NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 1982 = M 43. For this, and many other emission or reflection nebulae with clearly identified embedded stars, I have adopted the position of the star as that for the entire nebula. This follows the precedent set by the visual discovers who noticed that many of the nebulae are usually (though not always) brightest in the vicinity of the stars. There is a curiosity in the NGC listing for M 43. WH's first "Very Faint" nebula is in the vicinity, so GC and NGC suggest that it might be equivalent. This probably bothered Dreyer a bit, as he added a note to WH's observation when he edited the Complete Papers: "III 1 is an appendage to the north of M 43." WH's own observation seems to support this, and it is well-known, too, that he tried to not include any of Messier's nebulae or clusters in his own lists (though several did creep in, including M 8, M 20, and M 82).

===== NGC 1982 13.1": large detached piece of M42, mottled outer region, very bright center. Has a large rotated "comma" shape with a dark indentation on the east side. A mag 8 star is embedded. 8": fairly large, irregular, protrudes to the NE, includes a bright star.