NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 6618 = M 17. Though JH has five observations of this, he gives RAs for only three of them, and those apply to two different parts of the nebula. His NPDs are similarly scattered over the face of the nebula, and two are marked uncertain with colons. I've decided to not try to give his raw positions, but instead adopt the GC position for his center. I note that the NGC position is nine seconds east and 0.3 arcmin further south, very nearly coincident with the position I've adopted for the center of the bright "bar" extending east- southeast from the "omega" portion of the nebula.

===== NGC 6618 13.1" (7/16/82): the "Swan Nebula" is very bright, very large, with fantastic detail along the bright bar. Has a turbulent texture with dark areas near the "hook". A nebulous halo surrounds the brighter star to the south. 8": very bright, large, very detailed. The brightest portion consists of a long bright ray that hooks south at the west end. A fainter section oriented N-S section follows. The main bar is mottled. The irregular hooked portion is clearly mixed with a dark nebula intruding. Fainter nebulosity is visible north and south of the main bar.