Invited_talk abstract details

I will briefly provide some historical perspectives of the heterogeneous compilations of planetary nebulae (PNe) accrued up until the 21st century before presenting some of the key results from the recent major growth in the known population of PNe in our Galaxy. This has been made possible thanks to high-sensitivity, high-resolution, narrow-band surveys of the Milky Way. Furthermore, the ability to more effectively combine multi-wavelength imaging data via the proliferation of online databases enables us to both recognize new PNe and help eliminate the many PN mimics that have biased previous catalogues. I will then spend some time summarising the status of current and future PN surveys in our Galaxy and beyond, before addressing the prospects for further astrophysical exploitation of this fascinating, albeit brief, period in the late-stage evolution of low to intermediate mass stars.