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This is how newly discovered dwarf planet candidate 2026 ED138 stacks up against other well-known trans-Neptunian dwarf planets.

It seems similar to Haumea and Makemake in orbit and size, perhaps a bit smaller.

ED138 was not discovered until now because it currently lies in a region of the sky close to the plane of the Milky Way — a region filled with millions of stars.

Data sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet
https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2026+ED138
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Table of trans-Neptunian dwarf planets and key parameters.
en.wikipedia.orgDwarf planet - Wikipedia
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Oct 28, 2026 · 11:01 UTC · Edited Oct 28, 2026 · 11:05 UTC

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Dwarf Planet candidate ED138 was not discovered until now because it currently lies in a region of the sky close to the plane of the Milky Way — a region filled with millions of stars.

The video below shows the orbital path of ED138, as observed by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory from 4 March 2026 to 11 July 2026, against a background filled with stars.

The angular distance traveled in the 4 months is quite small, ~1°, given its orbital period of 281 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ssnabPxqxk
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