NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 5463. Though there is no problem with the identity of this object, the NGC position, adopted from two micrometric observation by Tempel (published in his 8th list) is 16 seconds west and 3.2 arcmin south of the true position. I've not been able to find why Tempel's reduced position is wrong (even if he used the BD position for his comparison star, his position would only be 1-2 seconds of time off), but re-reducing his offsets using the TRC position and proper motions for his comparison star (BD +10 2619) leads to a position much closer to the modern position. However, Tempel's position is still 1 second of time and 12 arcseconds off, further than I would have expected. While the comparison star has a large proper motion, the reduction accounts for that. So, Tempel's measurements are somewhat in error. Other micrometric positions of his that I've re-reduced have had larger-than-expected offsets from modern positions, so I suspect that his measurements simply have larger standard deviations than would be normal for state-of-the-art work in the mid-1880s.

===== NGC 5463 17.5" (6/4/94): fairly faint, small, elongated 5:2 WSW-ENE, 0.8'x0.3'. Contains a bright core with faint extensions. A mag 11 star lies 2.7' SW of center. Forms a contact pair with an extremely difficult companion (NGC 5463B) just off the NE edge 0.7' from the center. Located at the east end of the NGC 5416 cluster.