NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 4903 and NGC 4905. Both found in JH's Sweep 564 on 30 March 1835, these are the two fainter of a triplet (there is another galaxy to the northwest just over five arcminutes away, ESO 443- G028 that JH might have seen under excellent conditions). The brightest galaxy is ESO 443- G034 and is in the same five-arcminute field with the two that JH found. How does it happen that he got the fainter two, but not the brightest? There are no clues in the sweep, except that the NPD for the galaxy that became NGC 4903 is marked "+-". Both objects were taken on wire 2 on the "following" side of JH's field, so it may be possible that the brighter galaxy was just out to the east as the telescope slewed past it across the sky. There is a bright star (HD 113129, V = 7.4) about five arcminutes northeast of the triplet, but JH does not mention that. Nor does he mention the double star about 1.5 arcminutes to the southwest of the bright star (which is itself double, but the secondary is at V = 11.5). So, why the bright galaxy is missing from the NGC, and JH's catalogues before, remains a mystery.

===== NGC 4903 18" (3/17/07): largest of trio with NGC 4905 and ESO 443-034, but the lowest surface brightness. Appears fairly faint, moderately large, round, 1.0'-1.2' diameter, halo fades into the background, very weak concentration. Three stars are close south including a pair of mag 14.5-15 star just off the south side. NGC 4905 lies 4.3' NNE and ESO 443-034 the same distance ENE. The ESO galaxy appeared fairly faint, fairly small, slightly elongated SW-NE, 0.6'x0.5' (large low surface brightness halo not seen). A mag 10 star lies 2.3' E. ESO 443-039 lies 18' NE. It's odd that John Herschel missed this galaxy when he picked up the other two.