NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 4153 is probably NGC 4147. This was found by WH on 15 Feb 1784, only two months after he started observing with his first "20-feet" telescope. He put the nebula 1m 30s preceding, 2d 11m south of 5 Comae. This gives 12 08.1 +18 38 (1950) for the nebula. Herschel described it as "B, pL, lE, bM, m[ilky]." It has not been seen since at this position. The closest reasonable object that might be the missing nebula is another early discovery of WH's, NGC 4147 = H I 19, the bright globular northwest of the Virgo Cluster. Herschel found this just a month after N4153 (14 March 1784), and placed it at 10m 30s preceding, 0d 46m north of 11 Comae. This becomes 12 07.7, +18 50 (1950), in pretty good agreement with modern positions for the cluster. WH's description is very much the same as that for N4153: "vB, pL, gbM." At the time WH found N4153, he was still improving his method of determining positions. So, I suspect that the February observation, earlier on the "learning curve," actually refers to NGC 4147. I also recall a Sky and Telescope article on this mystery object. It appeared many years ago, perhaps in the late 50s or early 60s. Someone whose S&T's are not buried in the storeroom might want to dig it out. It is not a "Deep Sky Wonders" article, since Walter Scott Houston's article -- at least as printed in the book edited by Stephen James O'Meara -- that mentions N4153 calls it a "true faint external galaxy ... about 13' south and about 8' east of NGC 4147." The declination would be close to WH's, but the RA is well off. And there is nothing in this position, either.

===== NGC 4153 See observing notes for NGC 4147. Identification uncertain.