NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 3421 = IC 652 and NGC 3422. Among the nebulae found in 1880 by A. A. Common are two that received these NGC numbers. Common gave them a single rough position -- there are only faint stars near it. However, ten arcmin south is a pair that he could have easily seen in his 36-inch reflector. One of these was later picked up by Javelle, but because the position is so different -- and because Javelle misidentified his comparison star, driving his position even further south -- it was not recognized as one of Common's nebulae until I stumbled across it during work on ESGC. Javelle's object is in IC1 under the number IC 652, which see. Herbert Howe measured one of the galaxies, N3421, on two nights, but missed the other, probably because there is a much brighter star less than an arcminute to the south. Howe also commented about the possibility of two other nebulae in the field, but there is nothing at his approximate places (1.5 arcmin north, and 12 seconds preceding and 2 arcmin south) but faint stars.

===== NGC 3421 18" (3/29/03): faint, small, round, 0.4' diameter. Possibly viewed the core only. Forms a pair with NGC 3422 5.5' NE. NGC 3422 lies 23' NW and NGC 3411/IC 647 is 25' SSW.