Croatian amateur astronomers discover possible new planetary nebula in the night sky

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ZAGREB, 6 August 2026 (Hina) – A group of Croatian amateur astronomers has discovered a previously unknown nebula in the Cygnus constellation, with experts now examining whether the object is a new planetary nebula.

The discovery was made by Croatian astronomers Matija Cecelja, Matija Pozojević, Stjepan Prugovečki and Robert Žibreg, who spent several nights photographing a small area of the sky near the reflection nebula vdB 134.

The faint trace of emission was first noticed by Prugovečki during image analysis, after which the group carried out further research and compared their findings with available astronomical databases.

The object appears to be located around the star Gaia DR3 2084755414429885952, which is classified as a DA-type white dwarf. Such stars are often found at the centre of planetary nebulae, leading the team to conduct additional analysis.

The white dwarf is located approximately 2,350 light years from Earth, while the surrounding nebula-like structure has an estimated diameter of between 1.4 and 1.5 light years. According to the astronomers, these measurements correspond with characteristics typically associated with a planetary nebula of medium age.

Nebula

A review of existing catalogues and scientific literature did not reveal any previously recorded planetary nebula matching the object, and the discovery has therefore been submitted for professional verification.

The candidate nebula has been sent for examination to French amateur astronomer Pascal Le Dû, a specialist in spectroscopic confirmation of planetary nebulae through the 2SPOT project.

If confirmed, the discovery would represent the first planetary nebula identified through a collaboration exclusively involving Croatian amateur astronomers. The object would then be added to major planetary nebula databases, including PlanetaryNebulae.net and HASH PN.