NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 3871 = IC 2959 is an edgewise Sa or Sab, the western-most of a group of four first seen by JH in April of 1827. Curiously, he saw only three of the four then, those forming "... an unequally divided line of 3." These three are NGC 3878, 3880, and 3881. Four years later in April of 1831, he saw "... 3 forming an equilateral triangle." These three are NGC 3871, 3880, and 3881. Considering the extremely crude positions he measured in 1831 (given to only a full minute of time, and a full arcmin, all marked +- with the exception of the NPD for NGC 3880), he sorted out the area remarkably well, recoginizing that he had actually seen all four of the brighter galaxies here. Fortunately, his earlier positions are very good so led not just him, but later micrometric observers to the correct objects. Spitaler saw all four in 1892 and measured positions for three of them. In March 1856, Lord Rosse saw only the three forming the equilateral triangle, so Dreyer was understandably puzzled by JH's note for N3871: "1 minute added to the R.A.; it is evidently the first of the group of 4." In any event, the confusion was sorted out in time for a clarifying note in the first IC. Unfortunately, Javelle seems to have not seen that, so N3871 picked up an IC number in IC2 from his observation in June of 1896.

===== NGC 3871 17.5" (2/24/90): very faint, very small, elongated E-W. First of four and forms the west vertex of an equilateral triangle with sides 4' length with NGC 3880 and NGC 3881 to the NE and east and also forms a rhombus using a mag 13 star 3.7' SE.