M2-42

Minkowski 2-42 (M2-42)

Emission nebula
Planetary nebula
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension	18^h 22^m 32.08^s[1]
Declination	−24° 09′ 27.7″[1]
Distance	30,800 (9444 pc)[1] ly
Apparent magnitude (V)	13.9[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)	4″[1]
Notable features	Bipolar outflow, Bipolar nebula
Designations	PN M 2-42 PNG 008.2-04.8 PK 008-04 2 Hen 2-393 ESO 522-21 PN Sa 2-331 WRAY 16-409

Minkowski 2-42, abbreviated M2-42, is a planetary nebula that was discovered by Rudolph Minkowski in 1947.[2] It is located about 30,800 light-years away from Earth in the Galactic bulge.[1] It is known to be a bipolar planetary nebula containing two jets of material emerging from both sides of its central star.[3] It has been found that its bipolar outflows have the typical features of Fast Low-Ionization Emission Region (FLIER). [3]

The central star of M2-42 is classified as weak emission-line star,[4] but its nitrogen and helium features[5] may be linked to nitrogen sequences of Wolf-Rayet central stars of planetary nebula ([WN]).[3] The chemical composition of this planetary nebula was found to be around the solar metallicity.[6]

Image of M2-42 taken by the VLT Survey Telescope. The green part of the image was taken with a H-alpha filter.

See also

• List of largest nebulae
• Lists of nebulae

References

1. "PN M2-42". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
2. Minkowski, R. (1947). "New Emission Nebulae (II)". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 59 (350): 257. Bibcode:1947PASP...59..257M. doi:10.1086/125962. S2CID 250797181.
3. Danehkar, A.; Parker, Q. A.; Steffen, W. (2016). "Fast, low-ionization emission regions of the planetary nebula M2-42". The Astrophysical Journal. 151 (2): 38. arXiv:1601.01702. Bibcode:2016AJ....151...38D. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/151/2/38. S2CID 53006455.
4. Tylenda, R.; Acker, A.; Stenholm, B. (1993). "Wolf-Rayet nuclei of planetary nebulae. Observations and classification". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 102: 595–602. Bibcode:1993A&AS..102..595T.
5. DePew, K.; Parker, Q. A.; Miszalski, B.; De Marco, O.; Frew, D. J.; Acker, A.; Kovacevic, A. V.; Sharp, R. G. (2011). "Newly discovered Wolf-Rayet and weak emission-line central stars of planetary nebulae". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 414 (4): 2812–2827. arXiv:1101.2468. Bibcode:2011MNRAS.414.2812D. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18337.x. S2CID 11319403.
6. Wang, W.; Liu, X. -W. (2007). "Elemental abundances of Galactic bulge planetary nebulae from optical recombination lines". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 381 (4): 669–701. arXiv:0707.0542. Bibcode:2007MNRAS.381..669W. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12198.x. S2CID 14459450.