NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 2543 = IC 2232. The galaxy was first seen by WH in Feb 1787, and was reobserved in Mar 1790. The two positions that he measured are not in particularly good agreement (08 09.6 +36 20 and 08 09.8 +36 35). JH picked it up once in Feb 1832. His position is 08 11 45, +36 24.6, also not in good agreement with either of his father's determinations. However, Sir John notes a "a coarse ** p points to it." This note is correct, and the "double star" is quite wide. The GC and NGC adopted sort of a mean of these three (08 10 43 +36 24.7) which was corrected by Dreyer in the IC 1 notes, following Spitaler (08 09 38 +36 24.7). Actually, Spitaler's micrometric position (measured in Dec 1891) reduces to 08 09 42.9 +36 24 07, using the GSC position for his comparison star, and ignoring its (unknown) proper motion. Javelle scanned the field in Feb 1896 and his position (for IC 2232) reduces to (again ignoring proper motion) 08 09 42.5 +36 24 12, agreeing well with Spitaler. Thus, there is no question that the two different numbers apply to the same object. This identity was first suggested as being the same as N2543 by Reinmuth in 1926, and every catalogue since has made the equality. The descriptions of the galaxy and the surrounding star field simply nail the lid, leaving no doubt about the equivalence of the two entries.

===== NGC 2543 17.5" (3/28/92): fairly faint, moderately large, elongated 3:2 SW-NE, 2.0'x1.5', very small brighter core. Two mag 11.5 stars are 2.4' NW and 3.9' NW on a line with NGC 2543.