NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 3187. The position I've adopted for this famous, distorted spiral is that of the faint, stellar nucleus. There is a possibility, worth checking, that the nucleus is actually a superposed star. See also NGC 3189.

===== NGC 3187 48" (4/1/11): moderately bright, elongated 3:1 NW-SE, 1.8'x0.6', weak concentration with no well defined core. At both the NW and SE ends of the bar are faint spiral arms. The arm at the NW end bends sharply towards the south in the direction of a mag 13.8 star 1.0' SW of center, though doesn't reach this star. On the SW end of the bar a second faint arm hooks at a right angle to the NE. Both arms extend ~45" and give the galaxy a distinctive zig-zag shape. Located on a line 4.9' NW of the showpiece edge-on NGC 3190. 17.5" (3/23/85): faint, small, edge-on NW-SE. A mag 14 star is off the SW side 1.1' from center and a similar star is 1.3' SSE. Unusual as the major axis is exactly collinear with the brighter edge-on NGC 3190 4.9' SE. Located 6.3' SSW of mag 7.8 SAO 81276 and 8.8' WSW of NGC 3193. 13.1" (3/24/84) very faint, elongated NW-SE. Located 5' NW NGC 3190. A mag 8 star 6' NNE detracts. 8" (4/24/82): not seen.