Amateur astronomer finds new nebula

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the discovery of a new nebula by an amateur astronomer, including the implications of amateur contributions to astronomy and the historical visibility of the nebula.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • An amateur astronomer, Jay McNeil, detected a young star emerging from a nebula, which was described as a serendipitous discovery.
  • Some participants express pride in amateur astronomers making significant scientific contributions.
  • There is speculation that the nebula may have been visible before and could have historical visibility documented by amateur photographs.
  • One participant notes that most asteroid discoveries are now made by dedicated searches and large telescopes, suggesting a shift in the role of amateur astronomers.
  • However, it is argued that amateurs still significantly contribute to the discovery of bright supernovae, novae, and provide valuable long-term observations of variable stars.
  • Amateurs are also mentioned as playing a role in the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which is considered a prominent area of research.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express mixed views on the current role of amateur astronomers in making discoveries, with some asserting that their contributions have diminished in certain areas while others highlight ongoing significant contributions in different fields.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects varying perspectives on the evolving contributions of amateur astronomers, with some claims dependent on the definitions of discovery and the types of astronomical phenomena being observed.

chroot
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3479615.stm
An amateur astronomer in the US has detected the emergence of a young star from the cocoon of gas and dust in which it was born.

...

The new object was first spotted on 23 January by amateur astronomer Jay McNeil from his observatory at Paducah in Kentucky.

"The entire discovery was quite serendipitous in nature," he told BBC News Online.

Wicked cool! I'm always very proud to hear of amateurs making serious scientific contributions!

- Warren
 
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It gets better! It may be that this nebula has been visible before, only to 'disappear' again. If so, it will be large numbers of amateurs' photos which will reveal its historical behaviour:
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1183_1.asp
 
Wicked cool! I'm always very proud to hear of amateurs making serious scientific contributions!

Don't amateur astronomers make the most discoveries like new asteroids?
 
Not any more I'm afraid, most asteroid discoveries are made by dedicated NEO searches, analysis of survey images taken by big telescopes or as part of other dedicated surveys (e.g. 2MASS), and by dedicated EKB programs.

Bright, nearby supernovae remain an area where amateurs contribute greatly; the distant supernovae - there are now far more of these detected than nearby ones - are the province of big scopes (including the HST).

Comets are increasingly found as a by-product of dedicated NEO searches, but amateurs still discover most (except for those near the Sun; SOHO is the most prolific comet finder, ever!)

Discovery of novae is one area where amateurs make the unquestioned key contribution.

Amateurs also continue to provide the best long-term database of reliable observations of bright variable stars.

And lastly, amateurs play an important role in GRBs, perhaps the most intriguing area of astronomical research today.
 

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