Unexpected New Discovery Near Andromeda Galaxy!
Unexpected New Discovery near Andromeda Galaxy! | A new big blue gas cloud seen near Andromeda, the galaxy we thought we knew well enough? How come we never discovered it before? Hundreds of telescopes, both on the ground and in space, have been used to explore the sky, yet even with this extensive study, we still have much more to discover. As evidenced by the recent finding of a gas cloud near the Andromeda galaxy, the sky still has many secrets to unearth. For decades this cloud went undiscovered, and its origins remain unknown. There is still much to uncover. Thanks to the affordable yet outstanding quality of digital detectors, astronomical photography is now simpler than ever. This has brought about a new trend among astronomy enthusiasts to concentrate on a particular part of the sky and take exposures that are comparable to long-term exposures with the goal of discovering any faint fuzzies that reside there. Keep watching to learn more about this astonishing discovery! - In this picture, we see Andromeda, and above it we observe a blue ghostly figure. What is that? It’s a very unusual and intriguing discovery from the nearby Andromeda galaxy. This discovery was made by independent astronomers Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty back in 2022. They used simple techniques, such as applying different filters and observing the same spot for a long time, a concept known as long exposure, to find something that had previously been missed by other surveys. They decided to focus their efforts on the Andromeda galaxy, a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way located 2.5 million light-years away that has been studied by astronomers for over a hundred years. With its most notable features already mapped, they believed that any leftover discoveries would be smaller, individual elements such as nebulae in the galaxy itself. While doing this, they accidentally came across an object outside the galaxy.
At first, it didn't seem to make sense because it was too big to be associated with the Andromeda. It appeared to be an unusual arc stretching further away from the Andromeda and was only revealed after a 160-hour-long exposure using the four-meter-long Canada France Hawaii Telescope with a 400-megapixel camera. This object was confirmed by independent observations which revealed it to be an oxygen cloud or arc or now known as M31 Oxygen Emission Arc or Stratner-Drexler-70 Object 1. Sainty shared his findings with Drechsler and Strottner for them to examine and analyze. As they carefully looked at the pictures, they were astounded to discover a large and elongated structure, almost as large as the Andromeda galaxy, right adjacent to it. When Sainty used a filter to capture images that only let through the blue-green light from doubly ionized oxygen atoms—atoms that have lost two of their outer electrons, a common phenomenon in giant gas clouds—the nebula was made visible. The use of this filter was largely due to his curiosity, as it was the first time a large-scale map of the sky around Andromeda had ever been created. During the same observing session, Sainty took deep images using a different filter that was sensitive to light from hydrogen atoms. He noticed many gas clouds in the vicinity of Andromeda , but there was nothing that matched the size and shape of the rare oxygen-rich nebula. The team questioned if the cloud in Sainty's images was some sort of abnormality, such as refracted light from his telescope. To verify this, the researchers requested that renowned amateur astronomer Bray Falls observe the cloud with his own telescope. Falls likewise observed the nebula, confirming it was real. Observations from five telescopes located in France, California, and New Mexico ultimately persuaded the team that the object was real, thus leading to its nickname, Strottner-Drechsler-Sainty Object 1 .
But I’m sure you are all still asking yourselves: what is it, though? After seeking expert advice, the findings of the collaboration between Robert Fesen, Michael Shull and Stefan Kimeswenger and amateur astronomers was published in the American Astronomical Society's journal Research Notes of the AAAS. Although tantalizing, the origin of this nebula remains very elusive. This photo of Andromeda, captured in visible light with red, green, and blue filters, is stunning — yet there is no evidence of the large cloud known as Strottner-Drechsler-Sainty Object 1 . Investigation of various hypotheses has been conducted by astronomers, yet the gas cloud remains unexplained. Its close proximity to Andromeda in the night sky suggests a connection, and its curved shape suggests that it is bulging from the galaxy. Although these features do not definitively prove a bond between the cloud and the galaxy, they certainly indicate one. If SDSO-1 is indeed part of, yet outside of, Andromeda, this would mean the cloud spans a length of tens of thousands of light-years and would become one of the largest coherent structures that Andromeda has. If the cloud is located in Andromeda's colossal halo - a broadly circular swathe of stars encircling the galaxy - it might be composed of the gas thrown away by the stars it contains. However, since the stars are mainly composed of hydrogen, then there should be plenty of hydrogen visible. But, as Sainty proved with his hydrogen-detecting filter, there was not enough to be seen. SDSO-1 lies between the Milky Way and Andromeda, which may provide insight into the interaction between them. As they pass each other in space, their individual haloes may be bumping into each other, compressing any diffuse gas into a curved bow wave, similar to that from a boat moving through the water. If this were the case, the cloud should be situated roughly halfway between the two galaxies rather than just near Andromeda, and this still does not explain the absence of hydrogen.
It is possible that the cloud is actually much closer to us, being a nebula in the Milky Way, and merely appears to be in the Andromeda galaxy. These Planetary nebulae are made up of gas discharged from dying stars that are mostly composed of hydrogen and oxygen. This makes them appear illuminated as a result of light emitted by these two elements. However, the absence of hydrogen in SDSO-1 is still strange. It is conceivable that SDSO-1 might be the survivor of a Milky Way star which detonated like a supernova, however it ought to be incandescing in ultraviolet light and radio waves. The researchers, nevertheless, observed no radiance from the nebula at any other wavelengths, such as x-rays, visible and infrared light, when looking through archived photographs of Andromeda. No existing explanation covers all of the available facts, and it's certainly puzzling—but that's also what scientists find so exciting. We became researchers to work on puzzles, and this is one that we're eager to solve. It's amazing that SDSO-1, a celestial body as large as three full moons, was only recently discovered considering the narrow field of view of large telescopes. Astronomers aren't entirely surprised though because the bigger instruments couldn't spot the object: They couldn't see the big picture due to focusing in too closely. SDSO-1 is very dim, making it difficult even for professional observatories to detect it. The discovery and confirmation images, using just the doubly ionized oxygen filter, took 160 hours to capture. The 3.8-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, which has an impressive 378-megapixel camera and oxygen filter, looked directly at the area in the sky where SDSO-1 lies and still couldn't detect it. This is because the telescope is not designed to observe objects that are large and faint. Using spectroscopy to break up the cloud's light into wavelengths, the velocity of the gas in SDSO-1 can be identified by studying the blueshift or redshift of its color.
If the cloud is moving at a similar speed to Andromeda, then it's probably associated with that galaxy, while a slower speed could mean it's part of ours. Research is ongoing, so the origin and behavior of this cloud remains mysterious for now. SDSO-1 may be puzzling, yet it is also a sign of optimism: it proves that there are still multiple fascinating objects in the cosmos yet to be discovered. All we have to do is use the correct approaches to reveal them. In the research paper they published in January 2023, they explain that sky surveys that use optical emission lines can be very helpful in recognizing different types of emission nebulae, like H ii regions, planetary nebulae, supernova remnants, and wind-created cavities and outflows from stars. Most of these surveys focused on detecting H alpha, the brightest hydrogen line emission, along the Galactic plane. Now that cost-effective, high-sensitivity CMOS detectors and narrow passband filters with high transmission have become accessible, non-professionals can be seen making a larger contribution in recognizing emission-line nebulae, not only around the Galactic plane but also in other places. They were able to conclude that the curved, filamentary structure seen in the emission arc could be a high-latitude Galactic SuperNova Remnant, a Planetary Nebulae near the Milky way, or related to the Giant Stellar Stream in M31's halo. Further spectroscopic observations are being done to establish an association with M31. Before moving on with the possible explanations, be sure to stay tuned afterwards if you haven't seen “The Collision Between Andromeda And Our Galaxy Has Started” Nobody knows what this object is, how far away it is, what produced it, if it is even in the Andromeda galaxy, or how big it is. One potential explanation is that it could be related to the future collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in the next few billion years.
Some of the gas from the halo of Andromeda and the Milky Way has already started to interact, creating the arc-like shape. However, this object is in the wrong location for that theory to be true. Another explanation is that it is much closer to us and much smaller than expected, making it part of the Milky Way instead. At this point, there is no single explanation for what this cloud is. It is faint and difficult to see and contains no hydrogen, unlike typical planetary nebulae or stellar streams. Scientists are now working to get more data, such as the Doppler shift, in order to determine where the cloud is located and what it is. Hopefully, within the next few months, we will have answers about this object. It is a huge mystery and one of the biggest discoveries for independent astronomers in the last few years.
At first, it didn't seem to make sense because it was too big to be associated with the Andromeda. It appeared to be an unusual arc stretching further away from the Andromeda and was only revealed after a 160-hour-long exposure using the four-meter-long Canada France Hawaii Telescope with a 400-megapixel camera. This object was confirmed by independent observations which revealed it to be an oxygen cloud or arc or now known as M31 Oxygen Emission Arc or Stratner-Drexler-70 Object 1. Sainty shared his findings with Drechsler and Strottner for them to examine and analyze. As they carefully looked at the pictures, they were astounded to discover a large and elongated structure, almost as large as the Andromeda galaxy, right adjacent to it. When Sainty used a filter to capture images that only let through the blue-green light from doubly ionized oxygen atoms—atoms that have lost two of their outer electrons, a common phenomenon in giant gas clouds—the nebula was made visible. The use of this filter was largely due to his curiosity, as it was the first time a large-scale map of the sky around Andromeda had ever been created. During the same observing session, Sainty took deep images using a different filter that was sensitive to light from hydrogen atoms. He noticed many gas clouds in the vicinity of Andromeda , but there was nothing that matched the size and shape of the rare oxygen-rich nebula. The team questioned if the cloud in Sainty's images was some sort of abnormality, such as refracted light from his telescope. To verify this, the researchers requested that renowned amateur astronomer Bray Falls observe the cloud with his own telescope. Falls likewise observed the nebula, confirming it was real. Observations from five telescopes located in France, California, and New Mexico ultimately persuaded the team that the object was real, thus leading to its nickname, Strottner-Drechsler-Sainty Object 1 .
But I’m sure you are all still asking yourselves: what is it, though? After seeking expert advice, the findings of the collaboration between Robert Fesen, Michael Shull and Stefan Kimeswenger and amateur astronomers was published in the American Astronomical Society's journal Research Notes of the AAAS. Although tantalizing, the origin of this nebula remains very elusive. This photo of Andromeda, captured in visible light with red, green, and blue filters, is stunning — yet there is no evidence of the large cloud known as Strottner-Drechsler-Sainty Object 1 . Investigation of various hypotheses has been conducted by astronomers, yet the gas cloud remains unexplained. Its close proximity to Andromeda in the night sky suggests a connection, and its curved shape suggests that it is bulging from the galaxy. Although these features do not definitively prove a bond between the cloud and the galaxy, they certainly indicate one. If SDSO-1 is indeed part of, yet outside of, Andromeda, this would mean the cloud spans a length of tens of thousands of light-years and would become one of the largest coherent structures that Andromeda has. If the cloud is located in Andromeda's colossal halo - a broadly circular swathe of stars encircling the galaxy - it might be composed of the gas thrown away by the stars it contains. However, since the stars are mainly composed of hydrogen, then there should be plenty of hydrogen visible. But, as Sainty proved with his hydrogen-detecting filter, there was not enough to be seen. SDSO-1 lies between the Milky Way and Andromeda, which may provide insight into the interaction between them. As they pass each other in space, their individual haloes may be bumping into each other, compressing any diffuse gas into a curved bow wave, similar to that from a boat moving through the water. If this were the case, the cloud should be situated roughly halfway between the two galaxies rather than just near Andromeda, and this still does not explain the absence of hydrogen.
It is possible that the cloud is actually much closer to us, being a nebula in the Milky Way, and merely appears to be in the Andromeda galaxy. These Planetary nebulae are made up of gas discharged from dying stars that are mostly composed of hydrogen and oxygen. This makes them appear illuminated as a result of light emitted by these two elements. However, the absence of hydrogen in SDSO-1 is still strange. It is conceivable that SDSO-1 might be the survivor of a Milky Way star which detonated like a supernova, however it ought to be incandescing in ultraviolet light and radio waves. The researchers, nevertheless, observed no radiance from the nebula at any other wavelengths, such as x-rays, visible and infrared light, when looking through archived photographs of Andromeda. No existing explanation covers all of the available facts, and it's certainly puzzling—but that's also what scientists find so exciting. We became researchers to work on puzzles, and this is one that we're eager to solve. It's amazing that SDSO-1, a celestial body as large as three full moons, was only recently discovered considering the narrow field of view of large telescopes. Astronomers aren't entirely surprised though because the bigger instruments couldn't spot the object: They couldn't see the big picture due to focusing in too closely. SDSO-1 is very dim, making it difficult even for professional observatories to detect it. The discovery and confirmation images, using just the doubly ionized oxygen filter, took 160 hours to capture. The 3.8-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, which has an impressive 378-megapixel camera and oxygen filter, looked directly at the area in the sky where SDSO-1 lies and still couldn't detect it. This is because the telescope is not designed to observe objects that are large and faint. Using spectroscopy to break up the cloud's light into wavelengths, the velocity of the gas in SDSO-1 can be identified by studying the blueshift or redshift of its color.
If the cloud is moving at a similar speed to Andromeda, then it's probably associated with that galaxy, while a slower speed could mean it's part of ours. Research is ongoing, so the origin and behavior of this cloud remains mysterious for now. SDSO-1 may be puzzling, yet it is also a sign of optimism: it proves that there are still multiple fascinating objects in the cosmos yet to be discovered. All we have to do is use the correct approaches to reveal them. In the research paper they published in January 2023, they explain that sky surveys that use optical emission lines can be very helpful in recognizing different types of emission nebulae, like H ii regions, planetary nebulae, supernova remnants, and wind-created cavities and outflows from stars. Most of these surveys focused on detecting H alpha, the brightest hydrogen line emission, along the Galactic plane. Now that cost-effective, high-sensitivity CMOS detectors and narrow passband filters with high transmission have become accessible, non-professionals can be seen making a larger contribution in recognizing emission-line nebulae, not only around the Galactic plane but also in other places. They were able to conclude that the curved, filamentary structure seen in the emission arc could be a high-latitude Galactic SuperNova Remnant, a Planetary Nebulae near the Milky way, or related to the Giant Stellar Stream in M31's halo. Further spectroscopic observations are being done to establish an association with M31. Before moving on with the possible explanations, be sure to stay tuned afterwards if you haven't seen “The Collision Between Andromeda And Our Galaxy Has Started” Nobody knows what this object is, how far away it is, what produced it, if it is even in the Andromeda galaxy, or how big it is. One potential explanation is that it could be related to the future collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies in the next few billion years.
Some of the gas from the halo of Andromeda and the Milky Way has already started to interact, creating the arc-like shape. However, this object is in the wrong location for that theory to be true. Another explanation is that it is much closer to us and much smaller than expected, making it part of the Milky Way instead. At this point, there is no single explanation for what this cloud is. It is faint and difficult to see and contains no hydrogen, unlike typical planetary nebulae or stellar streams. Scientists are now working to get more data, such as the Doppler shift, in order to determine where the cloud is located and what it is. Hopefully, within the next few months, we will have answers about this object. It is a huge mystery and one of the biggest discoveries for independent astronomers in the last few years.