First Croatian to discover a new nebula in space, now named after him

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Robert Žibreg, an amateur astronomer originally from Virovitica and now residing in Varaždin, has made history as the first Croatian to discover a new nebula in space.

A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space and this celestial object now bears his name, PaZib 1.

Žibreg’s passion for astronomy began in his childhood, observing the Moon and stars through a school telescope.

As an IT professional, he dedicates his free time to exploring the cosmos. Focusing on a rarely photographed region of the sky, he captured images over approximately fifty hours.

Upon processing the data, he noticed an unfamiliar object.

“I realized there was something new there,” he told Dobro jutro, Hrvatska.

Collaborating with American astronomer Dana Patchick, they confirmed the discovery of a new planetary nebula located in the constellation Auriga, near the well-known star cluster Messier 37.

This discovery underscores the vital synergy between amateur astrophotography and professional research in advancing astronomy.

Žibreg advises aspiring astronomers to start with a camera and a small tripod, capturing images of the Moon, planets, or deep space objects.