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Here we present a translation of the original Lacaille Catalog as printed in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy for 1755, pp. 194-199.
We also have the translation of Lacaille's catalog as printed as appendix to Messier's catalog of 1784.
The stars which are called nebulae offer to the eyes of the Observers a yet varying spectacle, which for their exact & detailed description can occupy long times of an Astronomer, & give place for Philosophers to do a large number of curious reflections.
.. more to come ..
The list which I will give here is an extract of the Catalog of southern Stars which I have submitted to the Academy: I have not been able to distinguish the various nebulae in this catalog from the abridged notes, which are explained by the outline which I have composed; but for satisfying the curiosity of those who find these notes too vague, I will give here a short description of each nebula in particular.
Right
Ascension Southern [Lacaille's Description] [Identification]
for Jan 1 Declina-
1752 tion
H. M. S D. M. S.
00:22:54 73:26:50 It resembles the nucleus of a small Lac I.1, NGC 104
comet very clearly. 47 Tucanae
05:40:01 69:17:20 It resembles the preceding, but it Lac I.2, NGC 2070
is fainter. 30 Doradus, Tarantula Nebula
07:42:08 38:00:00 Great nebula 15 x 20 minutes Lac I.3, NGC 2477
in diameter.
12:43:36 69:28:00 It resembles a small faint comet. Lac I.4, NGC 4833
13:12:09 46:10:45 Nebula in Centaurus; it appears, Lac I.5, NGC 5139
with simple view, like a star of Omega Centauri
3rd magnitude viewed through light
mist, & through the telescope
like a big comet badly bounded.
13:23:16 28:35:30 Small nebula, shapeless. Lac I.6, M83
13:29:34 61:40:10 Small confused spot. Lac I.7, NGC 5281
16:08:30 40:03:10 It resembles a big comet without Lac I.8, NGC 6124
tail.
16:08:33 25:54:55 It resembles a small nucleus of a Lac I.9, M4
faint comet.
16:38:36 39:02:00 Faint oval and elongated patch. Lac I.10, NGC 6242
18:13:41 33:37:05 It resembles a small nucleus of a Lac I.11, NGC 6634, probably not M69
comet. but an asterism of 3 stars mag 8.3, 7.8, 8.7
18:21:19 24:05:00 It resembles the preceding. Lac I.12, M22
18:58:10 71:55:45 It resembles the preceding. Lac I.13, GC 4484, NGC 6777; 2 stars 8..9 mag
19:24:20 31:29:00 It resembles an obscure nucleus of Lac I.14, M55
a big comet.
It may be that some of these nebulae could really be a faint comet;
the time has not permitted me to assure in researching in the sky,
for looking if these stars are all still in the same place.
Right
Ascension Southern [Lacaille's Description] [Identification]
for Jan 1 Declina-
1752 tion
H. M. S D. M. S.
03:54:57, -45:09:40 Compressed heap of about 12 faint Lac II.1, asterism
stars of 8th magnitude.
07:17:00, -33:40:00 Heap of 8 stars of 6th to 7th Lac II.2, Cr 140?
magnitude, forming for simple view
[naked eye] a nebula in the sky.
07:54:45, -60:09:40 Group of 10 to 12 stars, very Lac II.3, NGC 2516
compressed.
08:02:00, -36:30:00 One sees with the naked eye two Lac II.4, NGC 2546
neighboring confused groups of
stars; but with the telescope they
are small distinct stars, in very
great number & very close together
08:31:46, -52:14:05 Small heap of stars. Lac II.5, IC 2391
o Velorum
08:37:46, -41:22:25 Heap of seven or eight stars, Lac II.6, Tr 10?
little compressed.
10:11:45, -50:29:00 Heap of four or five stars, very Lac II.7, NGC 3228
small and very compressed.
10:26:32, -56:56:05 Small heap of 4 small stars Lac II.8, NGC 3293
forming a lozenge.
10:34:15, -63:06:16 The star Theta Navis, of the third Lac II.9, IC 2602
magnitude or less, surrounded by a Theta Carinae
large number of stars of 6th, 7th
& 8th magnitude, which resemble
the Pleiades.
10:56:08, -57:19:30 Prodigal cluster of small stars, Lac II.10, NGC 3532
very compressed, filling the figure
of a semi-circle of 20 to 25
minutes in diameter.
11:12:00, -56:58:30 Seven or eight small stars Lac II.11, asterism
compressed in a right line.
12:39:13, -59:00:30 Five or six small stars between two Lac II.12, NGC 4755
of sixth magnitude. Kappa Crucis
16:36:55, -41:23:10 compressed heap of seven or eight Lac II.13, NGC 6231
small stars.
17:37:12, -34:39:55 Group of 15 or 20 stars very close Lac II.14, M7
together, in the figure of a square.
Right
Ascension Southern [Lacaille's Description] [Identification]
for Jan 1 Declina-
1752 tion
H. M. S D. M. S.
04:56:56, -49:51:30 Small star surrounded by a Lac III.1, star
nebulosity.
08:03:30, -48:31:00 Five small stars, under the figure Lac III.2, NGC 2547
of a T, surrounded by nebulosity.
08:34:20, -47:13:10 Star of 6th magnitude, connected to Lac III.3, vdB-Ha 47?
another more southern one by a
nebulous trace.
09:20:22, -55:55:30 Faint star surrounded by nebulosity. Lac III.4, IC 2488
10:34:30, -58:49:10 Two small stars surrounded by Lac III.5, Cr 228?
nebulosity. in NGC 3372
10:34:45, -58:12:25 Large group of a great number of Lac III.6, NGC 3372
small stars, little compressed, and Eta Carinae
filling out the space of a kind of
a semi-circle of 15 to 20 minutes
in diameter; with a slight
nebulosity widespread in space.
11:24:49, -60:15:00 Three small neighbored stars, Lac III.7, NGC 3766
surrounded by nebulosity.
14:17:43, -55:27:50 Two small stars in a nebulosity. Lac III.8, NGC 5662
15:03:16, -58:14:30 idem. Lac III.9, asterism of 3 stars
15:42:56, -59:46:50 Three small stars in a right line, Lac III.10, NGC 6025
surrounded by nebulosity.
17:20:38, -53:31:30 Small star envelopped in a Lac III.11, NGC 6397
nebulosity.
17:24:00, -32:02:45 Peculiar cluster of small stars, Lac III.12, M6
disposed in three parallel bands,
forming a lozenge of 20 to 25
diameter & hitched with nebulosity.
17:48:41, -24:20:15 Three stars enclosed in a drag of Lac III.13, M8
a nebula parallel to the Equator.
21:12:53, -57:57:15 Two small stars surrounded by Lac III.14, asterism of 3 stars
nebulosity.
I haven't noticed any star above the sixth magnitude which was surrounded or
accompanied by nebulosity.
[Coalsack dark nebula]
One can yet mention among the phenomena which strike
the view of those who look at the southern sky, a space of about three degrees
in extension, in all directions, which appears in a black dark in the eastern
part of the southern cross.This appearance is caused by the vividness of the
whiteness of the milky way, which encloses this space & which surrounds it
on all sides.
Translation was done by Hartmut Frommert; please report me any errors
Last Modification: April 18, 2005