NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 1404 18" (12/17/11): very bright, moderately large, round, 1.5' diameter. The outer halo gradually increases then brightens fairly rapidly to a small, very bright core. The core increases to the center but there a stellar nucleus was not seen. A mag 12-12.5 star is 45" SE, at the edge of the halo. Mag 8.1 HD 22862 lies 2.8' SE. NGC 1404 is smaller but has an overall higher surface brightness than NGC 1399, located 10' NNW. NGC 1396 lies 4.6' W. At 285x, supernova 2011iv, discovered on Dec 2, was easily visible just 7" W and 8" N of center. The supernova was similar in brightness to the mag 12-12.5 star at or just off the southeast edge of the halo. 13.1" (12/22/84): bright, fairly small, round, bright core. Located just 2.8' NNW of mag 8.1 SAO 194428. NGC 1399 lies 10' NW. Member of Fornax I cluster. 8" (10/13/81): fairly bright, small, round, bright core. A mag 8 star is close SSE.