RO, Cape

SEVERAL DEEPSKY OBJECTS were discovered at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, around the turn of the 20th century. R T A Innes and J Lunt both recorded 7 new IC objects, while W H Finlay discovered 3 objects. Most of the discoveries were made with the 6- and 7-inch refractors, although the 18- and 24-inch telescopes were also used.

Object Discoverer Description Source
IC 1954 Innes "equal to 10.5 mag., round, 2' diameter, near CPD -52 414" (7-inch Merz equatorial refractor) 2
IC 2035 Innes "equal to 9.8 mag, round, 10 arcseconds diameter, near CPD -45 403" (7-inch Merz equatorial refractor) 2
IC 2042* Innes "CPD -47°, 418 4h 7m 34.3s -47° 37.3'. Nebulous star, (8.8 vis 10.4 photo.), nebulosity 1' in diameter. [1897 February 5, 7-inch Merz refractor] 3
IC 2056 Innes "equal to 9.8 mag, round, 1' in diameter, brighter in the middle" (7-inch Merz equatorial refractor) 2
IC 2141* Innes "equal to 9.7 mag, round, 10 arcseconds in diameter, brighter in the middle" (7-inch Merz equatorial refractor) 2
IC 2621 Lunt "New (1900) 10h 56m 28.2s, -64° 42.7' A stellar nebula found visually with the 24-inch o.g. (objective grating) prism. Mag 10-11. Immediately N.p. CPD -64°1588. Spectrum on plate 159 (12/6/1901), chart on plate 164 (14/6/1901)." 1
IC 2949 Finlay [No description] (6 or 7-inch refractors, 1884 July 27] 3
IC 4291 Innes "New (1875) 13h 28.6m, -61° 25'. This is a small round nebula about 1' in diameter, brighter towards the centre." [Presumably, this observation was made with the 7-inch refractor] 1
IC 4400* Innes "faint, small, elongated" (7-inch Merz equatorial refractor) 2
IC 4406 Innes "Cordoba DM -43°,9005. (1875) 14h 14m 30.8s, -43° 34.2s. As seen with the 7-inch on 14/8/1901, this is a fine planetary nebula, 10 mag., about 20'' in diameter. Examined on the same night with the 18-inch telescope, it appears dumb-bell-shaped. Mr J. Lunt, with the 24-inch o.g. prism found the spectrum to be that of a gaseous nebula. This nebula also appears on several Carte du Ciel plates. Plate 3689, with 1 hour exposure, shows two very elongated spindle-shaped nebulae of the same length, parallel to each other and in contact at their points of greatest condensation or brightness. Angle of elongation = 80°. The different appearances shown by the different instruments is instructive. This nebula was also found at Arequipa. See Harvard Circular No. 60, received here 22/8/1901." 1
IC 4407* Finlay [No description; used 6 or 7-inch refractors, 1883 September 20] 3
IC 4490* Innes "Cor D M -35° 9764 14h36m 45s, -35° 34.7m. "elliptical neb. surrounding two stars as if they were the foci of an eclipse, mags. 9.5 and 10. The Cor. DM mag. of the chief stars is 9.7. In a high-power field with Lac. 6076." (February 1897, 7-inch Metz refractor) 3
IC 4606 Finlay "follows a faint star 4.5 secs, and is 0.5 S" (1887 September 8) 3
IC 4662 Innes "New (1875) 17h 34.8m, -64° 37'. A faint oval nebula 1' in diameter. N.p. eta Pavonis. Found with the 7-inch." 1
IC 4670 Lunt "New (1900) 17h 49m 6.6s, -21° 47.0' A stellar nebula found visually with the 24-inch o.g. (objective grating) prism. Mag 12-13. Immediately S.f. CPD -21°6502. The nebula is 2.5s pr. a slightly brighter star of the same declination. Photographed on plates 178 and 182 (24/6/1901 and 8/7/1901)" 1
IC 4865* Innes "A faint nebula joined to, but N.p. a 9.5 mag. star. There is perhaps a stellar nucleus" (11 November 1897, 7-inch Metz refractor) 3
IC 5079 Innes "Equal to a 9.7 mag star, elongated 15"; perhaps a small group of stars or a ring nebula." (26 November 1897, 7-inch Metz refractor) 3
IC 5170 Lunt "Five new nebulae were picked up with the 18-inch telescope during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900. . . . These are near the nebulae h 3924, h 3931 and h 3932 (NGC 7213, 7232 and 7233)." 1
IC 5171 Lunt "Five new nebulae were picked up with the 18-inch telescope during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900. . . . These are near the nebulae h 3924, h 3931 and h 3932 (NGC 7213, 7232 and 7233)." 1
IC 5181 Lunt "Five new nebulae were picked up with the 18-inch telescope during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900. . . . These are near the nebulae h 3924, h 3931 and h 3932 (NGC 7213, 7232 and 7233)." 1
IC 5201 Lunt "Five new nebulae were picked up with the 18-inch telescope during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900. . . . These are near the nebulae h 3924, h 3931 and h 3932 (NGC 7213, 7232 and 7233)." 1
IC 5224 Lunt "Five new nebulae were picked up with the 18-inch telescope during a search for Brorsen's Comet in 1900. . . . These are near the nebulae h 3924, h 3931 and h 3932 (NGC 7213, 7232 and 7233)." 1
IC 5267 Finlay [No description] (6 or 7-inch refractors, 1886 December 26] 3

Object:
Entries marked with an asterisk are flagged as non-existent in the RNGC.

Discoverer:
J Lunt
R T A Innes
W H Finlay

Source:
1 -- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol 62, April 1902, p 468. "Notes on Nebulae observed at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope." (communicated by Sir David Gill, KCB, FRS, HM Astronomer).
2 -- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol 59, March 1899, p 339. "Nebulae observed at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, in 1898." (communicated by David Gill, CB, FRS, &c, HM Astronomer).
3 -- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol 58, March 1898, p 329. "Nebulae observed at the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope." (communicated by Dr David Gill, CB, &c, HM Astronomer).

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