NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 7023 is an impressive diffuse nebula surrounding HD 200775 in Cygnus, made more so by the obscuring dark cloud in turn surrounding it and the star. It makes a fine sight in a six-inch which will not see deeply enough to pick up what faint stars there are scattered around the nebula -- it appears to stand alone in a large void in the sky. There is no difficulty with the identification, though I am curious as to why JH did not pick it up. The NGC entry is based on a single observation by his father. Perhaps JH did not sweep across this patch of sky. I've adopted the position of the star as that for the NGC object.

===== NGC 7023 18" (7/24/06): viewed at 160x, this detailed reflection nebula displayed a great deal of interesting structure! Surrounding the mag 7.4 illuminating star is a bright halo of nebulosity extending mostly north of the star and ending just south of the star in a well-defined slightly curving border. A wide dark lane intrudes into the nebulosity from the southwest towards the bright star. To the south of the star is a triangular region of haze (brightest just south of the central star) roughly filling in the region defined by a mag 13.5 star 5.5' SSE and a fainter star a similar distance southwest. A larger section of faint haze extending N-S is seemingly detached at the periphery on the east side of the nebula (this is an outer "wing" on photographs) and a more vaguely defined region of low surface brightness haze is detached on the western side (also oriented N-S). These two detached wings give a diameter of at least 7'. 17.5" (8/13/88): very prominent unusual nebulosity surrounding mag 7.4 SAO 19158. A dark lane oriented SSW-NNE is following the bright star. Nebulosity may extend to a star 3' SSE that also has a halo. 13.1" (9/22/84): the dark lane appears to be following the central star and oriented ~N-S. 13.1" (9/11/82): bright, large nebulosity surrounding a mag 7 star. There is a sharp light cut-off on the east side near the bright star, although nebulosity extends beyond. 8" (8/28/81): nebulosity extends south of the mag 7.5 star with averted vision using 100-125x. A very faint star is at the south edge.