Science

Astronomers report possible massive dwarf planet candidate beyond Pluto

Fox News reports that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory announced candidate 2026 ED138 on Oct. 27, with its size still an estimate.

Published Nov 2, 2026 · 23:36 UTC1 reports

The short version

Fox News reports that astronomer Matthew Holman spotted candidate object 2026 ED138 in Vera C. Rubin Observatory telescope data.[Fox News]
The observatory announced the find on Oct. 27, and researchers estimate the object spans 370 to 930 miles.[Fox News]
The object lies about 4.3 billion miles from the sun, beyond Pluto; the observatory says it would rank among the largest such dwarf planets if confirmed.[Fox News]
Next step: further observations to pin down its exact size and determine whether it qualifies as a dwarf planet.[Fox News]

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile announced the discovery of candidate object 2026 ED138 on Oct. 27.[Fox News]
Researchers estimate that 2026 ED138 measures between 370 and 930 miles across.[Fox News]
Astronomer Matthew Holman spotted the object on Oct. 13 using software he developed with colleague Kevin Napier.[Fox News]
ED138 is located about 4.3 billion miles from the sun, farther than Pluto's average distance of about 3.7 billion miles.[Fox News]
Officials said the object went undetected earlier because it was hidden in a crowded region of the sky near the Milky Way.[Fox News]

The object's size is an estimate, and its dwarf planet status awaits confirmatory observations.[Fox News]
The observatory's statement that ED138 would be among the largest such dwarf planets applies only if the discovery is confirmed.[Fox News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.