Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters : From Herschel to Dreyer's New General Catalogue

The New General Catalogue, Originally Created In 1888, Is The Source For Referencing Bright Nebulae And Star Clusters, Both In Professional And Amateur Astronomy. With 7840 Entries, It Is The Most-used Historical Catalogue Of Observational Astronomy, And Ngc Numbers Are Commonly Used Today. However, The Fascinating History Of The Discovery, Observation, Description And Cataloguing Of Nebulae And Star Clusters In The Nineteenth Century Has Largely Gone Untold, Until Now. This Well-researched Book Is The First Comprehensive Historical Study Of The Ngc, And Is An Important Resource To All Those With An Interest In The History Of Modern Astronomy And Visual Deep-sky Observing. It Covers The People, Observatories, Instruments And Methods Involved In Nineteenth Century Visual Deep-sky Observing, As Well As Prominent Deep-sky Objects. The Book Also Compares The Ngc To Modern Object Data, Demonstrating How Important The Ngc Is In Observational Astronomy Today-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. William Herschel's Observations And Parallel Activities; 3. John Herschel's Slough Observations; 4. Discoveries Made In Parallel With John Herschel's Slough; 5. John Herschel At The Cape Of Good Hope; 6. The Time After Herschel's Observations Till Auwers' List Of New Nebulae; 7. Compiling The General Catalogue; 8. Dreyer's First Catalogue: The Supplement To Herschel's General Catalogue; 9. Compilation Of The New General Catalogue 356; 10. The New General Catalogue: Publication, Analysis And Effects; 11. Special Topics; 12. Summary; Appendices; Index. Wolfgang Steinicke. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 13 1.1 The significance of the New General Catalogue......Page 15 1.2 Motivation and method......Page 18 1.3 Milestone catalogues of non-stellar objects and major topics......Page 20 1.4 Structure, presentation and conventions......Page 25 2 William Herschel’s observations and parallel activities......Page 28 2.1 Objects discovered prior to Herschel......Page 29 2.2.1 Herschel’s sweeps and publication of the results......Page 32 2.2.2 Structure of the catalogues......Page 38 2.3 Caroline Herschel and other discoverers......Page 42 2.4 Herschel’s eight classes and modern object types......Page 44 2.5 Brightness of the objects......Page 48 2.6.1 The origin of the term ‘planetary nebula’......Page 49 2.6.2 Herschel’s key object NGC 1514 and the content of class IV......Page 52 2.7.1 Short biography: Friedrich von Hahn......Page 55 2.7.2 Observations of planetary nebulae and the discovery of the central star in M 57......Page 56 2.8 Special objects......Page 58 2.9 Additions by John Herschel and Dreyer......Page 61 2.10 Later publications and revisions of Herschel’s catalogues......Page 63 3 John Herschel’s Slough observations......Page 66 3.1 Structure and content of the Slough catalogue......Page 67 3.2 Identification of the catalogue objects......Page 68 3.3 John Herschel’s new objects......Page 69 3.4 Additions and drawings......Page 73 3.5 Olbers’ review of the Slough catalogue......Page 75 4.1.1 Short biography: Karl Ludwig Harding......Page 77 4.1.2 Harding’s list of nebulae......Page 78 4.2.1 Short biography: Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve......Page 80 4.2.2 The Catalogus Novus......Page 81 4.2.3 The appendix: ‘Nebulae detectae’......Page 82 4.3.1 Short biography: Niccolò Cacciatore......Page 83 4.3.2 The nebula in Corona Australis......Page 84 4.4 Dunlop and the first survey of the southern sky......Page 85 4.4.1 Short biography: James Dunlop......Page 86 4.4.2 Importance and content of Dunlop’s catalogue......Page 87 5.1 Structure and content of the Cape catalogue......Page 91 5.2 Identification of catalogue objects......Page 93 5.3 John Herschel’s new objects......Page 94 5.4.1 John Herschel’s classification of nebulae and star clusters......Page 97 5.4.2 Objects without h-number......Page 98 5.4.3 John Herschel’s drawings and his cosmology......Page 99 6.1 Lamont and the nebulae......Page 102 6.1.2 Lamont’s public lecture Ueber die Nebelflecken......Page 103 6.1.3 The observing programme......Page 104 6.1.4 Problems with the interpretation and presentation of the results......Page 106 6.2.2 The observations of Mason and Smith......Page 108 6.3.2 Bianchi’s discoveries......Page 110 6.4.1 Short biography: William Parsons (Lord Rosse)......Page 112 6.4.3 Short biography: William Hautenville Rambaut......Page 115 6.4.4 Short biography: George Johnstone Stoney......Page 116 6.4.7 Short biography: Samuel Hunter......Page 117 6.4.8 36-Inch observations: resolvability of nebulae and the nebular hypothesis......Page 118 6.4.9 First observations with the 72-inch: the spiral structure of nebulae......Page 123 6.4.10 Robinson’s report of 1848 and Lord Rosse’s publication of 1850......Page 126 6.4.11 The Eskimo Nebula as a ‘nebulous star’, observed by Lord Rosse, Key and d’Arrest......Page 132 6.5.1 Short biography: William Henry Smyth......Page 133 6.5.2 Structure and content of the Bedford Catalogue......Page 134 6.6.1 Short biography: John Russell Hind......Page 135 6.6.2 George Bishop and his private observatory in London......Page 136 6.6.3 Hind’s discoveries......Page 137 6.7 Observations at Harvard College Observatory......Page 138 6.7.2 Short biography: Phillip Sidney Coolidge......Page 139 6.7.4 Discoveries of nebulae......Page 140 6.8.1 Short biography: William Lassell......Page 145 6.8.2 Lassell’s observations of nebulae......Page 147 6.9.2 Laugier’s measurements......Page 148 6.10 Cooper and his Markree catalogue......Page 149 6.10.2 Cooper’s Catalogue of Stars Near the Ecliptic......Page 151 6.11.1 Short biography: Angelo Secchi......Page 153 6.11.3 Secchi’s observations of nebulae......Page 155 6.12.1 Short biography: Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke......Page 158 6.12.2 Winnecke’s first discoveries......Page 159 6.13.1 Short biography: Julius Georg Friedrich Arthur Auwers......Page 160 6.13.2 Auwers’ discoveries of nebulae......Page 161 6.14.1 Short biography: Heinrich Ludwig d’Arrest......Page 162 6.14.2 The Leipzig observations......Page 164 6.14.3 D’Arrest’s own discoveries......Page 168 6.14.4 A ‘lost’ nebula in Coma Berenices......Page 169 6.14.5 The phenomenon of ‘nebulous stars’......Page 171 6.14.6 The case ‘55 Andromedae’......Page 172 6.14.7 First observations in Copenhagen......Page 173 6.15.1 Short biography: Eduard Schönfeld......Page 175 6.15.2 NGC 1333 – a variable nebula?......Page 176 6.15.3 BD –0° 2436, NGC 3662 and Argelander’s mistake......Page 178 6.16.1 Short biography: Theodor Johann Christian Brorsen......Page 180 6.16.3 Discoveries of Brorsen and Bruhns......Page 183 6.17 Tempel’s observations in Venice, Marseille and Milan......Page 184 6.17.1 Short biography: Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel......Page 185 6.17.2 The Merope Nebula and two objects in ‘Eridanus’......Page 186 6.17.3 Tempel’s publications in Marseille and Milan......Page 187 6.18.1 Short biography: Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt......Page 188 6.18.2 Observations of nebulae and star clusters in Athens......Page 189 6.18.3 Schmidt’s newly discovered nebulae......Page 190 6.19.1 Origin and content......Page 192 6.19.2 Auwers’ remarkable list of new nebulae......Page 196 6.19.3 A list of places for 40 nebulae......Page 201 7.1.1 Structure and content......Page 202 7.1.2 Birr Castle drawings......Page 204 7.1.3 Lord Rosse’s spiral nebulae......Page 206 7.1.4 Micrometric measurements......Page 209 7.1.5 Lord Rosse’s ‘List of nebulae not found’ and d’Arrest’s reaction......Page 210 7.1.6 New nebulae......Page 212 7.1.7 The Peculiar case of ‘GC 80’......Page 215 7.2 Considering the Harvard observations......Page 217 7.3.2 The discovery of NGC 1988......Page 219 7.4.1 The report of 1862......Page 221 7.4.2 D’Arrest’s catalogue of double nebulae......Page 222 7.4.4 A list of 125 new nebulae......Page 223 7.5.1 The work on Malta......Page 225 7.5.2 Otto Struve’s visit and the ‘refractor vs. reflector’ rivalry......Page 227 7.5.3 Lassell’s discoveries......Page 230 7.6.1 The making of the catalogue......Page 231 7.6.2 The structure of John Herschel’s publication......Page 232 7.6.3 The content of the GC......Page 233 7.6.4 Auwers’ review......Page 235 7.6.5 Plotting the distribution of GC objects......Page 236 8.1.1 Copenhagen......Page 239 8.1.4 Armagh Observatory......Page 240 8.1.5 Oxford......Page 243 8.2 ORIGINS AND INTENTION OF THE GCS......Page 244 8.3 HARVARD OBJECTS......Page 245 8.4.2 Discovery of NGC 7804......Page 246 8.5 SCHÖNF ELD’S MANNHEIM OBSERVATIONS......Page 247 8.5.1 The public talk ‘Ueber die Nebelflecke’......Page 248 8.5.2 ‘Erste Abtheilung’ of the Mannheim observations......Page 249 8.5.3 The ‘Zweite Abtheilung’ of the Mannheim observations......Page 250 8.6 D’ARREST’S MASTER PIECE: SIDERUM NEBULOSORUM OBSERVATIONES HAVNIENSES......Page 251 8.6.1 An ambitious observing plan and its implementation......Page 252 8.6.2 Recognition of d’Arrest’s work......Page 254 8.6.3 D’Arrest’s observations and new nebulae......Page 255 8.6.4 Discovery of the galaxy cluster in Coma Berenices......Page 261 8.6.5 Other clusters of galaxy......Page 263 8.6.6 D’Arrest’s spectroscopic investigations......Page 264 8.7.1 Short biography: Albert Marth......Page 265 8.7.2 Corrections to John Herschel’s catalogues......Page 266 8.7.3 The objects of the Malta catalogue......Page 267 8.8 SCHMIDT’S POSITIONAL MEASUREMENTS AND DISCOVERY OF NEW NEBULAE......Page 272 8.8.1 Positions of nebulae......Page 273 8.8.2 New nebulae......Page 274 8.9 WINNECKE’S OBSERVATIONS IN KARLSRUHE AND STRASSBURG......Page 275 8.9.2 Straßburg observations......Page 276 8.10.1 The condition of the observatory......Page 277 8.10.2 Tempel’s nebulae in the GCS......Page 279 8.11.1 Short biography: George Friedrich Wilhelm Rümker......Page 281 8.11.2 Observations at the old Hamburg Observatory......Page 282 8.13 OBSERVATIONS IN MARSEILLE: VOIGT, STEPHAN, BORRELLY AND COGGIA......Page 283 8.13.1 Short biography: Auguste Voigt......Page 284 8.13.4 Stephan’s observations with the Foucault reflector......Page 285 8.13.6 Borrelly’s harvest: six new nebulae......Page 288 8.13.8 Coggia’s nebula......Page 290 8.14 VOGEL’S OBSERVATIONS IN LEIPZIG AND VIENNA......Page 291 8.14.2 The publication of 1867......Page 292 8.14.4 Observing with the great Vienna refractor......Page 293 8.15.1 Short biography: Otto Wilhelm Struve......Page 295 8.15.2 A ‘mélange’ of new nebulae......Page 296 8.16 NORDIC COMBINATION: SCHULTZ, DUNÉR AND PECHÜLE......Page 298 8.16.2 Schultz’ observations in Uppsala and first discoveries......Page 299 8.16.3 The mystery of II 48......Page 300 8.16.4 Measuring 500 nebulae......Page 302 8.16.5 The content of Schultz’ main work......Page 304 8.16.6 Short biography: Nils Christoffer Dunér......Page 306 8.16.8 Short biography: Carl Frederik Pechüle......Page 307 8.17 HOLDEN, TUTTLE AND A POSSIBLE CASE OF IMPOSTURE......Page 308 8.18.1 Lawrence Parsons’ publication of the Birr Castle observations......Page 309 8.18.2 The legacies of Johnstone Stoney, Bindon Stoney and R. J. Mitchell......Page 315 8.18.4 Short biography: Robert Stawell Ball......Page 317 8.18.5 Ball’s new nebulae......Page 319 8.18.7 Short biography: Lawrence Parsons......Page 320 8.18.8 The Orion Nebula and Lawrence Parsons’ discoveries......Page 322 8.18.9 Short biography: Ralph Copeland......Page 324 8.18.10 Copeland’s discoveries at Birr Castle......Page 326 8.18.11 Dreyer’s observations with the 72-inch......Page 327 8.18.12 The further destiny of Birr Castle......Page 329 8.18.13 Special objects and brightness distribution......Page 331 8.19.1 Content and structure......Page 332 8.19.2 Copeland’s review......Page 335 9.1 Dreyer’s unpublished ‘second supplement’......Page 337 9.2.1 Short biography: Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters......Page 338 9.2.2 First observations of nebulae and the ‘Celestial charts’......Page 339 9.2.3 Peters and Copernicus......Page 340 9.3 Tempel’s new nebulae and a controversial treatise......Page 341 9.3.1 Tempel’s publications......Page 342 9.3.2 The treatise ‘Über Nebelflecken’ and Dreyer’s critical review......Page 346 9.4.4 Short biography: George Mary Searle......Page 349 9.4.6 New nebulae at Harvard College Observatory......Page 350 9.5 Warner Observatory: Lewis Swift and his son Edward......Page 351 9.5.1 Short biography: Lewis Swift and Edward Swift......Page 352 9.5.2 Swift’s first discoveries with the 4.5-inch......Page 354 9.5.3 Swift’s observations at the Warner Observatory......Page 356 9.5.4 Swift’s lists of nebulae......Page 358 9.5.5 Lewis and Edward Swift’s discoveries......Page 362 9.5.6 The strange case of NGC 6677/79 in Draco......Page 364 9.5.7 Galaxy clusters, galaxies near bright stars and a ‘superthin galaxy’......Page 368 9.5.8 Objects of Edward Swift......Page 370 9.6.1 Short biography: Truman Henry Safford......Page 371 9.6.3 Short biography: Sherburne Wesley Burnham......Page 372 9.6.4 Short biography: George Washington Hough......Page 374 9.6.5 New nebulae of Safford and Skinner......Page 375 9.6.7 By-products of Burnham’s double-star observations......Page 377 9.6.8 Nebulae discovered by Burnham and Hough in 1883......Page 379 9.6.9 Burnham at Lick and Yerkes Observatories......Page 380 9.6.10 Burnham’s favourite target: the trapezium in the Orion Nebula......Page 381 9.7.1 Short biography: David Peck Todd......Page 383 9.7.2 Galaxies as candidates for a new planet......Page 384 9.8.1 Nine new lists from Marseille......Page 386 9.8.2 Esmiol’s publication and special objects......Page 390 9.9.1 Short biography: Thomas William Webb......Page 392 9.9.2 Webb’s planetary nebula......Page 393 9.9.3 Dreyer’s note and further observations......Page 395 9.9.4 Webb’s Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes and five new open clusters......Page 396 9.10 New nebulae discovered by Pechüle......Page 397 9.11.2 The mystery of NGC 7088......Page 398 9.12.1 Short biography: Andrew Ainslie Common......Page 399 9.12.2 New nebulae......Page 400 9.12.3 Common’s large reflectors......Page 402 9.13.1 Short biography: Edward Charles Pickering......Page 403 9.13.2 Successful searches with a visual spectroscope......Page 404 9.14.1 The ‘planetary’ nebula around Nova Cygni 1876......Page 406 9.14.2 Nine planetary nebulae and a galaxy......Page 408 9.15.1 Short biography: Edward Emerson Barnard......Page 409 9.15.2 New nebulae in Nashville......Page 411 9.16.1 Short biography: Edward Singleton Holden......Page 417 9.16.2 New nebulae......Page 418 9.16.3 Holden’s publications......Page 420 9.17 Harrington’s galaxy......Page 422 9.18.2 NGC 7693, M 57 and the supernova in M 31......Page 423 9.19 Palisa, Oppenheim and the new Vienna University Observatory......Page 424 9.19.2 Short biography: Samuel Oppenheim......Page 425 9.20.1 Short biography: Carl Ernst Albrecht Hartwig......Page 426 9.20.2 New nebulae and the supernova in M 31......Page 427 9.21.2 Short biography: Adolphus Albert Le Sueur......Page 429 9.21.5 Short biography: Pietro Paolo Giovanni Ernesto Baracchi......Page 430 9.21.6 The Great Melbourne Telescope (GMT)......Page 431 9.21.7 Observations of nebulae and star clusters with the GMT......Page 433 9.21.8 Poor yield: two new nebulae......Page 434 9.22.2 New nebulae......Page 436 9.22.3 Bigourdan’s main work: ‘Observations de nébuleuses et d’amas stellaires’......Page 438 9.23 Young’s discovery in Princeton......Page 441 9.24 Lohse at the Wigglesworth Observatory......Page 442 9.24.2 Observations of nebulae and a nova......Page 443 9.25.1 Short biography: Ormond Stone......Page 445 9.25.4 Two lists of new nebulae......Page 446 9.26.1 Short biographies: Paul Pierre and Prosper Mathieu Henry......Page 451 9.26.2 The brothers Henry and the Maia Nebula......Page 452 10.1.1 Structure of the work......Page 453 10.1.2 The review of Bauschinger......Page 456 10.2.3 Discoverers of NGC objects and their success rates......Page 457 10.2.4 Statistics of telescopes......Page 465 10.2.5 Types of objects......Page 466 10.2.6 Special objects......Page 468 10.2.7 The visual brightness of NGC objects......Page 470 10.3.1 Dreyer’s Index Catalogues......Page 473 10.3.2 Later publications and photographic surveys......Page 479 10.4 Revisions of the NGC......Page 481 10.4.1 Modern catalogues of non-stellar objects......Page 482 10.4.2 RNGC and NGC 2000.0......Page 483 10.4.3 The ‘Revised New General and Index Catalogue’ and the ‘NGC/IC Project’......Page 484 10.4.4 The ‘Historic NGC’......Page 485 11.1 Positional measurements......Page 486 11.2 Drawings of nebulae: facts and fiction......Page 487 11.2.1 From the beginnings to scientific drawings......Page 489 11.2.2 Methods and tools......Page 490 11.2.3 Tempel’s criticism: drawings and reality......Page 491 11.2.4 Drawing versus photography......Page 493 11.2.5 Statistics of published drawings......Page 495 11.3 M 51 and the spiral structure of nebulae......Page 496 11.3.1 Lord Rosse’s discovery of spiral nebulae......Page 497 11.3.2 Lord Rosse’s first drawing of M 51......Page 501 11.3.3 Observations of Struve, Bond, Lassell and Chacornac......Page 504 11.3.4 The conflict between Tempel and Dreyer about spiral nebulae......Page 508 11.3.5 Von Gothard and Vogel: first photographs of spiral nebulae......Page 510 11.4.1 Hind’s discovery and early observations......Page 512 11.4.2 The disappearance of Hind’s nebula......Page 513 11.4.3 The nebula becomes temporarily visible again......Page 516 11.4.4 Struve’s Lost Nebula (NGC 1554) and Tempel’s drawing......Page 518 11.4.5 Observations of Burnham and Barnard......Page 520 11.4.6 Barnard corrects a fatal error in the Bonner Durchmusterung......Page 522 11.4.7 Images of Keeler and Reinmuth, Dreyer’s error and last visual observations......Page 524 11.4.8 New studies of the T Tauri region......Page 526 11.5.1 Early cases and d’Arrest’s papers of 1862......Page 527 11.5.2 Dreyer’s report of 1887......Page 529 11.5.3 Abbott, Lieutenant Herschel and the changes in the nebula around η Carinae......Page 531 11.5.4 Further publications of Dreyer, Denning and Bigourdan......Page 533 11.6 The Pleiades nebulae......Page 535 11.6.1 Discovery of the Merope Nebula (NGC 1435) and early observations......Page 537 11.6.2 Tempel’s observations in Arcetri......Page 543 11.6.4 Birr Castle observations and the drawing of Maxwell Hall......Page 544 11.6.5 Charles Wolf, Dreyer and Tempel......Page 547 11.6.6 Common’s controversial drawing......Page 549 11.6.7 Tempel’s drawing of 1880......Page 550 11.6.8 The awkward failure of Hough and Burnham......Page 552 11.6.9 Further observations and an important RAS meeting......Page 554 11.6.10 Photographic discovery of the Maia Nebula (NGC 1432) and other Pleiades nebulae......Page 556 11.6.11 Spitaler’s treatise ‘Nebel in den Plejaden’......Page 561 11.6.12 Barnard’s ‘new Merope nebula’ (IC 349) and the dispute with Pritchard......Page 562 11.6.13 Photography of the exterior Pleiades nebulae......Page 564 11.6.14 The conflict between Roberts and Barnard......Page 566 11.6.15 Barnard, Roberts and the 52 nebulous regions of William Herschel......Page 572 11.6.16 Dreyer’s cataloguing of the Pleiades nebulae and new observations......Page 573 12.2 The importance of the New General Catalogue and the motivation of the work......Page 576 12.3 Objects, observers and methods......Page 577 12.4 Milestones of the cataloguing of nebulae and star clusters......Page 578 12.5 Statistical analysis and the way ahead......Page 579 Timeline......Page 581 ABBREVIATIONS AND UNITS......Page 585 TELESCOPE DATA......Page 587 References......Page 597 Internet and image sources......Page 633 Name index......Page 634 Site index......Page 643 Object index......Page 645 Subject index......Page 661 "The New General Catalogue, originally created in 1888, is the source for referencing bright nebulae and star clusters, both in professional and amateur astronomy. With 7840 entries, it is the most-used historical catalogue of observational astronomy, and NGC numbers are commonly used today. However, the fascinating history of the discovery, observation, description and cataloguing of nebulae and star clusters in the nineteenth century has largely gone untold, until now. This well-researched book is the first comprehensive historical study of the NGC, and is an important resource to all those with an interest in the history of modern astronomy and visual deep-sky observing. It covers the people, observatories, instruments and methods involved in nineteenth century visual deep-sky observing, as well as prominent deep-sky objects. The book also compares the NGC to modern object data, demonstrating how important the NGC is in observational astronomy today"-- Résumé de l'éditeur The New General Catalogue (NCG), originally created in 1888, is the source for referencing bright nebulae and star clusters, both in professional and amateur astronomy. With 7840 entries, it is the most-used historical catalogue of observational astronomy, and NGC numbers are commonly used today. However, the fascinating history of the discovery, observation, description and cataloguing of nebulae and star clusters in the nineteenth century has largely gone untold, until now. This well-researched book is the first comprehensive historical study of the NGC, and is an important resource to all those with an interest in the history of modern astronomy and visual deep-sky observing. It covers the people, observatories, instruments and methods involved in nineteenth-century visual deep-sky observing, as well as prominent deep-sky objects. The book also compares the NGC to modern object data, demonstrating how important the NGC is in observational astronomy today.