Messier 83

Discovered on February 23, 1752 by Abbe Nicholas Louis de la Caille.

Messier: M83.

February 17, 1781. 83. 13h 24m 33s (201d 08' 13") -28d 42' 27"
Nebula without star, near the head of Centaurus: it appears as a faint & even glow, but it is difficult to see in the telescope, as the least light to illuminate the micrometer wires makes it disappear. One is only able with the greatest concentration to see it at all: it forms a triangle with two stars estimated of sixth & seventh magnitude: [its position was] determined from the stars i, k and h in the head of Centaurus: M. de la Caille has already determined this nebula. See the end of this Catalog.

Lacaille: Lac. I.6.

13:23:16, -28:35:30
Small nebula, shapeless.
[1763] Observed on February 23, 1752.

Bode: Bode 27.

A small misshapen nebula.

Bode (1782): Centaurus 16.

[From: Vorstellung der Gestirne auf XXXIV Kupfertafeln (Introduction to the Stars on 34 Copper Plates), 1782. P. 24, plate 29]
Cen 16, after Lacaille. RA: 201:16 (13:25.1), Dec -28:45. Nebulous patch.

William Herschel:

[SP2 p. 659]
1787, March 15 (Sw. 711). vB. [very bright], a B. [bright] resolvable nucleus in the middle with F. [faint] branches about 5' or 6' long, E. spnf. [extended south preceding (SW) to north following (NE)].
1793 May 5 (Sw. 1041). vB. [very bright], s SBN [suddenly brighter nucleus] with very extensive and vF. [very faint] nebulosity; it more than fills the field, it seems to be rather stronger from sp. [south preceding, SW] to nf. [north following, NE]. It may be ranked among the nebulous stars.

Dunlop: Dun 628.

No. 628. A.R. 13:15: 3, S.P.D. 61: 2 (1827) [Right Ascension and South Polar Distance]
185 Centauri (Bode) is a very beautiful round nebula, with an exceedingly bright well-defined planetary disk or nucleus, about 7" or 8" diameter, surrounded by a luminous atmosphere or chevelure, about 6' diameter. The nebulous matter is rather a little brighter towards the edge of the planetary disk, but very slightly so. I can see several extremely minute points or stars in the chevelure, but I do not consider them as indications of its being resolvable, although I have no doubt it is composed of stars. 5 Observations.

John Herschel (1847): h 3523

h 3523 = Dun. 628 [= M83].
Sweep 451 (May 8, 1834)
RA 13h 27m 26.1s, NPD 119d 0m 18s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
185 Bode Centauri. E; pos of axis = 55.1deg, which is that of one of two stars involved in it = 10 m. (See fig. 5, Pl. IV.)
185 Bode Centauri. Elongated; position [angle] of axis = 55.1deg, which is that of one of two stars involved in it, of 10 m. (See fig. 5, Pl. IV.)

Sweep 449 (May 5, 1834)
RA 13h 27m 27.9s, NPD 119d 0m 16s (1830.0)
v B; v L; s b M to a centre = a star of 9 m, diam 8", of a resolvable character like a Glob. Cl., surrounded by an immensely L, extremely dilute almost equable light 7' or 8' diam, somewhat oval, and passing with an excessive suddenness into the central light.
Very bright; very large; suddenly brighter toward the middle to a centre resembling a star of 9 m, diameter 8", of a resolvable character like a globular cluster, surrounded by an immensely large, extremely dilute almost equable light 7' or 8' diam, somewhat oval, and passing with an excessive suddenness into the central light.

Sweep 450 (May 6, 1834)
RA 13h 27m 28.5s, NPD 119d 0m 20s (1830.0)
F; v L; E; v s v m b M to a sharp nucleus (ill seen, owing to clouds).
Faint; very large; elongated; very suddenly very much brighter toward the middle to a sharp nucleus (ill seen, owing to clouds).

Sweep 564 (March 30, 1835)
RA 13h 27m 30.1s, NPD 119d 0m 8s (1830.0)
v L; v B; m E; v s v m b M to a nucleus; diam in RA = 17.5 sec = 3' 49" in arc; a small * involved; pos with nucl 80deg +/- by a rough diagram made at that time.
Very large; very bright; much elongated; very suddenly very much bbrighter toward the middle to a nucleus; diameter in RA = 17.5 sec = 3' 49" in arc; a small [faint] star involved; position [angle] with nucleus 80deg +/- by a rough diagram made at that time.

John Herschel, General Catalogue: GC 3606.

GC 3606 = h 3523 = M83 = Dun 628.
RA 13h 29m 9.0s, NPD 119d 9' 31.6" (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
!!; (H,h) vB; vL; E 55.1 deg; esbMN (L) 3-br spir. 6 observations by W. & J. Herschel.
Very remarkable; (W. & J. Herschel) very bright; very large; extended at position angle 55.1 deg; extremely suddenly brighter toward the middle where there is a central nucleus. (Lassell) 3-branched spiral.
Remark: Figure in C.G.H. [JH 1847], table iv., fig. 5.

Lassell

[Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. XXXVI (36)]
[Drawing on Plate VII, Fig. 28]

Dreyer (1877)

GC 3606, h. 3523 [M 83]. Drawings in Lassell, Plate VII, Fig. 28.

Dreyer: NGC 5236.

NGC 5236 = GC 3606 = h 3523; M 83, Lac I.6, Dun 628.
RA 13h 29m 9s, NPD 119d 9.0' (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
!! (H,h) vB, vL, E 55 deg, esbMN, (L) 3-branched spiral; = M83
Very remarkable (W. & J. Herschel) very bright, very large, extended at position angle 55 deg, extremely suddenly brighter toward the middle where there is a central nucleus, (Lassell) 3-branched spiral.
Remark: Figures in C.G.H. [JH 1847], table IV, fig. 5; Lass. 2 [Lassell, Memoirs R.A.S. vol. xxxvi], plate VII, fig. 28.

Curtis

[Descriptions of 762 Nebulae ans Clusters photographed with the Crossley Reflector. Publ. Lick Obs., No. 13, Part I, p. 9-42]
With Lick b/w photo: Fig. 7. The Spiral Nebula N. G. C. 5236.
NGC 5236, RA=13:31.4, Dec=-29:21. A bright and unusually beautiful spiral 10'x8'. The nucleus is 20" in diameter and very bright; in a 2m exposure it shows as a faint disk with a bright peripheral streak or whorl. A large number of almost stellar condensations in the rather open whorls of this fine object. See figure 7. 18 s.n.