NGC 2203 = ESO 034-4 = S-L 836

06 04 42.6  -75 26 17; Men
V = 11.3; Size 3.0′

14″ (4/3/16 – Coonabarabran, 178x): this LMC cluster (outside the Hodge-Wright Atlas) appeared fairly bright and large, round, ~1.4′ diameter, unresolved but slightly patchy or mottled with a weak concentration. A mag 12.4 star is off the NW side [1.6′ from center] and a mag 14.5 star is off the south side [1.6′ from center]. Located 46′ SSW of mag 5.1 Alpha Mensae.

Notes: The galaxy IC 2164 lies 9′ NE and was seen as “faint, small, round, 30″ diameter, fairly low surface brightness, no concentration. A mag 14 star is 1′ SE.”

John Herschel discovered NGC 2203 = h3035 on 23 Jan 1836 and recorded “pB; irreg R; very gradually pretty much brighter in the middle; 2′; resolvable. His position from this single sweep is accurate.

Joseph Turner observed this cluster on 5 Jan 1878 with the 48″ Melbourne Telescope and reported “glimpses of a granular or stippled appearance occasionally obtained, showing it to be resolvable.” (p. 158 of logbook). Pietro Baracchi called it “pB; pL; R; very gradually little brighter middle. Soft undefined outline about 70″ diameter.” (9 Jan 1886, Melbourne).

NGC 2203 was first photographed by DeLisle Stewart at Harvard’s Arequipa Station between 1898 and 1901 and described as a “faint cluster, not a nebula.”

NGC 2199 = ESO 034-003 = PGC 18379

06 04 45.0  -73 24 00; Men
V = 12.8; Size 1.9’x0.8′; Surf Br = 13.1; PA = 37°

24″ (4/4/08 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): moderately bright and large, elongated 2:1 SW-NE, 1.2’x0.6′, small bright core, occasional sharp stellar nucleus. NGC 2173 and NGC 2209, both likely LMC clusters, lie 38′ NW and 30′ SE, respectively.

Notes: John Herschel discovered NGC 2199 = h3031 on 8 Feb 1836 and recorded “F, vS, R, bM.” His position matches ESO 034-003 = PGC 18379, a galaxy shining through the southeast side of the LMC.

IC 2164 = ESO 034-005 = AM 0608-752 = PGC 18424

06 06 52.3  -75 21 53; Men
V = 13.7; Size 1.1’x0.9′; Surf Br = 13.6; PA = 122°

14″ (4/3/16 – Coonabarabran, 178x): faint, small, round, 30″ diameter, fairly low surface brightness, no concentration. A mag 14 star is 1′ SE. NGC 2203, an LMC cluster, lies just 9′ SW. At a redshift of z = .037, IC 2164 resides at a distance of ~500 million l.y., which is 3000 times more distant than the LMC.

Notes: Delisle Stewart discovered IC 2164 = DS 310 on a plate taken 18 Dec 1900 at Harvard’s Arequipa Station. He noted, “eF, eeS, R, stellar nucleus.”

NGC 2209 = ESO 034-6 = S-L 849

06 08 36.1  -73 50 13; Men
V = 13.2; Size 2.8′

24″ (4/4/08 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): this fairly bright outlying LMC cluster (probable globular cluster) appears as a 2.5′-3′ glow with only a weak concentration and no resolution. Surrounded by a number of stars including a mag 11.5 star 3.4′ W. NGC 2199 (a galaxy) lies 30′ NW and continuing in this direction another 38′ is NGC 2173, a slightly smaller LMC cluster.

John Herschel discovered NGC 2209 = h3037 on 8 Feb 1836 and remarked “vF; L; R; gradually very little brighter middle; 3′.” His position from this single sweep is accurate.

Lindsay-Shapley Ring = Southern Ellipse = Das Rheingold = ESO 034-011 = VV 785 = AM 0644-741 = PGC 19481

06 43 06.0  -74 14 10; Vol
V = 12.9; Size 1.8’x1.0′; Surf Br = 14.1; PA = 10°

24″ (4/10/08 – Magellan Observatory, Australia): brightest in a small group of 4 galaxies. At 260x it appeared moderately bright, fairly small, round, well concentrated with a very small bright core. A mag 13.5 star is just 45″ NW of center. The outer ring was not seen. In a compact quartet with ESO 034-11A 1.5′ N, PGC 19455 1.8′ SE and PGC 19458 5.4′ SE (all 4 easily observed).

Notes: This is a photogenic collisional Ring galaxy with an eccentric elliptical shape similar in outline to the Cartwheel Galaxy, although without the spoke structure.

Eric Lindsay and Harlow Shapley discovered this unusual galaxy in 1960 (or earlier). It was found in a cluster survey of the LMC and the galaxy was assumed to be part of the LMC!

Lindsay and Shapley: “A nebulous oval in the Large Magellanic Cloud” (1960Obs….80..223L).
“In our cluster survey of the LMC we have found a nebulous oval at 6h 44.3m -74° 12.0′ (1950), this being the position of an object at its “focus”…Most of the material is in the ring but there is some faint nebulosity inside. The object at the “focus” looks lie a galaxy but the nebulosity may produce this fuzzy appearance. The region is rich in galaxies; at least four can be seen on the small area of the plate.”