The distant body 2026 ED138 is estimated to measure between 370 and 930 miles across, but brightness alone cannot reveal its exact dimensions due to surface reflectivity variations. Researchers verified its presence by tracking archival sky surveys and photographic plates extending as far back as 1937. Astronomers plan to utilize advanced facilities like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to observe the object once viewing conditions improve. These forthcoming tests will evaluate thermal emissions or stellar occultations to prove if gravity has molded the body into a sphere.
Key points
Confirmation of the body as a dwarf planet requires proof that its gravity pulls it into…: Confirmation of the body as a dwarf planet requires proof that its gravity pulls it into a round shape.
Surface reflectivity prevents astronomers from measuring the candidate's exact size based…: Surface reflectivity prevents astronomers from measuring the candidate's exact size based strictly on visible brightness.
Future observation plans include using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array t…: Future observation plans include using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to record infrared thermal emissions.
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Astronomers Found a Mysterious Object Orbiting Far Beyond Pluto. It Could Be a New Dwarf Planet Hidden in Our Solar System
The dwarf planet candidate, called ED138, appeared in telescope images and takes roughly 280 years to orbit the sun. Astronomers need to determine its size to properly classify it
Matthew Holman, a senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, was sifting through data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile when something odd caught his eye. Running a custom-made computer program, he and his colleague Kevin Napier had already spotted more than 2,000 little bright dots in the telescope data, corresponding to newly discovered small objects in the distant solar system. But this one was different: It seemed to be big.
Holman managed his expectations. After all, astronomers in the business of finding distant objects are used to disappointment. “We all have ‘found Mars’ … in terms of a false positive,” Holman tells Smithsonian magazine. They find a bright object that seems really big, then, with a closer look, learn that it’s nothing very remarkable after all. “We’re…
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