Two Circumstellar Nebulae Discovered with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explore and Their Massive Central Stars

Abstract

Abstract We report the discovery of two mid-infrared nebulae in the northern hemisphere with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and the results of optical spectroscopy of their central stars, BD+60° 2668 (composed of two components, separated from each other by ≈3 arcsec) and ALS 19653, with the Calar Alto 3.5 m telescope and the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), respectively. We classify the components of BD+60° 2668 as stars of spectral types B0.5 II and B1.5 III. ALS 19653 is indicated in the SIMBAD database as a planetary nebula, while our observations show that it is a massive B0.5 Ib star, possibly in a binary system. Using the stellar atmosphere code fastwind, we derived fundamental parameters of the three stars as well as their surface element abundances, implying that all of them are either on the main sequence or only recently left it. This provides further evidence that massive stars can produce circumstellar nebulae while they are still relatively unevolved. We also report the detection of optical counterparts to the mid-infrared nebulae and a second, more extended optical nebula around ALS 19653, and present the results of SALT spectroscopy of both nebulae associated with this star. The possible origin of the nebulae is discussed.