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New discovery beyond Pluto, American astrophysicists identify a "dwarf planet"

2026-10-29 14:57:00 / MISTERE&KURIOZITETE ALFA PRESS

New discovery beyond Pluto, American astrophysicists identify a "dwarf

Astronomers have identified a possible dwarf planet candidate on the edge of the Solar System, beyond the orbit of Pluto. The object, tentatively named ED138, could join the group of five officially recognized dwarf planets in the future.

The discovery was made thanks to observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, an advanced telescope located on a mountain in Chile, at an altitude of 2,682 meters above sea level. The observatory is equipped with the world's largest digital camera and began operation in 2025.

Its technology allows it to photograph the entire sky every three days, creating new opportunities for identifying distant objects in the Solar System.

The discovery was made by Matthew Holman, a senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Institution and a lecturer in astronomy at Harvard University. He used a computer program he developed with colleagues to analyze data collected by the observatory during 2026.

The program scanned billions of moving object signals until it identified ED138. Holman said his first reaction was a mixture of excitement and disbelief, prompting him to immediately check whether it was a false result or a bug in the program.

To verify the discovery, he collaborated with colleague Mario Juric, scientist responsible for Solar System studies at the Rubin Observatory and professor at the University of Washington.

Juric searched the observatory's catalog and found 20 other observations of ED138, dating back to March 2026. Using other data sources, the researchers were able to determine the object's orbit up to about 10 years ago.

Despite the promising results, the researchers emphasize that ED138 cannot yet be officially considered a dwarf planet. To do so, astronomers need to more precisely determine its physical size, a process that could require several more months of observations.

If confirmed, ED138 would join the five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris.

Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun and have enough mass to assume a nearly spherical shape, but have not completely cleared their orbits of other objects.

The possible discovery of ED138 represents another step in the exploration of the far reaches of the Solar System. With new observations and analysis of vast amounts of data, astronomers hope to identify even more celestial bodies that have so far eluded telescopes.

However, confirming the status and determining the size of ED138 will be crucial to better understanding the nature of this mysterious object beyond Pluto.

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