NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 4726. There has been confusion over this number ever since Howe's first note appeared in Volume 58 of the Monthly Notices for 1898 (page 515): The NGC place of this nebula of Tempel's seems to be considerably out, both in R.A. and declination. The correct position is 12h46m18s, -13d40.6m. This precesses to 12 48 55, -13 56.9 for B1950.0, and refers to IC 3834 (which see). The confusion is understandable as Tempel's original note reads simply, "Near the fine double nebula [GC] 3250-51 [NGC 4724-27], 4 arcmin further north, is a fainter companion." Dreyer just took the average of the positions for NGC 4724 and 4727, adopted the RA and subtracted 4 arcmin for the north polar distance. This makes the declination very close to correct, but the RA is off by about 9 seconds. Tempel's nebula is a spindle galaxy; this is probably why Howe missed it. In any case, he took the only other galaxy he could find in the area, the one we now call IC 3834 (which is probably not NGC 4740, by the way; see the other numbers for notes).

===== NGC 4726 18" (5/16/09): extremely faint, very small, slightly elongated, 15"x12". Based on this description I only viewed the core region of this thin edge-on. Located 1.2' SSE of a mag 12 star and 4.5' NW of the NGC 4724/4727 duo. The identification of this NGC number is uncertain and most other sources equate it with IC 3834. IC 3834 appeared faint, small, round, low even surface brightness. A mag 15 star lies 43" W of center. Located 11' NE of the NGC 4727/4724 pair.