NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 2843. In spite of the faintness of this galaxy, and its proximity to the considerably brighter star, it is almost surely the object that WH found. He is cautious in his description, noting that it took 240X to show the object and the star. His position is just an arcminute east, too, well within his usual observational error. However, there is some question about this object. WH's description in full, taken from CH's fair copy in the Herschel Archives, reads, "A suspected nebula; but No. 4 [240X] shewed some S stars with suspected nebulosity; probably a deception from want of light and power. 47 ([delta]) Cancri f 36' 0" n 0[deg] 53' RA 9h 9' 18" PD 70[deg] 14'." (CH abbreviates "minutes of time" with a single quote and "seconds of time" with a double quote.) The position she gives for equinox 1800.0 precesses to 09 20 34, +18 55.8 for J2000. Note, too, that WH's published NPD offset is "52" arcminutes north of 47 Cnc, not "53" as CH has recorded. All considered, I think that WH actually did glimpse the faint galaxy in a moment of exceptional seeing, perhaps with averted vision. Steve Gottlieb has dug the galaxy out with his 18-inch reflector (the star at 13th magnitude is easy). So, I have listed the galaxy plus the star as the probable object that WH saw, though with a colon to reflect his unresolved suspicions.

===== NGC 2843 18" (3/17/07): this marginal galaxy was just glimpsed for moments at 323x as an extremely small, hazy spot perhaps 8" diameter situated close south of a mag 12.5 star. Located 2.6' NNW of a mag 10.3 star and 10' SSW of mag 7.2 HD 80495. 18" (3/11/07): not found at 220x.