Mark McCaughreanJan 9, 2023

Well now, that’s a mighty strange thing 😳

A previously unknown, very extensive, low-surface brightness nebulosity near the Andromeda galaxy, M31, seen in the [OIII] emission line at 5007Å.

Discovered by Drechsler et al. in autumn last year using a 106mm refractor, showing again that not all astronomy needs the biggest telescopes 🔭

Perhaps in the halo of M31 & linked to its stellar streams? 🧐

More below 👇

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/acaf7e

#astrodon #space #astronomy

Show threadDavid HonessJan 9, 2023
@markmccaughrean I'm not exactly sure which part of the image to look at...
Show threadMark McCaughrean
@davespice The Andromeda galaxy is on the right, over-exposed, while the wispy newly discovered nebulosity is on the left.
Jan 9, 2023 at 11:52amMetatext
Show threadDavid HonessJan 9, 2023
@markmccaughrean thanks, I wasn't sure if I should be looking at the solid smudge to the right of Andromeda or the wispy area to the lower left of it
Show threadMark McCaughreanJan 9, 2023
@davespice Nope, the thing to the right is another galaxy, M110, a satellite of M31.