Sky & Telescope - June 2024 - 67

MARCEL DRECHSLER (2)
NEW CLASS OF NEBULAE This
nebula, called a common-envelope
system, surrounds the binary star
YY Hydrae. The nebula's discovery
was announced in the journal Astrophysics
and Astronomy. Also seen in
the field at left is planetary nebula
StDr 47, another discovery by the
prolific Strottner-Drechsler team.
highlight ionized gas, making nebulae stand out from the
background stars better. Additionally, plan on taking a lot of
exposures of each target. Undiscovered nebulae tend to be
extremely faint, which is often a big part of the reason why
they haven't been discovered. This is where amateurs have
a leg up over professionals - while the pros must vie for the
limited time available on instruments at large observatories,
amateurs are hindered only by their night-sky conditions.
Collaborative Effort
As noted earlier, combining your efforts with others in the
search for the undiscovered can lead to great results. Having a
team in which each member specializes in different aspects of
the research can speed up the process greatly, especially if you
enlist the help of a professional astronomer who can draft
the paper that announces your team's discovery in a peerreviewed
journal.
For example, French astrophotographer Yann Sainty shared
some data with Drechsler, who then discovered an exceedingly
faint swath of O III next to M31. Drechsler
brought the find to the attention of Sainty
and Strottner, and the three reached out
to astronomer Robert A. Fesen of Dartmouth
College, in New Hampshire, who
then asked other amateurs (including the
author) to target M31 through O III filters
to verify or disprove the tenuous nebula.
The object was announced in the Research
Notes of the American Astronomical Society at
the start of 2023, with nine amateurs listed
DYNAMIC DUO Nebula hunters and close
friends Xavier Strottner (left) and Marcel Drechsler
as co-authors, and today it bears the designation SDSO 1.
Organizing a large team like this requires assigning specific
duties to each participant. One member might organize
observations, while another specializes in image processing.
Yet another might research the professional literature to
ensure the target isn't already known. And still another member
might draft the paper to be submitted to a journal.
Understand, though, that verification and acceptance of
your nebula is a long process, sometimes taking a year or
more. It can be difficult resisting the urge to announce your
find prematurely. You also must remain open to questions
about your methods and findings. It's a scientific process, so
expect frequent setbacks. But when all the steps are completed,
you can finally go public with your discovery.
The Galaxy Awaits
Discovering new deep-sky objects is difficult and challenging
work but extremely rewarding. It comes with many moments
of both intense excitement and stinging disappointment. But
your efforts can provide valuable information
that helps paint a more complete
picture of the universe we live in. And
not many things are more satisfying than
watching amateurs and professionals
alike imaging and studying an object you
had a hand in finding.
¢ Associate Editor SEAN WALKER has
participated in groups that have discovered
several large supernova remnants through
his collaboration in the MDW Sky Survey
(mdwskysurvey.org).
sk yand tele scope .o r g * JUNE 2024 67
http://www.mdwskysurvey.org http://skyandtelescope.org
Sky & Telescope - June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - June 2024
