NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 2678. There is almost certainly no cluster here, just a scattering of field stars about 35 arcmin southwest of M 67. Nevertheless, WH recorded "A cluster of very coarsely scattered stars, not rich" on 15 March 1785. His position is about 30 seconds of time west and 2 arcminutes north of the NGC position which comes from a mean of JH's four observations. JH was not very impressed with the field, calling it "a place rich in stars", "an insignificant cluster," "a very coarse and poor cluster", and finally, "A poor cluster of 4 or 5 large and a few scattered small stars." His positions are nearly as scattered as the stars in the field, but generally define two places within the group: one at the brightest star in the southern part, the other in the clump of stars at the northeastern side. Brian Skiff calls it "four m8 *s only", and AH follow along, branding it an "asterism". Following JH, I make the object a group of four or five brighter stars with about 15 fainter scattered around an area covering 28 by 17 arcminutes. Brian is right in one respect: Without the enhancement of the brighter stars, the Herschels would have never commented on the field.

===== NGC 2678 18" (3/5/05): this asterism contains two groupings of stars to the south of M67 which is partly in the field of the 31 Nagler at the north side. The northern subgroup contains two mag 8.8 and 9.3 stars separated by 3' with a fainter double star between. About 9' SW is a nice group of 5 stars surrounding mag 8.4 HD 75373. Several mag 10-11 stars are to the SW including a NW-SE string.