Discovery of a Bow Shock around Cataclysmic Variable Star LS Pegasi

Image Title: Discovery of a Bow Shock around Cataclysmic Variable Star LS Pegasi
Copyright: Jonathan Talbot, Calvin Carter and Peter Goodhew

Location: e-EyE Extramadura Spain
DSO observatory Ft Davis Texas
Stark Bayou Observatory Ocean Springs, MS

Data Acquisition Method: Shared Community Data

Description and Details: We present another new discovery of a bow shock around a cataclysmic variable star. This time the star is LS Pegasi. LS Pegasi is well known star. There have been several studies done over the years since its discovery as a variable star in 1935. It was first suspected to be a cataclysmic variable (CV) in 1988. In August of 2020, DanaPatchick noticed faint nebulosity around the star LS Pegasi while looking at VTSS and SHASSA plates. He enlisted Peter Goodhew to capture some images of LS Pegasi. Peter's images showed the nebulosity in an arc near the star. These were probably the first amateur images to confirm this nebulosity.Fast forward to the summer of 2024. DanaPatchick approached Professor Howard Bond (Penn State) to see if he would be interested in this data as he had just written a paper about the CV SY Cancri (PaEl1) bow shock discovery which was published in Nov 24. https://app.astrobin.com/i/0uqr8r. The paper: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad7a71

Talbot/Carter and Goodhew began an imaging campaign to collect more data on LS Pegasi. We were able to combine Peter's earlier data with new data taken by Talbot/Carter using Carter's Planewave DR 350 at DSO observatories in Ft Davis Texas and Talbot's 6" refractor at Stark Bayou observatory in Mississippi. These data were combined and processed by Talbot resulting in the main color HOORGB image you see on this page. We were able to gather a total of 96hrs 18min of data utilizing H𝛼, [ OIII ] and RGB filters. The H𝛼 data was fairly prominent showing the bow shock. The [ OIII ] data was pretty weak as we were only able to gather 5.91hrs before the end of the season but the [ OIII ] data does suggest that there is similar [ OIII ] signal like what was found around SY Cancri. As part of this effort to image bow shock nebula around CV stars, we also collected data on the CV ASSASN-V J205457.73+515731.9. Eric Coles (coles44) joined this effort as well. Peter Goodhew has a good writeup about this effort here: https://app.astrobin.com/i/r85e3i as well as the data Eric Coles collected which you can find here: https://app.astrobin.com/i/b5cw6q. The data from both our campaigns was combined and both LS Pegasi and ASSASN-V J205457.73+515731.9 were included in the final paper which was accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal in May 25. Please see the linked paper to learn more about the processes which can result in these nebula around CV stars. You can find it here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.02760

This image is the result of a collaboration between Peter Goodhew, Calvin Carter and Jonathan Talbot.

Name: Jonathan Talbot

Website or Facebook Profile: https://app.astrobin.com/u/talbotj#gallery