Rubin Observatory Finds New Dwarf Planet Candidate Beyond Pluto
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on Cerro Pachón in Chile's Coquimbo Region, has found a large, previously unrecorded object that scientists have identified as a possible dwarf planet, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center has given the object the provisional designation 2026 ED138.
A preliminary data analysis shows the object is orbiting in the outer reaches of the solar system beyond Pluto and may be one of the largest dwarf planet candidates ever found. If confirmed, it would join the five known dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the NSF and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, and it carries the largest camera ever built for astronomy. The object was found in a region of sky close to the plane of the Milky Way, visually filled with millions of stars, which is likely why it escaped discovery until now. Rubin's regular monitoring and powerful data algorithms allowed scientists to spot ED138 moving within the crowded field.
"Rubin Observatory's superpower is the ability to clearly capture movement and change among a vast number of objects and phenomena that humans have never seen before," said Edward Ajhar, NSF Program Director for Rubin Observatory. Kathy Turner, the Department of Energy's program manager for Rubin, said the observatory's unique strengths make it an incredible tool for investigating phenomena from dark energy to this dwarf planet candidate.
Scientists using other observatories can now make follow-up observations of ED138 to learn more about its nature. Earlier this year Rubin submitted observations of more than 11,000 new asteroids, and the public, including students and teachers, can explore the discovery through the interactive Orbitviewer web app. (Source: U.S. National Science Foundation)
Source: U.S. National Science Foundation
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：鲁宾天文台巡天影像中矮行星候选天体2026 ED138的轨道弧迹。美国国家科学基金会/NOIRLab。 / Photo: The orbital arc of dwarf planet candidate 2026 ED138 in Rubin Observatory survey imagery. NSF/NOIRLab.
