NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 3324. On Brian Skiff's advice, I've taken the position to be JH's double star (HJ 4338 = HD 92206; JH makes the separation three arcsec, and the position angle 91.5 degrees on 1 April 1834). JH made it clear in his description of the nebula that it extended at least as far south as the brighter star (HD 92207) on the southern edge. But this splendid object is so large that no one will miss it with any of the positions I quote in the table. For the record, the two lobes of the nebula (presumeably as seen on the Harvard plates; see IC 2599 for more) are centered at 10 37 13, -58 36.6 (northern lobe) and 10 37 29, -58 41.9 (southern; both J2000 from the DSS1V image via SkyView). There is also a cluster of young stars involved in the nebulosity; see Juan Claria's paper in A&AS 27, 145, 1977 for more on that (I thank Brian for the reference). Also see IC 2599, the southern part of the NGC object, for more on this object and the bright stars in it.

===== NGC 3324 24" (4/11/08 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): I only took a quick look at the "Gabriela Mistral" Nebula nebula at 200x and a UHC filter, but the brightest portion appeared like a cartoon drawing of a whale with a huge, very bright bulbous "head" forming the northern end of the nebula. The brightest portion is perhaps 15'x6' in size, but quite an extensive amount of fainter nebulosity spreads out the east and southeast of the main body, significantly increasing the size to ~15'x11', elongated N-S. Some faint nebulosity also spreads to the west of the main portion. At the south end is the mag 5.5 star HD 92207. 13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): striking HII region and cluster 30' SE of NGC 3293 and 90' NW of the center of the Eta Carina nebula! (this is an outlying piece of the Eta Carina complex) At 105x and UHC filter this huge, elongated, irregular nebula is quite bright, perhaps 15'x6' in size and tapers towards the south end where mag 5.5 HD 92207 is embedded. The nebula widens to a well-defined bulbous mass on the north end. Faint nebulosity hooks off the north end and spreads to the east and northeast. This HII region is ionized by mag 8 HD 92206 = h4338 (an 8.2/9.2 pair at 5") situated near the center of the nebula. Unfiltered, a scattered group of stars is superimposed but this just appears to be a random star grouping in the Carina section of the Milky Way.