NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 5844 18" (7/10/05 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): excellent view of this interesting object at 128x with a UHC filter. Using this combination, the planetary appeared moderately bright and large with an irregular shape and surface brightness but elongated WSW-ENE, ~0.9'x0.7'. At 228x, the northeast end is brighter and larger and the center seems pinched in, particularly on the north side with a small, faint extension or knot on the southwest end. Unfiltered at 228x, a fairly close double (B 832 = 9/10.5 at 5") lies 3' NE and a very close, faint double lies 1.3' SE of center. Located 3¡ ENE of mag 3.2 Alpha Circini. 18" (7/8/02 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): this fairly bright, moderately large planetary was quite interesting at 171x and a UHC filter. It was elongated 3:2 E-W, ~55"x40". It appeared brighter on the following end with an indentation or notch on the north side giving the impression of a bipolar structure. Set in a rich Triangulum Australe star field 3' SW of a mag 9 double star (9/10.5 at 6"). Also a mag 10.5 star lies 2.5' E. This object is listed in the PK and ESO-Strausberg catalogues as He 2-119 instead of NGC 5844 although John Herschel's position (from two observations) matches this planetary. Also, it was listed as an unverified southern object in the RNGC and probably because of this error was not included in Sky Atlas 2000.0, Sky Catalogue 2000.0 or the first edition of the Uranometria 2000!