An icy object that could be a dwarf planet has been discovered behind Pluto. Using a telescope located on top of Cerro Pachon in Chile, scientists discovered an icy object orbiting beyond Pluto's orbit. The discovered object is called 2026 ED138. Its diameter is estimated at 600-1500 kilometers. There are currently five known dwarf planets in the solar system. These are Pluto, Eris, Haumea and McCake, which orbit beyond Neptune, as well as Ceres, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. More observations are needed to confirm that 2026 ED138 can join this list. To be considered a dwarf planet, an object must have enough mass for its gravity to give it a rounded shape. So far everything points to exactly that. Video: NOIRLabAstro / YouTube.

An icy object that could be a dwarf planet has been discovered behind Pluto. Using a telescope located on top of Cerro Pachon in Chile, scientists discovered an icy object orbiting beyond Pluto's orbit. The discovered object is called 2026 ED138. Its diameter is estimated at 600-1500 kilometers. There are currently five known dwarf planets in the solar system. These are Pluto, Eris, Haumea and McCake, which orbit beyond Neptune, as well as Ceres, located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. More observations are needed to confirm that 2026 ED138 can join this list. To be considered a dwarf planet, an object must have enough mass for its gravity to give it a rounded shape. So far everything points to exactly that. Video: NOIRLabAstro / YouTube.