ASKAP EMU detection of an Odd Radio Circle (ORC) candidate: J094412–751016 (Anglerfish)

Filipović MD, Smeaton ZJ, Bradley AC, Kothes R, Crawford EJ, Ahmad A, Akahori T, Barnes L, Bordiu C, Dai S, Duchesne S, Gordon YA, Gupta N, Hopkins AM, Koribalski BS, Lazarević S, Leahy D, Luken KJ, Macgregor PJ, Mailvaganam A, Mehmood S, Norris RP, Novaretti N, Park LA, Riggi S, Riseley CJ, Rowell G, Sasaki M, Shabala SS, Taziaux S, Tothill NF, Urošević D, Velović V, Vernstrom T, West JL, Zafar T (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia Cambridge University Press (CUP)

DOI: 10.1017/pasa.2026.10186

Abstract

We report diffuse extended radio-continuum emission spatially coinciding with the IR source WISEA J094409.17–751012.8, and a semi-variable star, V687 Carinae. We use 944 MHz radio data from the large-scale Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey to analyse this diffuse emission (EMU J094412–751016), which we nickname “Anglerfish”. We investigate if the spatially correlated infrared (IR) source, WISEA J094409.17–751012.8, is physically related to Anglerfish. The IR colours of WISEA J094409.17–751012.8 are indicative of an elliptical galaxy, raising the possibility that Anglerfish may belong to the newly-discovered class of extragalactic radio sources known as Odd Radio Circles (ORCs) with WISEA J094409.17–751012.8 as the host galaxy. We also investigate the possibility that Anglerfish is physically related to the star, V687 Carinae, and whether it may be a remnant from a previous epoch of stellar mass-loss. We determine that a physical association between the radio emission and the star is unlikely due to the star’s weak stellar winds compared to the theoretical expansion velocity of the ‘shell’. It is possible that Anglerfish may be a Galactic high-latitude supernova remnant (SNR); however, we find that the observed size and luminosity are not consistent with this scenario. We also investigate the ORC scenario, which we deem the most likely scenario based on the Anglerfish’s observed properties such as size, brightness, lack of other frequency detections, and possible host galaxy identification. We therefore propose Anglerfish as an ORC candidate, but note that additional radio and optical observations are vital to further constrain the properties and confirm this classification.

Authors with CRIS profile

Manami Sasaki Professur für Multiwellenlängenastronomie

Involved external institutions

National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) IT Italy (IT) University of Western Sydney AU Australia (AU) Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) AU Australia (AU) University of Wisconsin - Madison US United States (USA) (US) Macquarie University AU Australia (AU) University of Calgary CA Canada (CA) National Research Council / Conseil national de recherches Canada CA Canada (CA) National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / 国立天文台(NAOJ) JP Japan (JP) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) DE Germany (DE) University of Adelaide AU Australia (AU) University of Tasmania (UTAS) AU Australia (AU) University of Belgrade / Универзитет у Београду RS Serbia (RS)

How to cite

APA:

Filipović, M.D., Smeaton, Z.J., Bradley, A.C., Kothes, R., Crawford, E.J., Ahmad, A.,... Zafar, T. (2026). ASKAP EMU detection of an Odd Radio Circle (ORC) candidate: J094412–751016 (Anglerfish). Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2026.10186

MLA:

Filipović, M. D., et al. "ASKAP EMU detection of an Odd Radio Circle (ORC) candidate: J094412–751016 (Anglerfish)." Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (2026).

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