An Enigmatic High Excitation Nebula in IC 1613 Dwarf Galaxy

• DOI: 10.3847/2515-5172/ad26f2
• Publication Date: 2024-02-09T11:23:57Z
• Authors: S. Taibi; M. M. Roth; G. Battaglia; S. Kamann
• Keywords: 0103 physical sciences; 01 natural sciences

Abstract We report the serendipitous discovery of a high-excitation nebula in the Local Group dwarf galaxy IC 1613. The nebula shows spectral features typical of a planetary nebula (PN), but its physical size makes it an order of magnitude larger than observed for this type of object, if indeed it belongs to IC 1613. We hypothesise that it may be an example of an over-luminous PN, a still unexplained phenomenon that deserves further investigation.