NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 1068 48" (10/26/11): at 375x; this is by far the best view I've had of M77. Spiral arm structure was easily visible with two main outer arms and a bright inner arm. The bright inner arm attaches at the east side of the intense core and wraps tightly clockwise around the north side of the core and heads south on the west side of the core. There are two main arms in the halo forming an elongated "S" pattern. A long spiral arm is attached near the east side of the core and wraps outside the inner arm described above. It continues around to the west side and heads south, ending near a compact HII knot (listed in NED as [H66] 6 from Paul Hodge's 1996 "Atlas and Catalog of HII Regions in Galaxies"). A second long spiral arm is attached on the southwest side of the core and wraps clockwise to the east side of the core and extends to the northern edge of the halo. Besides these main arms, several fainter sections of additional arms are tightly wrapped in the halo. NGC 1055 lies 30' NNE. 18" (10/21/06): very bright, fairly large oval, extended 4:3 SW-NE, ~3.5'x2.5'. Sharply concentrated with a very bright, oval core containing a sharp, very bright stellar nucleus. There is a strong impression of mottling or spiral structure in the halo with a curving dust lane (gap between the spiral arms) embedded in the halo that swings around from the southwest side of the halo towards the north along the west side of the core. Inner arm detail is also suggested around the edge of the halo with an impression of turbulence. A mag 11 star is just off the SE side, ~1.5' from the center. 17.5" (11/14/87): very bright, moderately large, sharp concentration with an unusually bright core, almost stellar nucleus, diffuse slightly elongated halo. Appears mottled at high power and a hint of inner arm structure. A mag 11 star is 1.3' ESE of the center. This is a Seyfert 2 galaxy and brightest in a group. 8" (11/28/81): bright, intense core, faint halo.