NGC 1714 = LMC-N4A = ESO 085-8 = S-L 64

04 52 06.5 -66 55 25; Dor
V = 11.6; Size 1.1′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 128x, I found a surprisingly bright, high surface brightness knot, ~30″ diameter, with a brighter off-center core. A mag 11 star (M2-class supergiant) is 1′ NW. Forms a close pair with fainter NGC 1715 just 1′ NNE. NGC 1731 lies 8′ E and NGC 1718 is 8′ SSE. Situated in the NW corner of the LMC. This object also has an emission component but I didn’t record if there was a filter response.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1714 = h2686 on 2 Nov 1834 and recorded “vB, S, E, bM, 15″; Has another very faint neb nearly north [h2687 = NGC 1715].” On later observations he described “vB, E or bi-nuclear, much brighter in the middle, 40″ long; the S.p. of two” and “vB, S, little extended, pretty suddenly brighter in the middle. Double or extended wedge-shaped.”

Williamina Fleming classified NGC 1714 (N4A-1) as a gaseous – similar to a PN nebula – in 1898 (Harvard Circular 32) based on its photographic spectra (HD 31606). Probably as a result, NGC 1714 was plotted as a planetary nebula on the Skalnate Pleso “Atlas of the Heavens” as well as the first edition of the Sky Atlas 2000.0.

Joseph Turner sketched NGC 1714 and 1715 on 11 Nov 1876 with the Great Melbourne Telescope. NGC 1714 has a broad fan shape with the illuminated star on the east side (unpublished plate II, figure 18).

NGC 1715 = LMC-N4B = ESO 085-9

04 52 10.2 -66 54 27; Dor
Size 1.1′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): faint, small, low surface brightness glow, ~45″ diameter, surrounds a faint star (mag 14.5-14.8). Located just 1′ NNE of brighter NGC 1714 and 1.3′ NE of a mag 11 star in the NW portion of the LMC.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1715 = h2687 on 2 Nov 1834 and logged “vF, the N.f. of two [with NGC 1714 = h2686].” On his last of three observations, he recorded “eF, R, pL, the 2nd of two [with NGC 1714], making a lozenge with the other, and two stars.”

LMC-N4C

04 52 23 -66 55 16; Dor
Size 0.5′

25″ (4/4/19 – OzSky): at 244x + NPB filter; my written notes on this object were left behind.

LMC-N4D = SNR 0453-66.9 = DEM L 12

04 53 14 -66 55 10; Dor
Size 4′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 128x this is a large region of nebulosity (N4D) and scattered stars (association LH 4), 6′-7′ diameter, involving the double star HJ 3710 = 10.7/12.7 at 12″ at the east end. The nebulosity is a confirmed supernova remnant.

Notes: 1994 paper by Smith et al: “The New Supernova Remnants in OB Associations in the Large Magellanic Cloud”
“The SNR 0453-669 is within the H II region N4D, which encompasses the OB association LH4 (Lucke & Hodge 1970). The progenitor of its supernova may have been a member of this association. The optical nebula of N4D is most likely shaped by previous stellar winds and supernovae from LH4, since an isolated SNR of such size would have been too evolved to show the strong SNR signatures we detected. The supernova of 0453-669 may have exploded near the edge of a low-density volume swept clean by the winds and supernovae from massive stars in LH4.”

NGC 1731 = ESO 085-012 = S-L 82 = LMC-N4D = LH 4

04 53 29.5 -66 55 30; Dor
V = 9.9; Size 8′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 128x this is a large region of nebulosity (N4, a confirmed supernova remnant) and scattered stars (association LH 4), 6′-7′ diameter. The double star HJ 3710 = 10.7/12.7 at 12″ is involved on the east side, along with a number of fainter stars.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1731 = h2691 on 23 Dec 1834 and described “a double star, the chief of a pretty rich, pretty large cluster of loosely scattered stars, little compressed to the middle; 8′; stars 11..15th mag.” On a second sweep he called it “a poor loose cluster 8′ diameter, stars 10..15th mag, chief double star taken.” and on his third and last sweep, “a double star, the chief of a poor loose cluster 3 or 4′ diameter.”