Amateurs and Scientists Unite: New Ultra-Deep Image Uncovers the Mystery Behind SDSO 1, a 'Ghost Planetary Nebula' Near M31
In 2021, a groundbreaking discovery was made by amateur astrophotographers Yann Sainty, Xavier Strottner, and Marcel Drechsler: an enigmatic arc of doubly ionized oxygen ([OIII]) located near the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).
This object, now known as SDSO 1 (Sainty-Drechsler-Strottner Object 1), was formally published in 2023, presenting several potential origins for its existence. For many within the astronomy community, this was a significant amateur find, unveiling a structure so faint that its detailed observation requires hundreds of hours of integration time.
The initial discovery ignited further passion, inspiring others to push the boundaries of observation. Teams like the Deep Sky Collective (DSC) dedicated over 1,000 hours of exposure to capturing a close-up of SDSO 1, building considerable momentum for its study.
A Collaborative Breakthrough
The plot thickened when Dr. Patrick Ogle from the Space Telescope Science Institute proposed a radical idea: the arc might not be associated with Andromeda at all, but rather located within our own Milky Way. This hypothesis led to a powerful collaboration, with Dr. Ogle joining forces with Mark Petersen and the Polaris Imaging Group. Tim Schaeffer, the coordinator of the DSC, played a crucial role in bringing everyone together, including the original discovery team, to further investigate this intriguing object.
This project truly exemplifies the power of scientists and amateurs working side by side. Together, they have produced the deepest and widest image of M31 to date, with a total exposure time of 525 hours. More importantly, this extensive imaging has yielded strong evidence suggesting that SDSO 1 is the shock front of a 'Ghost Planetary Nebula' – a newly identified subclass of astronomical objects that are hurtling through the Milky Way at an astonishing Mach 7.
The full, in-depth story, including details on novel processing tools such as SeamRipper and color-continuum subtraction, is available in the research paper.
A massive thank you goes out to everyone involved in this incredible endeavor! Special thanks to Dr. Patrick Ogle for his scientific leadership, Tim Schaeffer for his superb coordination, Carl Björk for his heroic pre-processing efforts, and of course, Yann, Xavier, and Marcel for their initial, inspired discovery. Their work has motivated us all to look deeper and embrace the unexpected. Without their vision and dedication, none of this would have been possible.
It was an absolute privilege to contribute in a small way to this project with post-processing skills.
Links:
Full Team Credits:
Science team
- Dr. Patrick Ogle – Scientist (STScI)
- Dr. Lewis McCallum – Scientist (University of St Andrews)
- Dr. Alberto Noriega-Crespo – Scientist (STScI)
- Dr. R. Michael Rich – Scientist (UCLA), Polaris Imaging Observatory Director
- Dr. Biny Sebastian – Scientist (STScI)
Polaris Imaging Group
- Mark Petersen – Lead photographer
Deep Sky Collective
- Tim Schaeffer – Co-ordination
- Carl Björk – Pre-processing
- Steeve Body – Post-processing
- Tarun Kottary – Photographer
- Patrick Sparkman – Photographer
- Sendhil Chinnasamy – Photographer
Initial discoverers
- Yann Sainty – Photographer
- Marcel Drechsler
- Xavier Strottner
