NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 1974 = NGC 1991 is a stellar association in the northern part of the LMC. JH calls it the fourth in a line of four (though he did not measure the first, so that does not have an NGC number). He also made a one minute error in the RA of NGC 1991. This was first caught, as far as I know, by Paul Hodge and is noted in his and Francis Wright's LMC Atlas. The observation leading to N1974 is the only one in the field not from Sweep 760 on 2 Jan 1837. The DSS image shows a field very much as JH describes it: "... a great line of rich clusters which are connected by abundant scattered stars. (The first not taken.)" The other NGC objects are NGC 1955 and NGC 1968. The western- most, which JH did not measure, is at 05 25 32.4, -67 31 49 (B1950.0). All are wreathed in loops and tangles of nebulosity, probably supernova remnants and HII regions. Curiously, all but the first of the associations appear to be double on the DSS image. JH's positions fall in between these concentrations, so I've estimated the centers of them, and have measured the approximate centers for each concentration. It may be that there are no really separate clusters here, just one large, extended, star-forming region.

===== NGC 1974 30" (11/5/10 - Coonabarabran, 264x): fourth in a great looping chain of clusters and nebulosity (collectively called the "Sextant Arc") including NGC 1955 and NGC 1968 to the SW. This group is virtually attached to NGC 1968, only distinguished by less nebulosity and stars. There are roughly three dozen stars resolved in a 3' circular group (stellar association LH 63) including a number of mag 12-13 stars. The cluster is involved in fairly bright nebulous haze (LCM-N51A). NGC 1991 is a duplicate entry with a 1 minute error in RA.