SpaceSaturday, November 14, 20261 min read

A giant icy world hiding beyond Pluto could be our sixth dwarf planet

By ScienceDaily Top Science · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Detected by the Simonyi Survey Telescope, 2026 ED138 sits approximately 46 astronomical units from the Sun. Researchers mapped over a decade of its orbital motion by pairing recent Rubin detections with archival images stretching back to 2016. Based on surface reflectivity, brightness, and distance, scientists estimate the icy world measures roughly 1,000 kilometers across, spanning a possible range of 600 to 1,500 kilometers.

Key points

Confirmation by the International Astronomical Union would place 2026 ED138 alongside Plu…: Confirmation by the International Astronomical Union would place 2026 ED138 alongside Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
The object represents the largest trans-Neptunian body discovered in roughly two decades.: The object represents the largest trans-Neptunian body discovered in roughly two decades.
Official dwarf planet status requires scientists to prove the body possesses enough gravi…: Official dwarf planet status requires scientists to prove the body possesses enough gravity to maintain a nearly round shape.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Date:

- November 14, 2026

- Source:

- University of Washington

- Summary:

- Astronomers have uncovered a potentially enormous new dwarf planet beyond Pluto, hidden for years in one of the most crowded regions of the night sky. The discovery of 2026 ED138 could expand the solar system's official dwarf planet family and hints that more mysterious worlds may be lurking far beyond Neptune.

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An enormous icy world discovered beyond Pluto could soon become the sixth officially recognized dwarf planet in our solar system.

The object, temporarily named 2026 ED138, was identified by an astronomer analyzing observations from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Early estimates suggest it ranks among the largest dwarf planet candidates ever found beyond Neptune. If its status is confirmed, it would join the five dwarf planets currently recognized by the International Astronomical Union: Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake.

The discovery was announced at a press conference featuring Matthew Holman, a senior astrophysicist at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and Mario Jurić, a University…

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In short

Key Points

Confirmation by the International Astronomical Union would place 2026 ED138 alongside Plu…: Confirmation by the International Astronomical Union would place 2026 ED138 alongside Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
The object represents the largest trans-Neptunian body discovered in roughly two decades.: The object represents the largest trans-Neptunian body discovered in roughly two decades.
Official dwarf planet status requires scientists to prove the body possesses enough gravi…: Official dwarf planet status requires scientists to prove the body possesses enough gravity to maintain a nearly round shape.

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AI Analysis

Tone

Positive

In short

Key Points

Confirmation by the International Astronomical Union would place 2026 ED138 alongside Plu…: Confirmation by the International Astronomical Union would place 2026 ED138 alongside Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake.
The object represents the largest trans-Neptunian body discovered in roughly two decades.: The object represents the largest trans-Neptunian body discovered in roughly two decades.
Official dwarf planet status requires scientists to prove the body possesses enough gravi…: Official dwarf planet status requires scientists to prove the body possesses enough gravity to maintain a nearly round shape.

Topics

Space

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A giant icy world hiding beyond Pluto could be our sixth dwarf planet

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