What people said 24 voices · best of 29 · verbatim

• C

  Astronomers just found a possible new dwarf planet beyond Pluto

  culturecrave.coBluesky10d ago546▲view on Bluesky ↗
• A

  The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has discovered a new Dwarf Planet candidate in our solar system - 2026 ED138, a large, bright trans-Neptunian object orbiting beyond Pluto. Distance from Sun: ~46 au (1 au is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. Pluto has an average distance of 40 au) Orbital tilt: 25° Diameter: 600 - 1500 km If…

  AkaSci@fosstodon.orgMastodon11d ago294▲view on Mastodon ↗
• M

  nobody is going to get in a colony ship and leave earth voluntarily, though. NASA's achievements in space have been incredible as I'm sure you're aware, but there's a world of difference between trained professionals and a massive civilian population that would be self-sustaining AND happy to be there. The sheer amount of advancements in…

  MadeThisAccount4Qsr/space11d agoview on r/space ↗
• T

  OK, this is big. The @rubinobservatory.org has detected its first candidate dwarf planet! It's currently named 2026 ED138. When confirmed with follow-up observations, the number of known dwarf planets will go from 5 to 6. Its orbit is shown with those of the other dwarf planets in this graphic.

  theplanetaryguy.comBluesky11d ago357▲view on Bluesky ↗
• C

  New dwarf planet just dropped. For now, it's called 2026 ED138. It appears to be ~1000 kilometers (600 miles) wide. If confirmed, that would make it a dwarf planet about half the size of Pluto. https:// rubinobservatory.org/news/rubi n-first-dwarf-planet-candidate # space # science # astronomy # nature

  coreyspowell@mastodon.socialMastodon11d ago110▲view on Mastodon ↗
• S

  Their barycenter is outside their planetary mass and they're tidally locked to each other; I would definitely consider Pluto and Charon a binary system. Which I think is cooler than whether or not it's an official planet.

  SamDentr/technology7d agoview on r/technology ↗
• R

  Meet our Solar System's newest dwarf planet candidate: 2026 ED138! Orbiting past Pluto, scientists found it in NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory data from earlier this year. Early analysis suggests it's ~600–1500 km across, one of the largest found past Neptune!🔭🧪 🔗:

  rubinobservatory.orgBluesky11d ago179▲view on Bluesky ↗
• S

  Here's another article I got interviewed for about the new dwarf planet, this one for Science News by Lisa Grossman, I'm really happy about this one, despite the fact that I'm the downer quote, I get to come back strong in the last paragraph: "Just finding a dwarf planet so quickly, maybe we’ll find something even bigger,” she says. “There could…

  sundogplanets@mastodon.socialMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• Z

  Not really, it means that in the category of "dwarf planets" is very big. If it's like (0-100] is dwarf (100-1000] is regular a planet that's a 100 is a big dwarf - the biggest possible one in fact.

  Zeikosr/technology8d agoview on r/technology ↗
• D

  Vera C. Rubin observatory has discovered a probable dwarf planet.

  drjackbrown.bsky.socialBluesky11d ago70▲view on Bluesky ↗
• T

  🪐 ICYMI: Astronomers using # Chile 's Vera C. Rubin # Observatory spotted a bright object past # Pluto named 2026 ED138. Its movement follows a path typical of a # dwarfplanet , offering scientists fresh clues about # planet formation in our outer # SolarSystem . 👉 Learn more: https:// seethis.tv/post/2026-ed138-dwa rf-planet-candidate-video #…

  tksst@fediscience.orgMastodon10d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• F

  Yeah, as far as I can tell Salacia is essentially astronomers' dividing line between what is and isn't a dwarf planet, with the field split on whether it is one itself.

  FuckBeitechr/space5d agoview on r/space ↗
• R

  #ICYMI: our Solar System has a newly-discovered dwarf planet candidate! Meet 2026 ED138, recently revealed by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory ☄ Let's get to know this new world a little bit, shall we? 🔭🧪

  rubinobservatory.orgBluesky10d ago50▲view on Bluesky ↗
• S

  Ooh! A candidate dwarf planet, 2026 ED₁₃₈, was discovered by astronomers working on observations taken by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. More observations are needed to confirm that this object is massive enough to be round and therefore become an official dwarf planet. https:// youtu.be/8NIwXWwKOpw # astronnomy # DwarfPlanets # TNOs # SolarSystem

  seav@en.osm.townMastodon11d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• D

  a slight clarification: pluto is the largest dwarf planet by volume, Eris is the largest dwarf planet by mass (27% more massive than Pluto)

  DlSSATISFIEDGAMERr/space11d agoview on r/space ↗
• S

  What Vera Rubin observatory’s first new dwarf planet means Some are clamoring for Vera C. Rubin observatory's first dwarf planet, 2026 ED138, to become our Solar System's 6th dwarf planet. Nearly 100 other planetary bodies would like a word. https:// bigthink.com/starts-with-a-ban g/vera-rubin-observatory-first-dwarf-planet/

  startswithabang@mastodon.socialMastodon6d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• I

  yeah meant past, typo lol. fair points, agreed. Breakthroughs feels far away for the time being for FTL. How I wish I am wrong though

  iam_justaishaar/space11d agoview on r/space ↗
• S

  Astronomers found a mysterious object beyond Neptune, and it could be a new # DwarfPlanet | Space https://www. space.com/astronomy/dwarf-plan ets/astronomers-found-a-mysterious-object-beyond-neptune-and-it-could-be-a-new-dwarf-planet

  stargazersmith@social.linux.pizzaMastodon11d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• K

  Pluto has a diameter 50ish miles greater than Eris but Eris has 27% more mass than Pluto. Sadly Pluto just isn't that special.

  Keckersr/space11d agoview on r/space ↗
• U

  https://www. europesays.com/us/1152810/ Astronomers Discover a Possible New Dwarf Planet in Our Solar System # Asteroids # DwarfPlanets # Planets # Pluto # Science # Space # stars # UnitedStates # UnitedStates # US

  us@pubeurope.comMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• P

  I really appreciate it, thanks! I have always hoped that we would be able to look around the zone of avoidance!

  PsychoticDustr/space11d agoview on r/space ↗
• U

  https://www. europesays.com/us/1151577/ Rubin Observatory Discovers Possible New Dwarf Planet # Astronomy # Pluto # Science # UnitedStates # UnitedStates # US # VeraCRubinObservatory

  us@pubeurope.comMastodon10d agoview on Mastodon ↗
• P

  Also exciting because this will probably be far from the first such discovery from this observatory.

  pyryr/space7d agoview on r/space ↗
• U

  https://www. europesays.com/us/1159524/ Astronomers found a mysterious object beyond Neptune, and it could be a new dwarf planet # Science # UnitedStates # UnitedStates # US

  us@pubeurope.comMastodon6d agoview on Mastodon ↗