FLAGSTAFF, Arizona, Nov. 5, 2026 - The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has formally announced the discovery of dwarf planet candidate 2026 ED138, using the Asteroid Institute's ADAM::Precovery service.

The object was first detected by the Rubin research team on 28 July 2026.

The announcement coincided with publication of the Asteroid Institute's 2026 annual report on November 4. As of 2026, the institute's ADAM platform holds nearly 12 million astronomical observations. This year the institute also launched the ADAM::Ephemeris service for calculating asteroid position predictions.

Impact Insight. Dwarf planet candidates are bodies large enough for their own gravity to pull them into a rounded shape, but which have not cleared other debris from their orbital path. Mapping distant objects in the outer solar system calibrates the orbit calculation tools also used to track near-Earth asteroids, the core work of planetary defence.