From: rascals-bounces@lists.rasc.ca on behalf of Alan Whitman [whitmans@vip.net] Sent: February 11, 2004 12:11 PM To: rascals@lists.rasc.ca Subject: [RASCals] fwd: McNeil's Nebula Message: 10 Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:49:30 -0000 From: "Jay McNeil" Subject: New Nebula Discovery Hi all, Well after a week or so of deliberation by the IAU, here's the official anouncemnet: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/08200/08284.html A seperate anouncement was made on the cover of the "Star Formation Newsletter", which can be found here in ps format: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~reipurth/newsletter.htm Oh boy, what a roller-coaster ride--anyhow, here's the gorey details. It all started with me processing a widefield image that I took several weeks ago using a 3-inch Takahashi FTC-76 and ST-10XME CCD from my sububan Paducah, KY backyard (NELMZ~4.5). When I noticed something "funky" looking on my image that didn't appear on other images using 12.5-inch R-C's nor the downloadable POSS, I sent this email to Brian S. ------------------------------ Hey Brian, Do you personally know of any researcher that may be interested in a catalogued Herbig-Haro type object currently undergoing a fairly dramatic increase in brightness? I just completed a fairly deep color composite image of the M 78 area. While comparing my image to several other recent images of the area, I noticed a fairly obvious object on my image that wasn't at all visible on the others despite the images being equally as deep and using the exact same color filters. When I pinpointed the exact location and ran it through an area search on SIMBAD, it shows the object to be HH 22. This wouldn't strike me as being "that" amazing except for the fact that this thing is all but invisible on all of the downloadable POSS 1 & 2 images taken with a 48-inch Schmidt, whereas it is one of the more conspicuous features visible on my suburban backyard image done with a 3-INCH refractor! We're talking a gain of several magnitudes, possibly... It is easily visible on all of my images taken through naroowband R,G,&B filters as well as the unfiltered luminance frames. I still have all of my raw data and the spectral response of my camera is well known if anyone would be interested. Just thought I'd run this past ya' before looking into it further--let me know what you think? BTW, you can use the identifier HH 22 to locate the object in my attached JPEG. Thanks, Jay McNeil ----------------------- Brian immediately urged me to contact Bo Reipurth at Mauna Kea (author of the Catalogue of Herbig-Haro Objects). I did so, and next thing you know, he and Mr. George Herbig are requesting "Target of Opportunity" time on the 8 meter Gemini! Within 24 hrs, they actaully GET this time on Gemini! Preliminary data points to this being a very rare FU Orionis or EX Lupii type outburst of the deeply imbedded IRAS 5436-0007, which has also been noted asa the radio source LMZ 12. According to the latest research, LMZ 12 is thought to be an obscured dense dust core with a healthy accretion disc. As for visual observations, I believe that the object would be visible in 16-inch and larger instruments under the best of skies. The 1' total diameter and 15-16 magnitude will likely be misleading however (as most photographic estimates are). However, I would think that the brightest (southernmost) portion of the nebula, which is located immediately north of the responsible star, should be visible at higher powers (>200x). Even more interesting is the fact that most similar cometary-type reflection nebulae associated with pre-main sequence stars tend to fluctuate in apparent brightness and extent as the conditions surrounding their luminating stars alter. PV Cephei (Gyulbudaghian's Nebula) and R Monocerotis (Hubble's Variable Nebula) or just two examples... So it may prove quite interesting to check the area over the next several months for possible brightenings... BTW, below are the original discovery images: The original LRGB discovery image: http://wkaa.net/gallery/mcneil/m78Lrgb Here's the cropped luminace only with labels (and north up): http://wkaa.net/gallery/mcneil/mcneilnebulalum90labeled and here's the 10-inch shot through clouds: http://wkaa.net/gallery/mcneil/mcneilnebulalum65labeled Thanks, Jay ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 11 Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 01:33:24 -0000 There have probably been about 25 messages on this topic on AMASTRO. Here are the two from discoverer Jay McNeil: From: "Jay McNeil" Subject: Re: McNeil's Nebula Awe, shucks... I'm blush'n . Thanks Barb! And to think, if it weren't for all of those years of your and Larry's constant bantering and badgering at some 3AM in the morning out in the field, I would certainly not be the ardent observer that I am today, nor would I have ever noticed a 1 arcminute long "funky" looking object on a 3-inch scope shot ;-) Seriously, I can't thank you guys enough for all of your encouragement! Second of all, I'd certainly like to thank Brian at Lowell and Bo Reipurth at Mauna Kea enough in pointing me in the right direction and assisting in my understanding of the importance of the "funky" looking object on my image. It is truly great to know that the gap between backyard amateurs and professionals can on occasion be bridged to allow such a potentially remarkable discovery to be realized essentially overnight! Thanks again, Jay --- In amastro@yahoogroups.com, "Barbara Wilson" wrote: > I am so proud of Jay, our kid! > I always knew his enthusiasm dedication and hard work would pay off ! :) > Brian many thanks to you for helping Jay and pointing him to the right person. You are the best. > Barbara (Proud Mama) Wilson > ____________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ rascals@lists.rasc.ca --- http://crux.stmarys.ca/mm21/listinfo/rascals