New General Catalogue

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New General Catalogue
NGC 3982 - Hubble space telescope, 2003.jpg
Spiral Galaxy NGC 3982 displays numerous spiral arms filled with bright stars, blue star clusters, and dark dust lanes. It spans about 30,000 light years, lies about 68 million light years from Earth and can be seen with a small telescope in the constellation of Ursa Major.
Alternative namesNGC
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The New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (abbreviated NGC) is an astronomical catalogue of deep-sky objects compiled by John Louis Emil Dreyer in 1888. The NGC contains 7,840 objects, including galaxies, star clusters and emission nebulae. Dreyer published two supplements to the NGC in 1895 and 1908, known as the Index Catalogues (abbreviated IC), describing a further 5,386 astronomical objects. Thousands of these objects are best known by their NGC or IC numbers, which remain in widespread use.

Contents

The NGC expanded and consolidated the cataloguing work of William and Caroline Herschel, and John Herschel's General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars . Objects south of the celestial equator are catalogued somewhat less thoroughly, but many were included based on observation by John Herschel or James Dunlop.

The NGC contained multiple errors, but attempts to eliminate them were made by the Revised New General Catalogue (RNGC) by Jack W. Sulentic and William G. Tifft in 1973, NGC2000.0 by Roger W. Sinnott in 1988, and the NGC/IC Project in 1993. A Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (abbreviated as RNGC/IC) was compiled in 2009 by Wolfgang Steinicke and updated in 2019 with 13,957 objects. [1]

Original catalogue

The original New General Catalogue was compiled during the 1880s by John Louis Emil Dreyer using observations from William Herschel and his son John, among others. Dreyer had already published a supplement to Herschel's General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters (GC), [2] containing about 1,000 new objects. In 1886, he suggested building a second supplement to the General Catalogue, but the Royal Astronomical Society asked Dreyer to compile a new version instead. This led to the publication of the New General Catalogue in the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1888. [3] [4]

Assembling the NGC was a challenge, as Dreyer had to deal with many contradictory and unclear reports made with a variety of telescopes with apertures ranging from 2 to 72 inches. While he did check some himself, the sheer number of objects meant Dreyer had to accept them as published by others for the purpose of his compilation. The catalogue contained several errors, mostly relating to position and descriptions, but Dreyer referenced the catalogue, which allowed later astronomers to review the original references and publish corrections to the original NGC. [5]

Index Catalogue

The first major update to the NGC is the Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (abbreviated as IC), published in two parts by Dreyer in 1895 (IC I, [6] containing 1,520 objects) and 1908 (IC II, [7] containing 3,866 objects). It serves as a supplement to the NGC, and contains an additional 5,386 objects, collectively known as the IC objects. It summarizes the discoveries of galaxies, clusters and nebulae between 1888 and 1907, most of them made possible by photography. A list of corrections to the IC was published in 1912. [8]

Revised New General Catalogue

Four different planetary nebulae. Clockwise starting from the top left: NGC 6543, NGC 7662, NGC 6826, and NGC 7009. NGC 6543 7662 7009 6826.jpg
Four different planetary nebulae. Clockwise starting from the top left: NGC 6543, NGC 7662, NGC 6826, and NGC 7009.

The Revised New Catalogue of Nonstellar Astronomical Objects (abbreviated as RNGC) was compiled by Sulentic and Tifft in the early 1970s, and was published in 1973, as an update to the NGC. [9] The work did not incorporate several previously published corrections to the NGC data (including corrections published by Dreyer himself), and introduced some new errors. For example, the well-known compact galaxy group Copeland Septet in the Leo constellation appears as non-existent in the RNGC. [10] [5]

Nearly 800 objects are listed as "non-existent" in the RNGC. The designation is applied to objects which are duplicate catalogue entries, those which were not detected in subsequent observations, and a number of objects catalogued as star clusters which in subsequent studies were regarded as coincidental groupings. A 1993 monograph considered the 229 star clusters called non-existent in the RNGC. They had been "misidentified or have not been located since their discovery in the 18th and 19th centuries". [11] It found that one of the 229—NGC 1498—was not actually in the sky. Five others were duplicates of other entries, 99 existed "in some form", and the other 124 required additional research to resolve. [12]

As another example, reflection nebula NGC 2163 in Orion was classified "non-existent" due to a transcription error by Dreyer. Dreyer corrected his own mistake in the Index Catalogues, but the RNGC preserved the original error, and additionally reversed the sign of the declination, resulting in NGC 2163 being classified as non-existent. [13]

Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue

The Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue (abbreviated as RNGC/IC) is a compilation made by Wolfgang Steinicke in 2009. [10] [14] It is a comprehensive and authoritative treatment of the NGC and IC catalogues. [15] [16] The number of objects with status of "not found" in this catalogue is 301 objects (2.3%). The brightest star in this catalogue is NGC 771 with magnitude of 4.0. [10]

NGC 2000.0

NGC 2000.0 (also known as the Complete New General Catalog and Index Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters) is a 1988 compilation of the NGC and IC made by Roger W. Sinnott, using the J2000.0 coordinates. [17] [18] It incorporates several corrections and errata made by astronomers over the years. [5]

NGC/IC Project

The NGC/IC Project was a collaboration among professional and amateur astronomers formed by Steve Gottlieb in 1990, although Steve Gottlieb already started to observe and record NGC objects as early as 1979. Other primary team members were Harold G. Corwin Jr., Malcolm Thomson, Robert E. Erdmann and Jeffrey Corder. The project was completed by 2017. [19] This project identified all NGC and IC objects, corrected mistakes, collected images and basic astronomical data and checked all historical data related to the objects. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1435</span> Diffuse reflection nebula within the Pleiades

The Merope Nebula is a diffuse reflection nebula in the Pleiades star cluster, surrounding the 4th magnitude star Merope. It was discovered on October 19, 1859 by the German astronomer Wilhelm Tempel. The discovery was made using a 10.5 cm refractor. John Herschel included it as 768 in his General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars but never observed it himself.

There are several astronomical catalogues referred to as Nebulae and Star Clusters.

The Herschel 400 catalogue is a subset of William Herschel's original Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, selected by Brenda F. Guzman (Branchett), Lydel Guzman, Paul Jones, James Morris, Peggy Taylor and Sara Saey of the Ancient City Astronomy Club in St. Augustine, Florida, United States c. 1980. They decided to generate the list after reading a letter published in Sky & Telescope by James Mullaney of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 288</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Sculptor

NGC 288 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sculptor. Its visual appearance was described by John Dreyer in 1888. It is located about 1.8° southeast of the galaxy NGC 253, 37′ north-northeast of the South Galactic Pole, 15′ south-southeast of a 9th magnitude star, and encompassed by a half-circular chain of stars that opens on its southwest side. It can be observed through binoculars. It is not very concentrated and has a well resolved, large 3′ dense core that is surrounded by a much more diffuse and irregular 9′ diameter ring. Peripheral members extend farther outward towards the south and especially southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 265</span> Open star cluster in the constellation Tucana

NGC 265 is an open cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Tucana. It is located in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy. The cluster was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on April 11, 1834. J. L. E. Dreyer described it as, "faint, pretty small, round", and added it as the 265th entry in his New General Catalogue.

The Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (CN) is an astronomical catalogue of nebulae first published in 1786 by William Herschel, with the assistance of his sister Caroline Herschel. It was later expanded into the General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (GC) by his son, John Herschel, in 1864. The CN and GC are the precursors to John Louis Emil Dreyer's New General Catalogue (NGC), compiled in 1888 and used by current astronomers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 156</span> Double star in the constellation Cetus

NGC 156 is a double star located in the Cetus constellation. It was discovered on 1882 by Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1466</span> Globular star cluster in the constrellation Hydrus

NGC 1466 is the New General Catalogue designation for a globular cluster in the deep southern constellation of Hydrus. It is located in the outskirts of the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The object was discovered November 26, 1834 by English astronomer John Herschel. John Dreyer described it as "pF, pS, iR, glbM, *7 f", meaning "pretty faint, pretty small, irregular round, gradually a little brighter middle, with a 7th magnitude star nearby". When using a small telescope, this is a "faint, small, unresolved and difficult" target with an angular size of 1.9 arc minutes. It has an integrated visual magnitude of 11.4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2194</span> Open cluster in the constellation Orion

NGC 2194 is an open cluster in the constellation Orion. The cluster is located about 10,000 light years away from Earth. It is rich and moderately concentrated. The cluster lies 33 arcminutes west-northwest of 73 Orionis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3868</span> Galaxy in the constellation Leo

NGC 3868 is a lenticular galaxy located about 300 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. NGC 3868 was discovered by astronomer Édouard Stephan on March 23, 1884. It is a member of the Leo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4212</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4212 is a flocculent spiral galaxy with LINER activity located about 53 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 8, 1784, and was listed in the NGC catalog as NGC 4208. He then observed the same galaxy and listed it as NGC 4212. Astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer later concluded that NGC 4208 was identical to NGC 4212. NGC 4212 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6055</span> Barred lenticular galaxy in the constellation Hercules

NGC 6055 is a barred lenticular galaxy located about 450 million light-years away in the constellation Hercules. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer Lewis Swift on June 8, 1886. It also a member of the Hercules Cluster and is a LINER galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6056</span> Galaxy in the constellation Hercules

NGC 6056 is a barred lenticular galaxy located about 525 million light-years away in the constellation Hercules. It was discovered by astronomer Lewis Swift on June 8, 1886. It was then rediscovered by Swift on June 8, 1888 and was later listed as IC 1176. NGC 6056 is a member of the Hercules Cluster.

References

  1. ↑ RNGC/IC 2019
  2. ↑ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1878). "A Supplement to Sir John Herschel's "General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars"". Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy . 26: 391–426. Bibcode:1878TRIA...26..381D. JSTOR   30079091.
  3. ↑ Bradt, H. (2004). Astronomy Methods: A Physical Approach to Astronomical Observations. Cambridge University Press. p. 52. ISBN   978-0-521-53551-9.
  4. ↑ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1888). "A New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, being the Catalogue of the late Sir John F.W. Herschel, Bart., revised, corrected, and enlarged" (PDF). Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society . 49: 1–237. Bibcode:1888MmRAS..49....1D.
  5. 1 2 3 Corwin, H.G. Jr. (12 October 1999). "The NGC/IC Project: An Historical Perspective". The NGC/IC Project. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  6. ↑ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1895). "Index Catalogue of Nebulae found in the years 1888 to 1894, with Notes and Corrections to the New General Catalogue". Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society . 51: 185–228. Bibcode:1895MmRAS..51..185D.
  7. ↑ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1910). "Second Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars; containing objects found in the years 1895 to 1907, with Notes and Corrections to the New General Catalogue and to the Index Catalogue for 1888–94" (PDF). Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society . 59: 105–198. Bibcode:1910MmRAS..59..105D.
  8. ↑ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1912). "Corrections to the New General Catalogue resulting from the revision of Sir William Herschel's Three Catalogues of Nebulae". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 73: 37–40. Bibcode:1912MNRAS..73...37D. doi: 10.1093/mnras/73.1.37 .
  9. ↑ Sulentic, J. W.; Tifft, W. G. (1973). The Revised New Catalogue of Nonstellar Astronomical Objects . University of Arizona Press. Bibcode:1973rncn.book.....S. ISBN   978-0-8165-0421-3.
  10. 1 2 3 Steinicke, W. (17 January 2012). "Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue" . Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  11. ↑ "Monograph No. 1 - The "Non-Existent" Star Clusters of the RNGC". Webb Deep-Sky Society. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  12. ↑ Allison, Mark (4 April 2006). Star Clusters and How to Observe Them. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 62–63. ISBN   9781846281983 . Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  13. ↑ O'Meara, Stephen James (12 April 2007). Deep Sky Companions: Hidden Treasures. Cambridge University Press. pp. 175–176. ISBN   9781139463737 . Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  14. ↑ Steinicke, W. (2010). Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters: From Herschel to Dreyer's New General Catalogue. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-19267-5.
  15. ↑ Duerbeck, H. W. (2009). "Book Review: Nebel und Sternhaufen - Geschichte ihrer Entdeckung Beobachtung und Katalogisierung (Steinicke)". Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage . 12 (3): 255. Bibcode:2009JAHH...12..255D. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2009.03.10. S2CID   258223761.
  16. ↑ Duerbeck, H. W. (2011). "Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters. From Herschel to Dreyer's New General Catalogue (Steinicke)". Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage . 14 (1): 78. Bibcode:2011JAHH...14Q..78D.
  17. ↑ "NGC2000 - NGC2000.0: Complete New General Catalog and Index Catalog". Goddard Space Flight Center. Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  18. ↑ Sinnott, R. W. (1988). NGC 2000.0: The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogues of Nebulae and Star Clusters. Sky Publishing. ISBN   978-0-933346-51-2.
  19. ↑ "Steve Gottlieb's NGC Notes". astronomy-mall. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "The NGC/IC Project" . Retrieved 2020-06-07.
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