Horizontal Branch Star: A Planet-like Object Found on ALADIN

In summary, an image of an odd object was found on Aladin, and it is likely an "image artifact or nebula".
  • #1
liometopum
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In researching a planned post about M87's globular clusters, I again have been diverted. Being a rank amateur, I was studying how to use Aladin. Looking at some YouTube videos, I found this odd one, "Planet Like Object Found on ALADIN". The object looks bizarre, like the guy drew it in the picture. See the image below.

I fixed up his coordinates to be 329.96625000 -11.17102778 and plugged them into Aladin, at http://cdsportal.u-strasbg.fr/

Click on "Object identifiers, measurements and bibliography" (it is at the top)

takes you to the SIMBAD Astronomical Database

click on basic search (at very top of Queries column. I don't know why the coordinate search does not work. Maybe some Aladin expert here can answer that.)

which takes you to SIMBAD: basic query

Paste in the coordinates, and click on "SIMBAD search"

And you get the report. IF YOU HAVE Aladin Lite installed, you can click on the image enlarging arrows and you get the image shown below. (You can easily install Aladin.)

So the YouTube image is real, and the image shown on this post is direct from Aladin. SIMBAD tells us it is a likely "Possible Horizontal Branch Star". See http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/H/Horizontal+Branch+stars

Please feel free to share other images of Horizontal Branch Stars, or any thoughts on all this.

Horizontal Branch Star from Aladin.gif
 
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  • #2
Looks like an image artifact or nebula to me. Stars simply don't look like that at all.
 
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  • #3
Found the following image of the same location in the CDS Portal: http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/java/alapre-ok.pl?out=image&-c=21+59+51.90000+-11+10+15.7000&fmt=JPEG&resolution=FULL&qual=SERC%20ER%20DSS2

Notice that the object isn't there at all. It only appears in two images, both of which were taken on September 21st, 1979. I'd bet it's an image artifact or a problem with one of the filters or some other technical error.
 
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Likes davenn and liometopum
  • #4
I like that, Drakkith.
Here is another image, that is clearly an artifact.
 

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What is a Horizontal Branch Star?

A Horizontal Branch Star is a type of star that is in the late stage of its evolution. It is characterized by a helium-burning core and a thin hydrogen shell surrounding the core.

How is a Horizontal Branch Star formed?

A Horizontal Branch Star is formed when a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel in its core and begins to expand. As the star expands, the temperature and pressure in the core increase, causing the helium to fuse and form a carbon-oxygen core. This process is known as the helium flash.

What is the significance of finding a planet-like object on ALADIN?

Finding a planet-like object on ALADIN is significant because it provides evidence that planets can exist around evolved stars. This challenges the previously held belief that planets cannot survive the expansion of their host stars.

What is the ALADIN project?

The ALADIN project is an international collaboration that aims to detect and characterize exoplanets using the direct imaging method. It involves the use of the ALADIN instrument, which is a high-contrast imaging instrument installed on the Very Large Telescope in Chile.

How does the discovery of a planet-like object on ALADIN impact our understanding of planetary formation?

The discovery of a planet-like object on ALADIN adds to our understanding of planetary formation by providing evidence that planets can form and survive in the presence of a rapidly evolving star. It also suggests that different types of planets may form in different stages of a star's evolution.

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