NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 4. This really is the very faint galaxy about an arcminute south of Marth's position. He was observing with a 48-inch reflector, the second largest telescope in the world at the time, so he really could see very faint galaxies like this. LEDA took NPM1G +07.0004 as NGC 4. This is brighter, yes, but it is nearly 21 arcmin away from Marth's position, and by funny numbers in both RA and Dec (52 seconds of time, and 16.5 arcmin). No digit errors there. Also, Marth's relative position from NGC 3 pins this object down. He found both on the same night in November of 1864, so the telescope was zeroed the same for both galaxies. Marth's offset from NGC 3 to NGC 4 is just 10 seconds in RA and 5 arcmin in Dec. The offsets from modern positions are 7.6 seconds in RA and 4 arcmin 20 arcsec in Dec. This is well within the errors of Marth's usual accuracy, so the identification is secure. Also see NGC 7830, another very faint object that Marth found the same night. The total V magnitude of NGC 4 (around V = 15.5) bears on the identification of NGC 7830.

===== NGC 4 48" (10/24/11): at 610x appeared fairly faint, very small, round, 10" diameter, high surface brightness. This description applies to the core as the faint thin extensions on the DSS were not noticed. Located 2.9' W of mag 9.5 SAO 109022 and 4.7' NE of NGC 3 in a group. 18" (10/21/06): extremely faint and small, round. This threshold object appeared virtually stellar, perhaps 4" diameter and only visible occasionally with averted vision. Located 3' due west of a mag 9 star. Another very difficult galaxy, NGC 7840, lies 4' WNW. 17.5" (8/2/86): faintest member of the NGC 3 group. Extremely faint and small, at visual threshold. Located 2.9' W of mag 9 SAO 109022 and 4.8' NNE of NGC 3.