M31 Emission Arc Discovery

[Sunshine]

A fascinating new feature of M31, I found this link on CN to a youtube video which details this new feature. It seems it has never been seen before and was made possible by a collaboration between pro and amateur astronomers. It would be interesting to hear theories as to exactly what it is and how it formed, does the milky was also have such a feature? who knows.

 

 

Edited January 17 by Sunshine

[robin_astro]

Discovery of a feature near M31 would be more accurate. Despite the title, as the video explains (6.05)  it is not clear if it is actually associated with M31 or within our galaxy or even something in between.  Is there a peer reviewed paper to go along with this discovery explaining the various alternative explanations touched on in the video?

Cheers

Robin

Edited January 17 by robin_astro

[robin_astro]

27 minutes ago, robin_astro said:

Is there a peer reviewed paper to go along with this discovery explaining the various alternative explanations touched on in the video?

Here we are (in RNAAS so not peer reviewed)

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

Robin

[robin_astro]

They mention in the research note an ongoing spectroscopic study  to measure radial velocities. That should help clarify the origin. 

Robin

[Sunshine]

45 minutes ago, robin_astro said:

Discovery of a feature near M31 would be more accurate. Despite the title, as the video explains (6.05)  it is not clear if it is actually associated with M31 or within our galaxy or even something in between.  Is there a peer reviewed paper to go along with this discovery explaining the various alternative explanations touched on in the video?

Cheers

Robin

Yes, the video does mention that it's exact proximity to M31 is uncertain, I guess since it is an apparent feature of M31 it is associated with M31. It's true position relative to M31 remains to be seen, I wonder how it's exact location relative to the milky way and Andromeda can be determined.

Edited January 17 by Sunshine

[pipnina]

Something about this reminds me of a very old post here, I think by @ollypenrice looking for some sort of "andromeda shelf" that was not confirmed at the time but someone had claimed to detect.

Could this be the object in question?

[ollypenrice]

7 minutes ago, pipnina said:

Something about this reminds me of a very old post here, I think by @ollypenrice looking for some sort of "andromeda shelf" that was not confirmed at the time but someone had claimed to detect.

Could this be the object in question?

This image's contribution to the field of view is entirely new to me and entirely admirable. I never suspected it. I think that what I posted some time ago was a reference the distinctively-shaped and very extended outer glow of the main galaxy. I wasn't thinking of anything like this and hats off to the team who found it. Great stuff.

Olly

[Sunshine]

22 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

This image's contribution to the field of view is entirely new to me and entirely admirable. I never suspected it. I think that what I posted some time ago was a reference the distinctively-shaped and very extended outer glow of the main galaxy. I wasn't thinking of anything like this and hats off to the team who found it. Great stuff.

Olly

It is fascinating! just when you thought everything has been seen regarding M31.

Edited January 17 by Sunshine

[robin_astro]

18 hours ago, Sunshine said:

I guess since it is an apparent feature of M31 it is associated with M31

We don't know this yet for certain. All we know at  the moment is that it is in the direction of M31. It could be nearby.  A radial velocity measurement might help hence the planned spectroscopic work as explained in the paper  (M31 as a whole is moving towards us at 300km/s)

"A spectrum of the [O iii] emission arc would offer radial velocity information which could establish an association with M31 and its halo. A follow-up spectroscopic study of this emission arc is ongoing."

Edited January 18 by robin_astro