Precessing Collimated Outflows in the Planetary Nebula Ic 4846

We present [N ii] and Hα images and high resolution long–slit spectra of the planetary nebula IC4846, which reveal, for the first time, its complex structure and the existence of collimated outflows. The object consists of a moderately elongated shell, two (and probably three) pairs of collimated bipolar outflows at different orientations, and an attached circular shell. One of the collimated pairs is constituted by two curved, extended filaments whose properties indicate a high velocity, bipolar precessing jet. A difference of ≃ 10 km s is found between the systemic velocity of the precessing jets and the centroid velocity of the nebula, as recently report for Hu 2-1. We propose that this difference is due to orbital motion of the ejection source in a binary central star. The orbital separation of ≤ 30 AU and period ≤ 100 yr estimated for the binary are similar to those in Hu 2-1, linking the central stars of both planetary nebulae to interacting binaries. Extraordinary similarities also exist between IC 4846 and the bewildering planetary nebula NGC6543, suggesting a similar formation history for both objects. Subject headings: planetary nebulae: individual: (IC 4846) – ISM: kinematics and dynamics – ISM: jets and outflows