When Nature Tries to Trick Us

Abstract: Bipolar planetary nebulae (PNe) are thought to result from binary star interactions and, indeed, tens of binary central stars of PNe have been found, in particular using photometric time-series that allow detecting post-common envelope systems. Using photometry at the NTT in La Silla we have studied the bright object close to the centre of PN M3-2 and found it to be an eclipsing binary with an orbital period of 1.88 days. However, the components of the binary appear to be two A or F stars, of almost equal masses, and are thus too cold to be the source of ionisation of the nebula. Using deep images of the central star obtained in good seeing, we confirm a previous result that the central star is more likely a much fainter star, located 2 arcseconds away from the bright star. The eclipsing binary is thus a chance alignment on top of the planetary nebula. We also studied the nebular abundance and confirm it to be a Type I PN.