys.org Space and Scientific American both report that the body could become officially recognized as the sixth dwarf planet in our solar system. [1][2]

A scientist identified the object earlier this month while reviewing data gathered by the Simonyi Survey Telescope, according to Phys.org Space. Reports from NOIRLab, Newswise, the Rubin Observatory, and the U.S. National Science Foundation also confirmed the discovery of the first dwarf planet candidate found by the facility. [1][3][4][5][6]

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, previously known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, is located on the El Peñón peak of Cerro Pachón in Chile. The mountain sits at an altitude of 2,682 metres. The facility conducts an astronomical survey of the southern sky over a ten-year period, known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. [9]