Discovered by Pierre Méchain on May 11, 1781.
Independently rediscovered by William Herschel on May 9, 1784.
[From: Notes to Sir W. Herschel's First Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters,
by J.L.E. Dreyer, in: Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 295]
Second obs., Sw. 819, Mar. 11, 1788. mE, from about 20d sp. to nf., BN.,
4 or 5' long, 49 Virg. p. 27m 45s s. 0d 51'. In 1784 "the B. place in the
middle is pL., but breaks off abruptly."
Second observation, Sweep 819, Mar. 11, 1788. Much elongated, from about 20d
south preceding [SW] to north following [NE], brighter toward the nucleus,
4 or 5' long, 49 Virg. preceding [W] 27m 45s, south 0d 51'. In 1784 "the
bright place in the middle is pretty large, but breaks off abruptly."
[Appendix]
[Figure on Plate XIV, Figure 50, No. 1376, I. 43, RA 12h 31m 11s, NPD 100d 40']
Fig. 37. V. 24 [NGC 4565], and Fig. 50. I. 43 [M104]. - The strong suspicion
of a parallel appendage to the latter of these, is almost converted into
certainty by its undoubted existence in [H] V. 24 [NGC 4565], in which it was
seen by two other observers as well as by myself. But what are we to make of
such an appendage? Must we consider it as an extreme exaggeration of the case
of M. 64 (fig. 27), in
which the vacancy is extended up to almost the very extremities of the
elliptic outline, - in which case the nebula would come to be regarded as a
flat annulus seen at a great obliquity, and having very unequal breadth and
densities in its two opposite semicircles? Or must we admit the appendage to
be a separate and distinct nebula, dependent, by some unknown physical
relation, on its brighter neighbor?
Plate XIV. Figs. 50 .... 67. [includes I.43 (M104), V.8 (NGC 3628),
V.1 (NGC 253), M65,
h 875 (M66?), V.43 (M106),
I.156 (NGC 1023), I.210 (NGC 4346), IV.42 (NGC 676), I,109 (NGC 1201),
II.600 (NGC 7640), II.280 (NGC 2695), IV.30 (NGC 4861), I.55 (NGC 7479),
IV.2 (NGC 2261), IV.66 (NGC 2701), III.602 (NGC 4571), and I.143 (NGC 4900)]
- Long nebulae. The general form of elongated nebulae is elliptic, and
their condensation towards the centre is almost invariably such as would
arise from the superposition of luminous elliptic strata, increasing in
density towards the centre. [..]
Last Modification: February 20, 2005