XIA LEI Orbits the Sun
Yes. It follows its own 283-year path around the Sun.
Discovered October 2026
2026 ED138
A large, icy world hiding in front of the Milky Way, far beyond Neptune. It could become only the sixth recognised dwarf planet in our Solar System.
At a glance
A world 283 years around
Estimated diameter 600–1,500 km
Average distance 43.1 AU · 6.4 billion km
Distance today 47.2 AU from the Sun
One orbit takes 283 Earth years
Orbit tilt 24.4° to the planets’ plane
Surface temperature ~−230 °C (about 40 K)
The object
A "hot" member of the Kuiper Belt
2026 ED138 orbits in the Kuiper Belt, the icy ring of leftover building blocks beyond Neptune that is also home to Pluto. Its path is slightly oval and tilted by almost 25 degrees.
Astronomers call it a "hot" classical object. "Hot" describes its stirred-up orbit, not its temperature. Long ago, as the giant planets shifted, bodies like this were flung outward and tipped onto steeper paths.
Its brightness is measured, but not how reflective its surface is. A dark surface means a big world, up to 1,500 km. A bright, icy surface means a smaller one, nearer 600 km.
Where it is
Its orbit, seen from above
Drawn to scale from its published orbit. The glowing dot shows roughly where it is today, about 47.2 times farther from the Sun than Earth and heading slowly outward.
- 2026 ED138 (283 years)
- Pluto (248 years)
- Neptune (165 years)
Size
How it compares
The shaded ring shows ED138's possible size range. At its largest, it would rival Makemake and Haumea.
Discovery
Hidden in plain sight
It is bright for something so far away. It went unseen because it sits in front of one of the most crowded star fields of the Milky Way.
- March 2010
Caught without anyone noticing
Older telescope images already contained the faint dot. It was only spotted in them after the discovery.
- 2025
Rubin Observatory opens its eye
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, with the largest digital camera ever built, begins surveying the southern sky.
- March 2026
The key images are taken
Rubin photographs the crowded Milky Way field where the object hides. Its provisional name records this half-month.
- 13 Oct 2026
Spotted by Matthew Holman
Search software by Holman and Kevin Napier finds the slow-moving object hidden among the stars.
- Late Oct 2026
Announced to the world
With 16 years of observations, its orbit is pinned down. It may be the sixth recognised dwarf planet.
- April 2209
Next closest approach
It last swung closest to the Sun in April 1926. It will not do so again for almost two centuries.
Verdict pending
Will it become a dwarf planet?
The International Astronomical Union uses four tests. Here is where 2026 ED138 stands today.
Is not a moon
Yes. It travels independently through the Kuiper Belt.
Is round
Not confirmed yet. It needs a firm size and mass. Telescopes such as JWST and ALMA will help.
Has cleared its path
No. It shares its region with countless other icy bodies, which is why it would be a dwarf planet, not a full planet.
Watch it move
Find 2026 ED138 among the Kuiper Belt dwarf planets on the live map and compare its path with Pluto's.
Open the live map