NGC 1696 = ESO 056-004 = S-L 43

04 48 30  -68 14 36; Dor
V = 13.9; Size 0.9′

30″ (11/6/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): fairly faint, fairly small, round, 30″ diameter. Bracketed by two stars; a mag 15 star 25″ NW of center and a mag 15 star 38″ SE of center. Located 19′ SW of mag 6.8 HD 31532.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1696 = h2674 on 2 Nov 1834 and wrote “vF; E; very little brighter middle.” This was his only observation and the position is off by 1.5′ in dec.

 

NGC 1697 = ESO 056-005 = S-L 44

04 48 36  -68 33 30; Dor
V = 12.6; Size 2.6′

30″ (11/6/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): bright, fairly large, round, large bright core, very mottled but not resolved except for a few sparklers that are visible for moments. A mag 10.6 star lies 2.5′ SE. Located 11′ E of mag 7.2 HD 30969.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1697 = h2675 on 2 Nov 1834, along with NGC 1696, 1714/15/18/35/47 and a couple of dozen additional objects. On his first observation (out of 5) he recorded “pB, R, very gradually little brighter middle, 40″.” On the 4th sweep he wrote “globular cluster, pB, R, gradually little brighter middle, 1.5′; resolved. With the left eye I see the stars.” The Shapley-Lindsay position (S-L 44) is exactly 10′ too far south.

 

NGC 1718 = ESO 085-10 = S-L 65

04 52 25.8  -67 03 07; Dor
V = 12.3; Size 2.0′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): this LMC cluster appeared at 128x as a fairly faint, round, 1′ diameter, well-defined knot with no resolution. A mag 14 star is 1′ SSE of center. Located 8′ SSE of NGC 1714 and 6′ N of a mag 9 star.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1718 = h2688 on 2 Nov 1834 and recorded “F, R, bM.” On his 3rd of 3 sweeps he logged, “pF, R, very gradually little brighter middle, 60″.” His positions are excellent.

 

S-L 75 = KMHK 199

04 52 55  -68 55 07; Dor
V = 12.7; Size 1.4′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): picked up while viewing the field of NGC 1734 located 9.7′ NNE. I’m surprised Herschel missed this cluster as it is brighter and larger than many NGC objects in the LMC. At 200x it appeared moderately bright and large, round, 45″-50″ diameter, broad concentration, no resolution.

Notes: Robert Innes discovered S-L 75 on a photograph taken with the 10-inch Franklin-Adams camera of the Johannesburg (Union) Observatory. It was catalogued in the 1924 “Catalogue of Clusters and Nebulae Near the Large Magellanic Cloud” as a “irregular nebulous spot” and “compressed cluster or nebula.” It was listed by Shapley as #9 of 166 LMC clusters found on Bruce plates in the 1931 Harvard College Bulletin #884 (“Notes on the Large Magellanic Cloud, IV. The Galactic Clusters.”

 

LH 3

04 52.2  -67 17; Dor
Size 6′

25″ (10/27/22 – OzSky): association LH 3 consists of at least 3 components. One the east side is S-L 81, a group of 4 or 5 mag 13.5-14.5 stars were resolved at 318x in a 1.5′ region. A brighter star near the center appeared fuzzy, but images show it’s an merged double or triple star (4″ separation). A total of at least a dozen stars from mag 12.5-14.5 were resolved in a 6′ region. The faint emission nebula N5 is on the west side. Unfiltered at 187x a couple of mag 13.8 and 13.9 stars were noticed through thin clouds. Adding a NPB filter there was soft glow ~2′ in diameter with indistinct edges.

 

NGC 1736 = LMC-N8 = ESO 056-16

04 53 03  -68 03 10; Dor
Size 1.8′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 200x, this is a bright, relatively large, crescent-shaped nebulosity involving 4 stars, ~1.2’x0.8′, stretching NNW to SSE. On the east side, four stars were resolved in an 0.8′ curving arc that followed the shape of the nebula! The two brighter mag 13.5 stars are on the south end of the string and two mag 14.5 and 15 stars are just north (the star at the S end is an O6.5V-type blue supergiant). In addition, a couple of very faint stars are off the southwest side. I didn’t compare the view using a filter, though this object is predominantly an emission nebula. Located ~9′ E of a 2′ pair of bright stars: mag 6.8 HD 31532 and mag 8.4 HD 31576.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1736 = h2697 on 30 Dec 1836 and recorded “B; R; resolvable” on his single observation. There is nothing at his position, but Robert Innes suggested h2697 was probably identical to a “nebulous patch north-preceding a 12 mag star”, located 1 min of RA west of Herschel’s position. Henize also noted LHa N120-8 is “Probably NGC 1736. The NGC description suits the object but the position is 1 minute in error.” He reported, “1.4′ east-west and 1.9′ north-south. It has a slightly irregular outline, is not elongated and has appreciable structure. Two 12.8 mag exciting stars are involved.” Eric Lindsay, in his 1964 paper “Some NGC objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud” (IAJ, 6, 286-289), repeated the “NGC position in error and should be 1m [West] where there is a bright round patch of nebulosity not listed in the NGC. This is Henize N8 and noted by Henize to be probably NGC 1736 with 1m error.” Herschel caught several typos of this type and corrected them in an errata list, but missed this one.

Joseph Turner observed and sketch this object on 11 Nov 1876 with the Great Melbourne Telescope (plate III, figure 21 in “Observations of the Southern Nebulae…” . In 1885 Baracchi noted, “Small, round, bright, about 20″; edge rather ill-defined, not sharp; sparkling at times; may be a little cluster, but could not make certain with any power.”

 

NGC 1732 = ESO 056-017 = S-L 77

04 53 11  -68 39 00; Dor
V = 12.3; Size 0.9′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): moderately bright, very small, 20″-24″ diameter. At first glance looks like a double star oriented NW-SE embedded in some surrounding haze. But with a careful examination one of the “stars” is clearly bloated (perhaps has very close companions) and appears as a very small high surface brightness glow. NGC 1734 lies 7.3′ SSE. Supernova remnant N86 lies 14′ E.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1732 = h2694 on 23 Dec 1834 and described “a small double star first class [HJ 3712] in centre of a S, R, nebula.” Joseph Turner made a sketch with the Great Melbourne Telescope (unpublished plate II, figure 19) showing a double star within a small patch of nebulosity. Robert Innes also observed NGC 1732 with the 26.5-inch refractor of the Union Observatory in Johannesburg. Innes called it a “5 arc second double star in the foci of an elliptical nebula.”

 

NGC 1734 = ESO 056-018 = S-L 83

04 53 34  -68 46 06; Dor
V = 13.1; Size 1.3′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): moderately bright, fairly large, 1′ diameter, very irregular shape, mottled. At 200x, a couple of extremely faint mag 16 stars were resolved at the edges. NGC 1732 lies 7.3′ NNW.

In addition, I logged three clusters not plotted on the Morel Atlas: KMHK 193 4.7′ WSW, KMHK 189 6.9′ SW and S-L 75 9.7′ SSW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1734 = h2695 on 23 Dec 1834 and described as “pB, L, R, gradually much brighter middle”. His position matches this LMC cluster.

 

NGC 1733 = ESO 085-013 = S-L 85

04 54 04.9  -66 40 57; Dor
V = 13.3; Size 1.2′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): this LMC cluster appeared as a round knot, ~25″ diameter with a fairly even surface brightness. Easy to locate as it is situated just 3.4′ E of mag 6.5 HD 31754 on the NW side of the LMC.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1733 = h2693 on 3 Jan 1837 and recorded “eF, R, gradually brighter in the middle, 40″. A very starry field follows this, and hereabouts may be said to commence the denser part of the Nubecula Major.” His position is accurate.

 

NGC 1749 = ESO 056-026 = S-L 93

04 54 56.5  -68 11 19; Dor
V = 13.6; Size 1.2′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): extremely faint, very small glow, ~20″ diameter. Located 2′ NW of NGC 1755.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1749 = h2703 on 30 Dec 1836 and recorded “vF; R; the preceding of two [with NGC 1755] in the field.” His position is accurate.

 

NGC 1755 = ESO 256-028 = S-L 99

04 55 14.7  -68 12 20; Dor
V = 9.7; Size 2′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): bright, compact cluster, round, 1.5′ diameter, brighter core, no resolution. Forms a pair with much fainter NGC 1749 2′ NW.

Notes: James Dunlop discovered NGC 1755 = D 167 = h2706 on 3 Oct 1826, along with D 168 (= NGC 1770). He described a “pretty bright round well-defined nebula, 15″ diameter.” His position was 7′ too far west. He made a second observation on 6 Nov 1826 with his position 6′ to the SSE.

John Herschel made a single observation on 30 Dec 1836 and recorded “very bright, round, gradually brighter in the middle; 60″. The following of two [with NGC 1749] in the field.”

Pietro Baracchi observed NGC 1755 and NGC 1749 on 10 Dec 1884 with the 48″ Melbourne telescope. His sketch shows NGC 1755 as very mottled with a distinct star at the south edge and another at the northwest edge. At the same time he discovered S-L 92, an extremely faint cluster 5′ SW. He wrote in his notebook, “Nebula not in Catalogues. Very faint, a little elongated, no condensation.” The discovery was not published.

 

S-L 117 = KMHK 314

04 56 22.6  -68 58 02; Dor
V = 12.3; Size 1.7′

18″ (4/6/16 – Coonabarabran, 236x): moderately bright LMC cluster, very large, round, 1.5′-2′ diameter, smooth glow, no resolution except for a couple of mag 15 stars around the edge. A curving string of stars extends to the west. NGC 1785 (a Milky Way asterism) lies 15′ NE. S-L 116 is 10′ N.

Notes: Robert Innes discovered S-L 117 on a photograph taken with the 10-inch Franklin-Adams camera of the Johannesburg (Union) Observatory. It was catalogued in the 1924 “Catalogue of Clusters and Nebulae Near the Large Magellanic Cloud” as a “fine thin globular cluster” and a “fine large, nearly round nebula, bM.” In 1926 he observed it visually with the 26.5-inch refractor of the Union Observatory in Johannesburg and called it a “13 mag cluster, round, 1′ diameter”. It was listed by Harlow Shapley as #16 of 166 LMC clusters found on Bruce plates in the 1931 Harvard College Bulletin #884 (“Notes on the Large Magellanic Cloud, IV. The Galactic Clusters.”)

 

NGC 1764 = ESO 056-030 = S-L 115

04 56 28  -67 41 36; Dor
V = 12.6; Size 1.0′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): relatively bright, fairly small, round, 0.4′ diameter. At 200x, a few very tightly packed stars are resolved within the glow. A mag 14.2 star is 0.6′ S and a mag 12 star is 2.2′ SW. NGC 1786 lies 15′ ESE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1764 = h2713 on 2 Jan 1837 and described as “very faint, small, round, 15″. The zone here is full of grouping and clustering stars.” His position is accurate.

 

NGC 1768 = ESO 056-032 = S-L 127

04 57 02.7  -68 14 54; Dor
V = 12.8; Size 0.7′

18″ (7/9/02 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 128x, this LMC cluster appeared fairly faint, small, 0.7′ diameter. It seemed to consist of a chain of faint knots of stars. Located 10′ ESE of NGC 1755.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1768 = h2718 on 30 Dec 1836 and described as “F; R; gradually brighter in the middle; 20″.” His position is just off the southwest side of this cluster.

 

NGC 1774 = ESO 085-026 = S-L 141

04 58 07  -67 14 36; Dor
V = 10.8; Size 1.1’x1.0′

30″ (10/14/15 – OzSky): very bright, moderately large, roundish, ~45″ diameter. Appears as a clumpy string of stars ~E-W, surrounding by unresolved haze. A couple of faint stars are resolved on either end of the string and a few very compact knots and stars “pop” in the main glow. The cluster appears on the verge of more extensive resolution though it would require very high power due to its compactness. Situated within a fairly poor star field with a mag 10.2 star 4.1′ NW. NGC 1747 is 17′ WNW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1774 = h2723 on 23 Nov 1834 and recorded “B, R or oblong, pretty evidently a double star with a nebula about it.” On a second sweep he called it, “pF, R, pretty gradually brighter middle” and on his last sweep ,”vB, S, R, suddenly much brighter middle, 20″ (evidently better seen.)”.

 

NGC 1785 = ESO 056-038

04 58 45.4  -68 49 24; Dor
Size 3.5′

18″ (4/6/16 – Coonabarabran, 236x): asterism of 8 stars superimposed on the LMC. It includes two mag 11/11.7 stars at the northeast end and a roughly 9″ pair of mag 12/12.5 stars at the southwest end. BSDL 375, a very faint nebulous patch, was noticed 2′ following the two stars at the northeast end of NGC 1785. One or two mag 15 stars were resolved on the south side of the glow.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1785 between Nov 1836 and Mar 1837 with a 5-inch refractor and included it as #147 in his preliminary catalogue of “Stars, Nebulae and Clusters in the Nubecula Major.” No description was given but his position is 04 58 33 -68 51.3 (J2000). ESO lists two possible candidates: ESO 56-**38 at 04 58 45 -68 49.4 (2000) with comments “Chain of 5 to 10 stars; not in LMC” and S-L 150 = ESO 56-SC40 at 04 58 57 -69 13 04, which is LMC cluster.

In “Some NGC objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud” [1964IrAJ….6..286L] Eric Lindsay states, “Not found. A few bright widely scattered stars NE but no cluster or nebula. There is a bright cluster, S/L 116, 2m W 3′ N and a conspicuous one, S/L 117, 2m W and 7′ S, neither in the NGC. The object is in the Nub. Cat. only classified as a nebula.” RNGC follows Lindsay and classifies this number as nonexistent.

Based on Herschel’s position and his LMC sketch, Harold Corwin identified NGC 1785 with an asterism of about 5 stars superposed on the LMC (ESO 56-**38). This is the first of the ESO candidates.

 

NGC 1786 = ESO 056-039 = S-L 149

04 59 08.0  -67 44 43; Dor
V = 10.9; Size 1.2′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): exceptionally bright, relatively large, round, 45″ diameter, extremely high surface bright core. A mag 11-12 star is superimposed just northwest of the core! KMHK 412 was picked up as a very faint glow 6.5′ SE and just north of two mag 13 stars. NGC 1786 is one of 15 bona-fide ancient GC’s in the LMC.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1786 = h2729 on 26 Nov 1834 and logged “vB, E, S. Stellar, like a star 9th mag blurred.” On the second of 3 sweeps it was called “vB, R, very suddenly much brighter middle, 30″.”

 

NGC 1783 = ESO 085-029 = S-L 148

04 59 08.9  -65 59 14; Dor
V = 10.4; Size 3′

30″ (10/18/17 – OzSky): at 202x and 264x; Intensely bright LMC cluster! Very large, roundish, 2.5′-3′ diameter, highly concentrated with a large, brilliant core that gradually increases towards the center. At 429x; very granular or mottled appearance. A number of extremely faint stars and/or clumps of stars (too many to count) popped in and out of visibility. This is a young populous cluster with an age of 1.5-1.8 billion years.

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): moderately bright, fairly large, round, 2.0′ diameter, fairly smooth surface brightness. Appears to be a globular cluster as it is well-detached in the field with a fairly crisply defined edge, increasing to a brighter 1′ core. NGC 1805 lies 20′ ESE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1783 = h2726 on 13 Dec 1835 and recorded, “pB, L, R, gradually brighter in the middle, 2′.” On a second sweep he called it, “B, L, R, very gradually pretty much brighter in the middle, resolvable 3′.”

James Dunlop probably made an earlier unpublished discovery on 6 Nov 1826. After his entry for D 233 = NGC 1805, he states “a small nebula precedes this about 2 minutes in RA and 8′ north”. The actual offset is 3 minutes in RA west and 7.5′ north.

Harlow Shapley included NGC 1783 as one of the 8 globular clusters in the LMC in his 1930 book “Star Clusters” though it’s age is now known as 1.5-1.7 billion years.

 

S-L 153 = KMHK 387

04 59 20.5  -66 19 08; Dor
V = 12.0; Size 1.0′

25″ (10/26/22 – OzSky): at 318x; bright, relatively large for a S-L cluster, 0.6′ diameter, roundish, very bright small core/nucleus, mottled appearance.

25″ (4/4/19 – OzSky): at 488x; bright, moderately large, round, 40″ diameter, very bright nucleus. Located 7.5′ ENE of NGC 1773 and 20′ S of NGC 1783.

Notes: Shapley-Lindsay: 40″ diameter; very condensed center, outer resolved.

 

KMHK 412 = [H88] 084

05 00 06  -67 48 03; Dor

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): picked up while observing NGC 1786 6.5′ NW. At 200x appeared as a very faint, fairly small soft glow, round, ~20″ diameter. Situated 35″ N and 40″ E of two mag 13 stars.

 

NGC 1806 = ESO 056-047 = S-L 184

05 02 11  -67 59 00; Dor
V = 11.0; Size 2.2′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): very bright LMC globular, large, round, at least 1.5′ diameter. Sharply concentrated with a brighter, grainy 25″ core and a slightly mottled halo. Located 4.5′ NE of mag 8.3 HD 32972 = AO Doradus.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1806 = h2745 on 30 Dec 1836 and described as”pB, L, gradually brighter in the middle, 3′.” His position and description is accurate, though his estimate is a little too large.

Harlow Shapley included NGC 1806 as one of the 8 globular clusters in the LMC in his 1930 book “Star Clusters” though it’s age is now known as 1.5-1.7 billion years.

 

NGC 1805 = ESO 085-32 = S-L 186

05 02 21.7  -66 06 42; Dor
V = 10.6; Size 2′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): very bright, fairly small, brilliant core, 30″ diameter. A mag 13 star is situated just off the NW side, 25″ from center. The core is oddly displaced off-center in the direction of this star. A few faint stars are resolved in the halo and a mag 13.5 star is at the south edge. NGC 1783 lies 20′ WNW and NGC 1822 is 18′ ESE (all three collinear).

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): moderately bright, small, 25″ diameter, sharply concentrated with a quasi-stellar bright nucleus. A mag 13 star is at the NW edge (24″ from center). This is a well-studied young (40 million years old) LMC star cluster. Located 20′ ESE of NGC 1783.

Notes: James Dunlop probably discovered NGC 1805 = D 233 = h2741 on 24 Sep 1826 and described “a small round well-defined nebula, 10″ or 12″ diameter”. His position is 6′ SSW of the cluster, within his usual errors.

John Herschel made 5 observations, the first on 2 Nov 1834 (sweep 508) in which he recorded “a vS compact cluster of stars 11th mag with (?) nebulosity, 20″.” On 3 Jan 1837 (sweep 761) he described it as “B, S, R, suddenly brighter in the middle, 25″, has two stars very near, one NW and one SE.” The two closest stars are oriented WSW of NGC 1805 and ENE

 

NGC 1810 = ESO 085-035 = S-L 194

05 03 23.1  -66 22 56; Dor
V = 11.9; Size 1.2′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): moderately bright cluster, fairly small, 45″ diameter, partially resolved with 4 or 5 stars visible on the east side of the halo including a couple of mag 13.5-14 stars. Located 2.6′ ESE of mag 10.3 HD 268879. A mag 12.5 star lies 45″ N. Forms a pair with brighter NGC 1818 6′ SE. S-L 205 lies 8.4′ ENE.

Notes: James Dunlop probably discovered NGC 1810 = D 235 = h2746 on 24 Sep 1826 and described “a small round pretty well defined nebula.” He made a single observation and his position is 11′ south-southeast of the cluster. It’s also possible that this observation refers to brighter NGC 1818 — along with D 234 and D236, though the latter two are placed south of D 235, agreeing with orientation of NGC 1810 and 1818.

John Herschel made a total of 5 observations beginning on 6 Nov 1834. In order of his observations, he logged “eF, S, R, 15″, precedes a globular cluster.”, “vF, R, little brighter middle, 40 arcsec”, “F, S, R”, “pF, R, little brighter middle, 25 arcsec” and “Nebula; no description but that it has a globular cluster following it.” The cluster he refers to is NGC 1818 and Herschel attributed Dunlop’s 235 with the discovery.

 

NGC 1818 = ESO 085-040 = S-L 201

05 04 14  -66 26 06; Dor
V = 9.7; Size 2.9′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): very bright, fairly large, 2.5′ diameter, sharply concentrated with an intense core that is partially resolved into several very faint stars. The halo was fairly well resolved with two dozen faint stars plus some brighter mag 12-13 stars in the outer halo. Just off the southwest edge is KMHK 490, a very small non-stellar object that appeared like a close double star.

NGC 1818 is the brightest of a trio with NGC 1810 6′ NW and S-L 205 5′ NE. S-L 205 is just a faint, diffuse glow, roughly 35″ diameter. NGC 1822 and NGC 1826, a fainter pair of clusters, lie 14′ NNE. NGC 1818 is a “young” blue or populous cluster (YPC), formed only 30-40 million years ago.

Notes: James Dunlop discovered NGC 1818 = D 236 = D 234 = D235 = h2749 on 3 Aug 1826. Dunlop apparently made observations on different nights at different positions and recorded them separately as discoveries. He described D 236 on 3 Aug 1826 as “a star with a burr or bright small nebula about 20″ diameter, very bright at the centre.” He observed it twice and the published position is 3.4′ ENE of center. D 234, found on 6 Nov. 1826, was described as “a round well-defined nebula, about 30″ diameter.” His notebook position is 8′ due S. Finally, D 235, found on 24 Sep 1826, was described as a “small round pretty well-defined nebula” and his position is 5.5′ NNW of center!

John Herschel made 6 observations of the cluster with the first description from 2 Nov 1834 (sweep 508): “vB, S, R cluster of distinct stars, much brighter in the middle, 2′ diameter.”

 

S-L 205 = KMHK 507

05 04 45.5  -66 22 01; Dor
V = 13.8; Size 1.0′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): while observing NGC 1818 and 1810 I noted this object 5.2′ NE of NGC 1818 as a faint, diffuse glow, roughly 35″ diameter.

Notes: Robert Innes discovered S-L 205 on a photograph taken with the 10-inch Franklin-Adams camera of the Johannesburg (Union) Observatory. It was catalogued in the 1924 “Catalogue of Clusters and Nebulae Near the Large Magellanic Cloud” as a “nebulous patch.”

Notes: Shapley-Ames (1963) lists and diameter of 35″ and remarks, “Irregular, unresolved.”

 

NGC 1829 = LMC-N23A = ESO 056-57 = S-L 208

05 04 57  -68 03 18; Dor
V = 12.1

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): this LMC cluster and HII region (N23A) appeared bright, fairly large, irregularly round, 1.5′ diameter. Four stars are within the nebulous glow including a mag 13.5, two mag 14 stars and a mag 15 star. Located 1.8′ NW of mag 7.9 HD 33486. The surrounding region includes several mag 12-13 stars, but these are detached from the glow. HS 114 lies 6.3′ ENE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1829 = h2760 on 13 Dec 1835 and recorded “F, R, 60″, r[esolvable].” His position (single sweep) is accurate.

 

NGC 1822 = ESO 085-042 = S-L 210

05 05 09  -66 12 36; Dor
V = 13.1; Size 0.8′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): fairly faint, fairly small, 30″ diameter. A single mag 14.5 star is resolved at the west edge. Forms a close pair with NGC 1826 2.8′ SE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1822 = h2756 on 20 Dec 1835 and described as “vF, 20″, the preceding of two [with NGC 1826 = h2751].” Wolfgang Steinicke credits James Dunlop with the discovery (D 235) on 24 Sep 1826, though Dunlop’s position is much closer to NGC 1818, which may have multiple entries. I believe this cluster is too faint to have been picked up by Dunlop.

 

NGC 1826 = ESO 085-043 = S-L 221

05 05 34  -66 13 54; Dor
V = 13.2; Size 0.9′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): slightly brighter of a pair of small clusters with NGC 1822 2.8′ NW. Appeared moderately bright, round, 45″ diameter, broad weak concentration but no resolution. A mag 10.8 star lies 2.9′ E.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1826 = h2757 on 20 Dec 1835 and recorded “vF, 20″, the following of two [with NGC 1822].” Steinicke lists Dunlop as the discoverer (D 235) of this object as well as NGC 1822, though Dunlop’s position is much closer to NGC 1818, which may have multiple entries. I believe this pair of clusters is too faint to have been picked up by Dunlop.

 

NGC 1831 = ESO 085-044 = S-L 227

05 06 16.3  -64 55 06; Dor
V = 10.7; Size 3.9′

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): fairly faint, fairly large, 1.5′-2′ diameter, weak even concentration to the center. This is a rich intermediate-age LMC globular cluster.

Notes: James Dunlop discovered NGC 1831 = D 246 = h2759 on 3 Aug 1826, with a second observation on 5 Nov. He described it as a “pretty well-defined round faint nebula, 25″ diameter; a little brighter at the centre.” and his first position was 5′ due west of center.

John Herschel observed the cluster on 3 Dec 1834 (sweep 518) and called it “B; L; R; gradually little brighter middle; 90″.” In 1926, Robert Innes observed NGC 1831 with the 26.5-inch refractor of the Union Observatory in Johannesburg and described it as a “Mag[nificent] globular cluster, 2′ diameter, bM of thousands of very faint stars.”

Harlow Shapley included NGC 1831 as one of the 8 globular clusters in the LMC in his 1930 book “Star Clusters” though current age estimates are under 1 billion years.

 

NGC 1838 = ESO 056-064 = S-L 225

05 06 47  -68 25 42; Dor
V = 12.9; Size 10′

30″ (10/14/15 – OzSky): excellent scattered cluster/association in the LMC. Includes many brighter mag 11.5-13 stars along with dozens of fainter stars. Perhaps 75 stars down to mag 15 are resolved in a 7′ region. Located just east of mag 8.2 HD 33617 with mag 10.2 HD 269035 at the southeast edge.

There are three Shapley-Lindsay clusters (not specifically mentioned by Herschel) at the edges. S-L 225, at the southwest edge, appeared fairly bright, round, 50″ diameter. Several mag 14-16 stars are resolved, particularly along the north side. Located 2′ SSE of mag 8.2 HD 33617. A mag 11.7 star is 1.3′ WSW. S-L 230, at the northern edge, appeared very bright, fairly small LMC cluster, 30″x20″ ~N-S, clumpy. At 394x, a brighter star is resolved along with a few very faint stars and a quasi-stellar knot. It was too densely packed for additional resolution. Just 1′ SW of S-L 230 is S-L 229, a pretty faint small glow, ~20″ diameter, with no resolution.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1838 = h2767 on 30 Dec 1836 and logged as “a star 7 mag, the chief of a large very loose clustering mass.” The star was earlier listed in the Brisbane Catalogue of Stars (published in 1835) as B895, and Herschel references the Brisbane number in the Cape Catalogue.

Shapley-Lindsay, ESO and the Hodge-Wright Atlas identity the small knot S-L 225 as NGC 1838. Jenni Kay states that Herschel’s description clearly refers to the larger star group, which contains a few small, faint open clusters within it, including S-L 225 and S-L 230. The large, loose grouping including a mag 8 star is roughly 10′ in diameter, compared to S-L 225, which is just 35″. Harold Corwin notes that S-L 225 may be outside of Herschel’s intended object.

 

NGC 1842 = ESO 085-046 = S-L 241

05 07 18  -67 16 24; Dor
V = 14.0; Size 0.8′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): fairly faint, moderately large, irregular shape, 25″ diameter, no resolution. Forms a pair with brighter NGC 1844 3.4′ SSE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1842 = h2772 on 20 Dec 1835 and described as “eF, the preceding of two [with NGC 1844 = h2773].” His position is accurate.

 

NGC 1844 = ESO 085-048 = S-L 242

05 07 30.4  -67 19 28; Dor
V = 12.1; Size 1.3′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): fairly bright, moderately large, irregular (brightest portion is triangular shaped), 45″-60″ diameter. A couple of faint stars are resolved at the edges with two interior stars occasionally resolving. It appeared mottled and on the verge of higher resolution. A mag 12.4 star lies 2′ SSW. NGC 1842 lies 3.4′ NNW with NGC 1846 8′ S.

18″ (7/10/05 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): moderately bright, fairly small, round, ~40″ diameter, fairly smooth with only a weak concentration to the center. Two mag 12-13 stars lie to the south and a mag 10 star (HD 33631) is 8′ SW. Nearby is the larger (globular?) cluster NGC 1846 8′ S.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1844 = h2773 on 2 Nov 1834 and described “pB, R, gradually brighter in the middle, 60″.” On a second sweep he recorded “pF, R, gradually brighter in the middle, 25″, has two stars 12th mag to the north.” On a third observation is only logged “F, R”. The final observation reads: “F, R, bM, the following of two [with NGC 1842 = h2772].”

 

NGC 1846 = ESO 056-067 = S-L 243

05 07 34.1  -67 27 41; Dor
V = 10.7; Size 2.8′

18″ (7/10/05 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 128x this young LMC globular appeared fairly bright, relatively large, round, 2.5′ diameter, broad concentration, mottled with some weak resolution. A mag 10 star lies 9′ SW. NGC 1846 is the second in a collinear string of 4 LMC clusters with NGC 1844 9′ NNW, NGC 1842 11.5′ NNW and NGC 1852 21′ SSE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1846 = h2774 on 2 Nov 1834 and logged “B; L; R; gradually brighter in the middle; 3′.” He recorded this cluster on 4 different sweeps and his position is accurate.

James Dunlop’s D 209 may be an earlier discovery on 6 Nov. 1826. He described a “very faint round nebula, 45″ diameter, preceding a bright star in the same parallel.” His position is 9′ SW of center, within the range of his usual errors, but there isn’t a bright star “in the same parallel”. A mag 11.5 star is 7′ due W, though I doubt he would call it a “bright star”.

Harlow Shapley included NGC 1846 as one of the 8 globular clusters in the LMC in his 1930 book “Star Clusters” though it’s age is now known as 1.5-1.7 billion years.

 

NGC 1852 = ESO 056-71 = S-L 264

05 09 24.0  -67 46 45; Dor
V = 12.0

25″ (4/6/19 – OzSky): at 244x and 353x; bright, fairly large, round, 1.2′ diameter, brighter core. A couple of 15th mag stars were resolved on the north side and a couple additional extremely faint 16+ mag stars on the edge of the southern halo.

18″ (7/10/05 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 128x, this rich LMC cluster (possible globular) appeared moderately bright and large, round, 1′ diameter. Fairly low surface brightness with a weak concentration to a slightly brighter core. Forms the northern vertex of a triangle with two mag 10 stars (HD 34038 and HD 34143) 7.4′ SSW and 6′ SSE, respectively. NGC 1846 lies 21′ NW.

Notes: James Dunlop discovered NGC 1852 = D 171 = h2781 on 6 Nov 1826 and described a “very faint round nebula, about 25″ diameter.” His position is 5′ SSE of the cluster and there are no other nearby candidates. John Herschel independently discovered the cluster on 23 Dec 1834 (sweep 522) and recorded “F; R; gradually brighter in the middle; 2′.” His position (measured on 4 sweeps) is accurate and he made no mention of Dunlop’s possible earlier observation.

 

NGC 1849 = ESO 085-049 = S-L 267

05 09 35  -66 19 00; Dor
V = 12.8; Size 1.3′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): fairly bright, irregularly round, 1′ diameter, small bright core, no resolution. An equilateral triangle of mag 11/12 stars with sides of 2.4′ is centered 4′ SW. While scanning the field, I noticed open cluster S-L 283 7.7′ NE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1849 = h2778 on 3 Jan 1837 and recorded “vF; lE; gradually little brighter middle; 25”. His position from a single sweep is ~30″ NNW of center.

 

KMHK 617 = BRHT 32b

05 10 41.8  -66 15 06; Dor

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): appears as a very small, detached knot on the NW end of larger and brighter S-L 283. Picked up while viewing NGC 1849 7.7′ SW. I didn’t realize this knot had a separate designation until checking SIMBAD.

 

S-L 283 = KMHK 618 = BRHT 32a

05 10 44.7  -66 15 40; Dor
Size 0.9’x0.7′

30″ (11/4/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): fairly faint, moderately large, irregular glow, seems to contain two sections, total size ~1.1’x0.8′, mottled but no resolution. The main group is on the SE side with a very small, detached knot on the NW end (BRHT 32b = KMHK 617). Picked up while viewing NGC 1849 7.7′ SW.

Notes: Robert Innes discovered S-L 283 on a photograph taken with the 10-inch Franklin-Adams camera of the Johannesburg (Union) Observatory. It was catalogued in the 1924 “Catalogue of Clusters and Nebulae Near the Large Magellanic Cloud” as a “small nebula.”

Shapley-Ames (1963) lists and diameter of 30″ and remarks, “Irregular, resolved.”

 

NGC 1859 = ESO 085-50 = S-L 297

05 11 32.5  -65 14 55; Dor
V = 12.1; Size 2.0′

30″ (11/6/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): fairly bright, fairly small, round. A brighter “bar” oriented NW-SE runs through the center, 0.6′ diameter. Appears very mottled with a few very faint stars resolved. Collinear with mag 7 HD 34349 5.5′ NE and a mag 11.4 star 4.5′ SW. NGC 1866 lies 18′ SE.

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): at 166x, this cluster appeared as a faint, fairly small, round, unresolved spot, roughly 0.5′ diameter. Located 5.5′ SSW of mag 7.0 SAO 249218 and 18′ NW NGC 1866.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1859 = h2786 on 3 Dec 1834 and recorded “F; S; R; very gradually brighter middle; 20″; has a *7m north-following, dist 6′.” His position and description is accurate.

 

NGC 1862 = ESO 085-051 = S-L 306

05 12 34.4  -66 09 18; Dor
V = 13.3; Size 0.3′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): fairly faint, fairly small, irregular round, 25″ diameter. Two mag 15-15.5 stars are resolved [6″ separation] on the north side [this is cluster BRHT 6b] and a knot on the south side just resolves into a 4″ pair. A wide 30″ pair of mag 11/12.5 stars is 2.5′ S.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1862 = h2789 on 31 Jan 1835 and logged “vF, R, 30″.” His position from this single sweep is 1.3′ too far west.

 

NGC 1864 = ESO 056-079 = S-L 309

05 12 41.0  -67 37 25; Dor
V = 12.9; Size 0.9′

30″ (10/12/15 – OzSky): fairly bright, fairly small, roundish glow, 35″ diameter. Four stars are resolved are 303x. Two mag 14.3 and 15.5 stars lie on the west end and a couple of mag 14.5-15 stars are on the southeast side. HD 34650 = HJ 3747 = 9.4/11.0 at 7″ is 6.2′ ENE. NGC 1871/1869/1873 lies 12′ and more to the northeast.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1864 = h2792 on 23 Dec 1834 and recorded “F; R; bM; 60.” On a second sweep he logged “F; irregularly R; resolvable; query, if not a knot of vS stars.” His position is accurate.

 

NGC 1866 = ESO 085-52 = S-L 319

05 13 38.6  -65 27 52; Dor
V = 9.5; Size 4.5′

30″ (11/6/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): beautiful, highly resolved “blue globular” in the LMC. Appeared very bright, very large, with an intense 1′ core surrounded by a 5′ halo containing a few dozen very faint stars. The core itself was partially resolved into a number of densely packed stars over bright, mottled haze. NGC 1859 lies 18′ NW.

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): at 166x, this LMC globular appeared moderately bright and fairly large large, round, 2.5′ diameter. The appearance was symmetrical with a faint 2.5′ halo increasing to a 1′ bright core that was concentrated to the center. There was no obvious resolution although the surface was grainy or mottled. Forms an equilateral triangle with a mag 11-12 star 3′ WNW and a mag 12-13 star 3′ NNW. This is a young populous “blue globular” with an age of roughly 200 million years. NGC 1866 lies north of the main body of the LMC, 4.4° from the center.

Notes: James Dunlop discovered NGC 1866 = h2793 = D 247 = D 248 on 3 Aug 1826. He described D 248 as “a pretty bright round well-defined nebula, about 30″ diameter, gradually and moderately condensed to the centre.” His first position on 3 Aug was 9′ to the east and a second position from 5 Nov was 7.5′ to the west, so the identification is fairly certain. D 247, found on 3 Oct 1826, is apparently another observation. It was placed 9′ too far NW and described (in his notebook) as “a pretty bright round nebula, 35″ diameter, gradually condensed to the center and well defined.”

John Herschel observed NGC 1866 on 23 Nov 1834 (sweep 512) and recorded “vB; L; R; very gradually much brighter middle; 2′; resolvable.” In 1926, Robert Innes observed NGC 1866 with the 26.5-inch refractor of the Union Observatory in Johannesburg. He described a “fine cluster of stars, very dense, with outliers, 2′ diam, a miniature of Omega Centauri, 8th mag.”

Harlow Shapley included NGC 1783 as one of the 8 globular clusters in the LMC in his 1930 book “Star Clusters” though it’s age is now known to be only a couple of hundred million years.

 

NGC 1867 = ESO 058-053 = S-L 321

05 13 41.6  -66 17 36; Dor
V = 13.3; Size 1.3′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): this LMC cluster appears as a fairly faint soft glow with no resolution, moderately large, irregularly round, 35″ diameter, slightly brighter core. Forms the obtuse angle of a flat triangle with a mag 10.5 star 2.6′ S and a mag 12.5 star 1.9′ NW. NGC 1882 lies 15′ NE and NGC 1887 is a similar distance ESE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1867 = h2795 on 3 Jan 1837 and described as “eF, pL, R, 2′ (sky dull).” His position is accurate.

 

NGC 1882 = NGC 1884? = ESO 085-057 = S-L 340

05 15 33  -66 07 48; Dor
V = 12.3; Size 1.2′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): fairly bright, fairly large, roundish, 1.2′ diameter, small brighter core. A mag 14 star is resolved at the west edge of the core. A mag 10 star lies 5.5′ E. NGC 1887 lies 12′ SSE and NGC 1867 is 15′ SW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1882 = h2809 (along with NGC 1867, 1919, 1946, 2034, 2062, 2153, and 2176) on 3 Jan 1837. He recorded “pF, R, very gradually very little brighter middle, 3′ diameter, mottled (resolvable).” His position is less than 30″ NW of center.

 

NGC 1887 = ESO 085-059 = S-L 343

05 16 06  -66 19 06; Dor
V = 12.7; Size 1.0′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): fairly bright, moderately large, irregularly round, 40″ diameter. Concentrated with a very small brighter core that is offset towards the west side. A mag 13.5 star is just off the NW edge of the main glow and a mag 15.2 star is off the NE edge. NGC 1882 lies 12′ NNW and NGC 1867 is 14′ WNW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1887 = h2813 on 23 Nov 1834 and described as “vF; vS; R; has a * preceding 25″ distance.” His position from a single sweep is accurate.

 

NGC 1895 = LMC-N33 = ESO 085-62

05 16 52  -67 19 50; Dor
V = 12.9; Size 0.8′

30″ (10/12/15 – OzSky): very bright, irregular HII region, ~45″ diameter, enhanced with NPB filter at 152x. Three mag 14.5-15 stars are involved with the glow, one centrally. A mag 12 star is 1.7′ NNW. NGC 1897 lies 8′ SSE and the NGC 1873 complex (along with NGC 1869 and 1871) is 16′ W.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1895 = h2817 on 2 Nov 1834 and recorded “pF; pL; R; gradually little brighter middle; 40″.” On later sweeps he estimated the size as 70″ and 80″.

 

NGC 1892 = ESO 085-061 = PGC 17042

05 17 09.0  -64 57 35; Dor
V = 12.2; Size 2.9’x0.8′; Surf Br = 13.0; PA = 74°

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): this galaxy shines through the northern portion of the LMC! At 166x, it appeared very faint, fairly small, very elongated 3:1 WSW-ENE, 0.9’x0.3′ with just a weak concentration. A very faint star is just south of the following end. Located 37′ NE of the bright LMC young globular NGC 1866.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1892 = h2815 on 30 Nov 1834 and reported “vF; pL; lE in parallel; very gradually little brighter middle; 2′ l; 9″ br.” On a second sweep he recorded “pF, pL, elongated in parallel; 90″, 50″; has a star or two in it.” In 1926, Robert Innes described it visually as a “very elongated nebula, 45° to 225°, 12th mag; 30″ broad, 2′ long.” (26-inch refractor, Union Observatory). The Hodge-Wright Atlas claims the RA is off by 1 tmin, but it is correctly marked on the Atlas and the NGC position is accurate.

 

NGC 1897 = ESO 056-092 = S-L 355

05 17 32  -67 26 54; Dor
V = 13.5; Size 1.0′

30″ (10/12/15 – OzSky): moderately bright cluster, fairly small, round, 25″ diameter, fairly smooth, no resolution except for a mag 16.5 star at the south edge. No response to filter. Mag 9.9 HD 35292 is 5′ ENE. NGC 1895 is 8′ NNW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1897 = h2820 on 31 Jan 1835 and described as “eF; S; R.” His position from a single sweep is accurate.

 

NGC 1901

05 18 16  -68 26 24; Dor
Size 15′

14″ (4/7/16 – Coonabarabran, 145x and 178x): very scattered cluster of stars in a 15′ region. The central grouping, extending 7’x2.5′, is the most compressed with ~15 stars (7 of these are fairly bright). I estimated a total of 40 resolved stars within 15′, including 10 brighter stars. The brightest are mag 8.4 HD 35294 in the central group and mag 7.6 HD 35230 on the southwest end. This sparse Milky Way cluster (neither of the two brightest stars are members) is superimposed on the LMC. The LMC cluster S-L 359, just 1.3′ WSW of the mag 8.4 star, was not seen.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1901 = h2824 on 30 Dec 1836 and described “a star 7th mag. The most southern and largest of a large, brilliant but poor cluster which fills the field. Stars 8, 9 … 12th mag.” His position is close west of mag 7.6 HD 35230.

In “Some NGC objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud” (1964IrAJ….6..286L), Eric Lindsay comments, “Centered on CPD -68°347. A dozen fairly bright stars, of which CPD 68°347 is the brightest and most southern, scattered within 11′ diameter. Could hardly be considered a cluster and resembles mroe nearly a field irregularity.” The brighter field stars are not associated with the LMC. But in the paper “A stellar group in line of sight with the Large Magellanic Cloud.” (1968AJ…..73..566S) the authors conclude, “BV photometry of a stellar group first noticed by Bok in line of sight with the Large Magellanic Cloud indicates that the group is real. An H-R diagram shows an apparent main sequence with a turnoff near A0.”

 

NGC 1902 = ESO 085-066 = S-L 367

05 18 18.3  -66 37 35; Dor
V = 11.5; Size 1.2’x1.0′

13.1″ (2/20/04 – Costa Rica): moderately bright, fairly small, 40″ diameter, weak concentration. Located 43′ NE of mag 4.8 Theta Doradus. NGC 1920 lies 16′ SE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1902 = h2823 on 23 Nov 1834 and described as “pB; S; R; bM; 15″.” On the fifth and final sweep he commented “globular; pB; R; pretty suddenly much brighter middle; 2′ diameter. Resolved.”

 

NGC 1905 = ESO 085-067 = S-L 369

05 18 24  -67 16 42; Dor
V = 13.2; Size 1.0′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): moderately bright LMC cluster, fairly small, round, 30″ diameter. Contains an irregular, small knotty nucleus that was unresolved. NGC 1895 (HII region) lies 9′ WSW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1905 = h4016 on 2 Jan 1837 and described as “F, S, R, r[esolved]. It was catalogued in a “supplementary nebulae” list of objects at the end of the Cape catalogue (h4016 to h4021) and identified as “h o n” (John Herschel Omitted Object) in the NGC.

 

NGC 1915 = BSDL 1237

05 19 38.5  -66 47 59; Dor
Size 0.5′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): fairly small knot of four mag 14-14.5 stars with perhaps some unresolved haze, ~40″ diameter. Appears to be an asterism only and unimpressive. Three mag 11-12 stars lie 2′-3′ E and emission nebula NGC 1920 is 6′ ENE.

This identification of NGC 1915 is very uncertain and this number may refer instead to open cluster ESO 085-SC71 located 4′ N. It also may be a duplicate observation of either NGC 1919 or 1920!

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1915 = h2828 on 2 Jan 1837 and recorded “extremely faint, pretty large. (Possibly the same with No. 2826 [NGC 1911], but the nebulae are so crowded that they may with equal probability be different ones).” Herschel’s position is 4′ S of ESO 085-SC71 and ESO identifies this cluster as NGC 1915.

Jenni Kay says a faint cluster exists at the original position and the ESO cluster is too small and faint. On the DSS, there are only three mag 14 stars and a few very faint stars near Herschel’s position, which to me was not eye-catching enough in the 24″ to fit Herschel’s description (mentioned to Corwin in a Feb 2014 email). In the 1964 paper “Some NGC objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud”, Eric Lindsay reported “Not found. This should be WSW of NGC 1920…”. RNGC follows Lindsay and notes “Not Found”. So, the identification of this number is uncertain. See Harold Corwin’s notes for further discussion.

 

NGC 1919 = LMC-N37 = ESO 085-73 = S-L 392

05 20 15  -66 53 00; Dor
Size 2.5′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): large group of ~10 stars mag 13.5-15 in an irregular 2.5′ group. The stars are involved in a fairly bright patch of nebulosity (N37), which probably including some unresolved stars. A 6′ elongated string of mag 11-12 stars is centered roughly 3′ N and NGC 1920 is 6′ NNE.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1919 = h2832 on 3 Jan 1837 and described a “cluster, 6th class, extremely faint, large, irregularly round, 4′ diameter. Resolved into small stars with nebulous light.” His position (single sweep) is accurate. NGC 1915 may be a duplicate observation (see that number).

 

NGC 1920 = LMC-N38 = ESO 085-74

05 20 33.0  -66 46 44; Dor
V = 12.5; Size 1.1′

24″ (11/18/12 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): bright, high surface brightness HII region, relatively large, round, ~50″ diameter. One or two stars are resolved within the glow. NGC 1919 lies 6′ SSW.

13.1″ (2/20/04 – Costa Rica): this HII region (N38) appeared fairly faint, fairly small, round, 35″ diameter, smooth glow. Located ~3′ NE of a line of three mag 11-11.5 stars. NGC 1902 lies 16′ NW.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1920 = h2833 on 2 Nov 1834 and observed on at least seven different sweeps! On the initial observation he logged “pB, S, R, very gradually brighter middle, 20″.” The remaining observations were fairly similar, though his size estimates ranged up to 60″ and 2′ across. NGC 1911 (seen on only 1 sweep) is possibly a duplicate (essentially an 8th observation) — though the RA is off by 1 min 20 sec.

 

LH 43

05 20 49  -65 30.9; Dor

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): noted as a group of faint stars elongated NNW-SSE, just preceding NGC 1923. This is a cluster (part of stellar association LH 43) and HII region (N40) although I didn’t test with a filter. Includes Brey 23, a mag 14.6 Wolf-Rayet star (type WN4b+OB) at the W end. On the NW end is Sk -65 47, a mag 12.2 blue supergiant (type O4If). Locate 49′ E of NGC 1866.

Notes: John Herschel discovered part of LH 43 on 30 Nov 1834. In his description of h2835 = NGC 1923 he commented, “A faint and poor cluster precedes.”

Lucke and Hodge: “A Catalogue of Stellar Associations in the Large Magellanic Cloud” (1970AJ…..75..171L)

 

LMC-SMP 52 = LMC-N124 = LM 1-33

05 21 23.8  -68 35 34; Dor
V = 14.8; Size 0.7″

25″ (4/5/19 – OzSky): at 244x; picked up unfiltered as a mag 14.8 “star”, forming a double with a mag 15.5 star [18″ NE]. Excellent contrast gain adding a NPB filter and SMP 52 popped out in the field!

The location was very easy to pinpoint — directly in a line with a mag 10.2 star 3′ ESE and a mag 11.0 star 6′ ESE. The two brighter stars and the planetary are equally spaced. The bright LMC cluster NGC 1949 is 21′ ENE.

Notes: This planetary nebula was first catalogued by Henize as an emission object (N124). Lindsay and Mullan listed it as a probable PN in the 1963 paper “First List of Emission Objects in the LMC.” The SMP designation is from the 1978 paper “The planetary nebula systems of the Magellanic Clouds” by Sanduleak, MacConnell and Philip.

 

NGC 1923 = LMC-N40 = ESO 085-75 = S-L 404 = LH 43

05 21 33.0  -65 29 16; Dor
V = 13.0; Size 0.9′

13.1″ (2/17/04 – Costa Rica): very faint, fairly small, irregular glow, ~1’x0.5′, brighter center. This is a cluster (part of stellar association LH 43) and HII region (N40) although I didn’t test to see if there was a filter response. LH 43 is a group of faint stars just preceding NGC 1923. Located 49′ E of NGC 1866.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1923 = h2835 on 30 Nov 1834 and described as “vF; R; 30″.” A faint and poor cluster precedes.” His position is accurate. The poor cluster that precedes is part of stellar association LH 43.

 

NGC 1940 = ESO 085-078 = S-L 427

05 22 44.8  -67 11 10; Dor
V = 11.9; Size 0.5′

30″ (11/5/10 – Coonabarabran, 264x): bright but relatively small knot, triangular shape, 30″ diameter, clumpy with a few stars just resolved. Forms the western vertex of a small equilateral triangle with a mag 10 star 1′ E and a mag 11.5 star 1′ S. The mag 10 star has an 11th magnitude companion following at 27″.

13.1″ (2/20/04 – Costa Rica): faint, very small, round, 20″ diameter. No resolution. Cradled by three mag 10-11 stars 1.2′ S, 1.1′ E and 1.5′ E. Located 52′ E of mag 4.8 Theta Doradus in the LMC.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 1940 = h1146 on 23 Dec 1834 (sweep 522) and described the cluster as “pB; S; R; bM. Has 2 st 9 and 10 mag following.” His position and description is a perfect match.

James Dunlop possibly discovered this cluster on his drift of 27 Sep 1826 in which he misidentified the reference star (Theta Dor), and all positions were reduced incorrectly (2.4° to the SE in this case). He described D 184 as “a very small round nebula, 8″ diameter.” But his offset from NGC 1871/1869, the previous object in the drift, is both west and south of NGC 1940. Another possibility is D 212, recorded on 6 Nov 1826 as a “small faint ill-defined nebula.” But again his position is a poor match — 26′ E of the cluster — and the description too generic to assign it with any confidence to NGC 1940. So, neither observation likely refers to NGC 1940.