Galaxy Zoo Talk

Weird IR objects

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR

    When searching for brown dwarfs for the Backyard Worlds project I found a big bunch of these strange objects, and it seems no one at the project is able to determine what kind of object they are.

    They all look nearly exactly the same and are strong in WISE W1 / W2 / W3 and some in W4 without any optical counterpart, and are highly variable in time (WISE / NEO1 / NEO2). Quasars / AGN / Stars ?? Most look like they are shapeshifting or even moving.

    Please does anyone here (perhaps a scientist) can determine what they are?

    Here is one example: RA,Dec 114.1078 27.5814

    enter image description here
    enter image description here

    Clearly visible in DECaLS: http://legacysurvey.org/viewer?ra=114.1076&dec=27.5821&zoom=14&layer=unwise-w1w2

    PanSTARRS: http://ps1images.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/ps1cutouts?pos=114.1078+27.5814&filter=color&filter=g&filter=r&filter=i&filter=z&filter=y&filetypes=stack&auxiliary=data&size=240&output_size=0&verbose=0&autoscale=99.500000&catlist=

    IRSA Finder Chart

    WISE Position

    And here it is clearly visible how variable they are between allWISE, NEO1 and NEO2.

    Band W1: http://byw.tools/wiseview#ra=114.1078&dec=27.5814&size=100&band=1&speed=612&brighten=0&zoom=6&equalize=true&greyscale=false

    Band W2: http://byw.tools/wiseview#ra=114.1078&dec=27.5814&size=100&band=2&speed=612&brighten=0&zoom=6&equalize=true&greyscale=false

    Would love to learn what they are!

    Posted

  • ElisabethB by ElisabethB moderator

    Did you ask the Backyard Worlds scientists ? They have the most experience with these images, so I think they are the first ones to ask.

    Posted

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR in response to ElisabethB's comment.

    Yes I did, but no one (volunteer + scientists) tells me or even guesses what they are, very weird like I'm in The Twilight Zone. Also at the project they are with a small group with lost of work and these kind of things are not their primary focus.

    And I can't find any reference in any catalog (VizieR) but finding a lot of them. So either they are artifacts of some kind (which seems unlikely but not impossible), or they are something unknown and interesting. If I could just get some kind of confirmation either way would be really great, that's why I also ask here.

    Posted

  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    really bright objects can leave an after-image on the detectors that
    can persist for many minutes

    , from This Asteroid Inspected by #32 https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/blog/?search=&blog_columns=Rocks+and+Stars+with+Amy&blog_authors=Amy+Mainzer

    Maybe a latent image of a star which creates an artifact. It seems to have remnants of a star spike, and it is very big, the size of a very bright star.

    IV. WISE Data Processing

    1. Pipeline Science Modules

    g. Artifact Identification and Flagging (ARTID)

    http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allsky/expsup/sec4_4g.html

    about 3/4 of the way down the page.

    I don't see it in DECaLS?
    I don't see it in PANSTARRS?

    Posted

  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    While we are on the topic of brown dwarfs

    enter image description here

    https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13216

    https://cmarchesin.blogspot.co.uk/2010_06_01_archive.html

    Posted

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR in response to Budgieye's comment.

    Thanks for all the info. I suppose they could be latent images, but then would it make sense all of them (nearly 50 now) also show up in NEO1 and NEO2 in exactly the same position? If I'm correct those are new seperate new images, would make more sense to me if they showed up in only one of those three runs on the same spot.

    On your second post: image doesn't display and the first link is dead?

    Posted

  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    I would really like a Backyard scientists opinion, rather than my internet searches.

    Let's try again on the Backyard Website. Strange objects, no optical https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9/talk/693/355308

    It seems ALLWISE had incorporated images from both WISE and NEOWISE, in order to make better images.

    By combining the data from two complete sky coverage epochs using an
    advanced data processing system, AllWISE has generated new products
    that have enhanced photometric sensitivity and accuracy, and improved
    astrometric precision

    http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allwise/

    Now, how are NEO1 and NEO2 connected? I don't know.

    Second post is on PIA13216 Cool as a Stellar Cucumber. The link is old 2010, though it works for me. Not important to get this exact link. I just thought the image of red dwarf among white stars in IR looks like what you are searching for.

    Posted

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR in response to Budgieye's comment.

    Ok great, thanks for your help. I've inserted the list I have so far in a group document in the Backyard World Google Groups.

    Hmm yes if allWISE combined images then it would make sense a latent image is visible. As you can see in the variable link also in NEOWISE1 and 2 makes it a bit more interesting though.

    If they are such obvious artifacts then a scientist or knowledgeable volunteer could have said that at the very first coordinates I posted, only response I got was from another volunteer who stated they are ERO's.

    I think I can't open it because Safari thinks its not secure, should work on my computer though, I'll check later.

    Posted

  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    Remember that you are not actually seeing them in DECaLS, you are on the DECaLS site that gives you access to UNWISE.

    Posted

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR in response to Budgieye's comment.

    Ofcourse, I know.

    Only the DECaLS team chose to visualize the WISE information in a unique and easy accessible way which makes it much easier to search for certain objects such as brown dwarfs or these things in comparison with IRSA Finder Chart and other sources 😃

    Posted

  • Budgieye by Budgieye moderator

    People get confused, including me. 😮

    Posted

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR

    :p I know the feeling 😕

    Still no answer anywhere though, not here, not BYW Talk or Google Groups, not Twitter. Saddens me 😢

    Posted