NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 6633. Found by CH in 1783, this sparce, scattered cluster of bright stars is centered about 30 seconds of time west and 7 arcminutes south of WH's position. The cluster is larger than WH's sweeping field, though, and is extended east-west, so WH may have not seen its entire extent when he measured the position. Note, too, that the RA offset given in WH's complete papers as edited by Dreyer is incorrect -- for "27 26", read "27 56". The sweep has the correct offset. The comparison star, called "62 Serpentis" in WH's day, is HD 175515; it has a large proper motion in declination, so the position reduced by CH and adopted for the NGC is just over an arcminute too far south.

===== NGC 6633 15x50mm IS binoculars (6/19/09): this easy naked-eye cluster is more obvious than nearby, larger IC 4756, which has a lower surface brightness. Partially resolved in binoculars with several resolved clumps of stars. 13.1" (9/9/83): very bright, very large but loose and scattered. At 62x, 150 stars are visible in a 60' field with several bright stars on the SW side and many bright stars are outside this field including mag 5.5 SAO 123516 15' SSE. This is a naked-eye open cluster in dark skies.