May have had a win here

[Stevec35]

Continuing the story of the recent globular cluster discovery, I got this response from Dr Dante Minniti who leads the team that announced it. This sounds very encouraging but I'm not sure what's supposed to happen now.

Cheers

Steve

Dear Mr Crouch,
This is very interesting, and thanks for the excellent image.
Copying this to my colleagues so they know the full story.
We do not mind at all that you are named codiscoverer!
My father is also a serious amateur astronomer, this is why I got into Astronomy.
With best regards,
Dante

[gregbradley]

Congratulations Steve.

Greg.

[Stevec35]

Thanks Greg. I don't think I'm quite there yet but it looks pretty good.

Cheers

Steve

[Ric]

Top stuff Steve.

I hope it all goes well, that would be fantastic to get your name into a history book for all time.

Cheers

[Stevec35]

Thanks Ric. I don't think the name of the thing will change. The best I could hope for I reckon would be to be named a co-discoverer.

Cheers

Steve

[PeterM]

Steve that would be an independent discovery (equally as important) not co-discovery as you found it at a different time and location to ESO.

Completely unsure as to how any naming convention works for deep sky objects. I think it is more likely that it would become say "Crouch's object/ globular" in popular amateur astronomical circles. Officially you want to be noted as as an independent discoverer alongside ESO, just make sure that happens but it depends who follows what up from ESO. I don't think the IAU get involved other than Minor Planets, Comets etc. So here's where you may have to take the lead. Also check with DS hunters of any protocols/ precedents as they should have been there done that. At the very least I think Aust Sky & Tel as well as US Sky & Tel should hop in or you or someone you know submit a paper to both. Give it a popular name in those articles as Jay McNeill had happen with McNeills Object. Infact as you had no way of knowing it to be a globular so Crouch's Object seems the more appropriate for my mind.
Why not make a start right here with the discovery details and the image and how other amateurs maybe able to follow your path and image the same object. I'm sure Greg Bryant reads these and I would hope he makes contact with you. If not lets call on him right here to respond AND ensure it gets in the US version also. This is, like all Australian (ok Stu and NZ) discoveries big news in my book and you deserve some recognition.
PeterM.

[marco]

Congratulation Steve, this would be a very well deserved recognition

Clear Skies
Marco

[sjastro]

Well done Steve.

Steven

[Stevec35]

Thanks Steven



Thanks Marco



Thanks Peter but lets not go too far at this stage. I would still like to see some "official" statement to the effect that I am a co-discoverer rather than just an email. I have emailed Dr Minniti to ask if this will happen but haven't received a response yet. I've also queried DS Hunters on what should happen now but haven't got much from them either.

I'm quite happy to write an article about it but it would be a short one. All that happened was that I noticed this small cluster in an image of UKS1 that looked like it could be a globular.