A new trans-Neptunian object, 2026 ED138, was identified in observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and discussed this week as a possible dwarf planet. Early size estimates are broad, roughly 600 to 1,500 kilometers across, so its exact classification remains unsettled.
A paper submitted October 29 reports that researchers recovered the object in five sectors of NASA TESS data stretching from 2019 to 2026. They removed known stars from the images and stacked frames along the predicted orbital path, recovering a consistent moving signal. In other words, a planet-hunting satellite had photographed the object years before its formal discovery.
The worthwhile click is the actual preprint, not a headline declaring a new planet. Its figures show how astronomers use archived data to confirm an orbit and how much remains unknown about the object’s size and composition. That is a neat data-reuse story with direct access to the research.
Go to Source — [arxiv.org](https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.40106) https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.40106