Scientists discover massive dwarf planet lurking in the outer solar system

THE TAKEAWAY

• Scientists discovered a possible dwarf planet.
• The object is orbiting far beyond Pluto, in a distant region of the solar system.
• The possible dwarf planet is the largest they have ever found.

Scientists with the U.S. National Science Foundation have identified a large object in the outer reaches of the solar system that they identified as a possible dwarf planet.

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Data analysis shows that the object, known as ED138, is orbiting far beyond Pluto, in a distant region of the solar system.

The team said that the possible dwarf planet is the largest they have ever found, with an estimated diameter between 373 and 932 miles.

If confirmed, the object would join the five officially recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake.

A dwarf planet is a celestial body that orbits the sun, is nearly round due to its own gravity, but has not cleared other objects from its orbital path, per NASA.

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ED138 was discovered in a region close to the plane of the Milky Way, an area crowded with millions of stars. The dense field of stars made the object difficult to spot, causing it to go undetected for years.

However, scientists were able to identify ED138 using the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is equipped with an enormous camera and advanced imaging capabilities that allow it to detect movement.

"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," Edward Ajhar, NSF program director for Rubin Observatory, said. "That power greatly extends our ability to reveal and understand new things about our solar system, the Milky Way, and billions of other galaxies across the universe."

According to the U.S. National Science Foundation, ED138 is a large, bright trans-Neptunian object located approximately 46 astronomical units from the sun. One astronomical unit is the average distance between Earth and the sun.

The potential dwarf planet is among a growing number of solar system objects identified by the Rubin Observatory this year.

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In April, the observatory submitted observations of more than 11,000 previously unidentified asteroids.

"Rubin Observatory’s unique strengths make it an incredible tool for investigating a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, from dark energy to the discovery of this dwarf planet candidate," Kathy Turner, Department of Energy Program manager for Rubin Observatory, said.