NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 6728 could be Isserstedt 662, a stellar ring (though it does not look very ring-like to me). This is one minute, 13 seconds preceding and 1.6 arcminutes north of WH's position at which there is nothing resembling a cluster. WH describes his object as being composed of "... coarsely scattered stars, not rich." This certainly fits Isserstedt 662 which is the only object in the area that WH might have picked up. Those interested in Schmidt-Kaler and Isserstedt's idea that the stellar rings have a constant size -- so can therefore be used as distance indicators -- can read more about them in A&A 9, 70, 1970 which gives other earlier references. Note added in February 2013: Well, Isserstedt 662 is not the only "cluster" that WH could have picked out. About half a minute of time east and three arcminutes south is a scattered group of stars approximately 14' x 7' across that actually better matches his description. This is now my prime candidate for his cluster. I would be surprised if it turned out to be a real cluster, but it at least has the appearance that might attract the eye of someone scanning the sky. By the way, Brent Archinal's Webb Society monograph mentions a November 1988 letter of mine to him in which I credit Alister Ling with the Isserstedt 662 suggestion (Brian Skiff passed this on to me from Alister). In their "Star Clusters" book, Archinal and Hynes identify the cluster with Isserstedt 662, but list an incorrect position, and make its size 18 arcminutes, while the ring catalogue has its size as 2.2' x 1.4', elongated in PA = 120 degrees. It's possible that they were looking at a different "cluster."

===== NGC 6728 17.5" (7/27/95): large, scattered group of mag 11-14 stars in a 7' triangular outline. Fairly easy to pick out at 100x. There are no rich clumps but many stars are arranged in strings and loops, forming the outline. A small equilateral triangle of mag 12 stars with sides ~30" is situated at the center of the group. Listed as nonexistent in RNGC.