NOAO >   Observing Info >   Approved Programs >   2015A-0053

# Program Information for 2015A-0053

PI: Matthias Kronberger, EBG MedAustron, matthias.kronberger@gmx.at

CoI: George H Jacoby, GMT
CoI: Agnes Acker, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg
CoI: Dianne Harmer, NOAO

Title: Narrow-Band Imagery and Spectroscopy of New Planetary Nebula Candidates at High Galactic Latitudes

Abstract: We propose a) a narrowband imaging campaign to verify the classification of at least 58 Galactic planetary nebula (PN) candidates discovered on digitized sky surveys, following up an imaging and spectroscopy program started at KPNO, OHP, SAAO, SPM, and LCO. b) a spectroscopy campaign to confirm the nature of another 55 line emitters with H$\alpha$ and [OIII] morphologies typical for PNe. The majority of the candidates are located outside of the Milky Way regions covered by recent narrow-band surveys (IPHAS and SHS) that are limited to low Galactic latitudes ($|b| < 5^\circ$ and $|b| < 10^\circ$ for candidates north and south of $+2^\circ$ declination, respectively). Due to their large projected angle from the Galactic plane, many of the new candidates are likely to belong to the extended local volume ($< 2$kpc from the Sun). Thus, they allow a better extrapolation of the total number of PNe in our Galaxy, a metric that offers a critical test of the hypothesis that most planetary nebulae derive from binaries.

Program Type: Standard/Galactic

Scheduled Nights:
Run 2 (2015A):  KP-4m/MOSA -- 2n on Jun 09 - Jun 10 2015
Run 3 (2015A):  WIYN/SPSPKR + STA1 -- 2n on Mar 11 - Mar 13 2015, Apr 08 2015
Run 4 (2015A):  WIYN/SPSPKR + STA1 -- 1n on Apr 24 - Apr 25 2015

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 NOAO >   Observing Info >   Approved Programs >   2015A-0053