NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 2285. d'A's position, from a single observation on the same night during which he also found NGC 2277 and NGC 2284 (both of which see), is nearly coincident with a single faint star. While I previously fingered the double star about 1.5 arcminutes northeast as his object, this single star is a bit brighter, and should be more obvious at the eyepiece. Being so much closer to d'A's position, I think that it is more likely to be his object. I've put it into the table with a colon, and have downgraded the faint double to a questionable identification. One curious aspect to the field is the pretty bright double star just 12 seconds following d'A's position. He does not mention this in his description; the double is bright enough that I'm surprised at his not noting it. He only says (my translation using Google Translate), "Very faint, very small, not quite distinctly seen. Whether a cluster or a nebula, I cannot say for certain; in no way clearly resolved." D'A first announced this along with six other "new" nebulae in the area in AN 1537; there he describes this as "vF. vS. Resolv.?"

===== NGC 2285 24" (1/22/15): at 200x; a 12" pair of mag 14.6 and 15.8 stars was resolved. The fainter star was difficult in hazy conditions. Just 1.6' southeast is a relatively bright double, consisting of mag 10.8/12 stars at 11" separation. d'Arrest didn't mention this pair, which should have been easily resolved, though it is certainly much more eye-catching.