Help! This new dwarf planet needs a name

Move over Pluto, a new dwarf planet just dropped. Scientists announced that they’ve  likely discovered a tiny new planet beyond Neptune, in the far-out ring of icy and rocky bits called the Kuiper Belt. The possible dwarf planet was spotted by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Flora talks with Matthew Holman, the astrophysicist who made the discovery. One more thing: The new dwarf planet is currently called 2026 ED138. We think the name needs a little work. What would you call it? Give us a ring at 877-472-4374. Guest:Dr. Matthew Holman is a senior astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow us on socials @ scifri on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Bluesky and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.