NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 4303 = M 61 = h1202 = H I 139 is one of the few Messier objects to also carry a number in WH's lists. It also figures in the identifications of NGC 4301 (which see, along with the short entry on NGC 4292A in the "notngc" files) and M 91, which see under both NGC 4548 and NGC 4579.

===== NGC 4303 48" (4/5/13): at 375x and 488x, the visible structure was similar to photographic detail! A bright bar extends north-south and is sharply concentrated with a very small, round, intense nucleus. A bright arm is attached right at the north side of the bar and sweeps counterclockwise 180¡ to the south end, along the east side. A brighter region was visible in the arm east of the nucleus, which include HII regions NGC 4303:[HK83] #35/39/41/45/49, from the Hodge-Kennicutt "Atlas of H II regions in 125 galaxies". The western arm is attached at the southern end of the bar and sweeps north on the west side. A bright, elongated patch is on the southern end of this arm, which includes #155, ~45" SSW of the nucleus. The arm extends inside a mag 14 star in the west side of the halo [1.2' WSW of center] and then sharply dims but extends towards #242, a nearly detached faint knot 1.2' WNW of center. A partial outer arm, not attached to the core, was easily visible on the north side, angling southwest to northeast. This short arms contains HII region #135, a very bright, 15" knot, 1.2' NNE of center. 18" (5/12/07): spiral structure is easily visible. One arm is attached at the north end and sweeps towards the northeast and then hooks to the south along the east side. A bright knot ([HK83] 135) is within the arm at the northeast end. A second broader arm is attached at the south end and sweeps towards the southwest and then hooks towards the north on the west side. The central region contains a bright, stellar nucleus. 13.1" (5/26/84): very bright, large, bright stellar nucleus. Two spiral arms are faintly visible; one arm is attached south of the nucleus and winds towards the west and then north. A slightly brighter arm is attached north of the nucleus and winds along the east side towards the south. In the field with NGC 4292 11' NW and NGC 4301 10' NE.