U 460
23:10 to 01:10
-72° to -84°
Hyi, Ind, Oct, Tuc
Jan-Dec

FEATURED OBJECTS: ESO049-G011, NGC 7637, NGC 152, NGC 176, NGC 220, NGC 222, NGC 231, NGC 241, NGC 248, NGC 249, NGC 256, NGC 261, NGC 265, NGC 267, NGC 269, NGC 290, NGC 294, NGC 339, IC 1626, ESO013-G012, IC 1644.

ESO049-G011

RA 23:25:30
Dec -74°41.1'
Galaxy

NGC 7637
ESO012-G001
RA 23:26:28
Dec -81°54.7'
Galaxy

h: "vF, pL, R, vlbM, 90 arcseconds, 2 or 3 stars near it."

NGC 152
ESO028-SC024
RA 00:32:47
Dec -73°09.0'
Globular cluster

h: "vF, L, R, vglbM, 2'."

Kron ("Star Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", PASP, Vol. 68, 1956) describes it as a red cluster, noting the absence of nebulosity and the absence of bright blue stars. He notes that it is probably a globular cluster. Van den Bergh and Hagen ("UBV photometry of star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds", Astronomical Journal, Vol. 73, 1968) find that the integrated V magnitude through a 60'' diaphragm is 13.1. They note that the surface brightness is low.

NGC 176
ESO029-SC002
RA 00:35:56
Dec -73°10.0'
Open cluster

h: "eF, R, near a star 8th mag (At the beginning of the Nubecula Minor)."; "eF, S, lE, resolvable."

Kron ("Star Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", PASP, Vol. 68, 1956) describes it as a blue cluster, noting the absence of nebulosity and the presence of bright blue giant stars. He notes that it is concentrated towards the centre, has two stars superimposed, and exhibits emission nebulosity.

NGC 220
ESO029-SC003
RA 00:40:29
Dec -73°24.2'
Open cluster

h: "F, vgbM, irregular figure." On a second occasion he called it "The first of an irregular string of nebulae and stars which descends at an angle of about 45 degrees from the centre to the edge of the field (i.e. in a n f direction)." His third observation was recorded as "F, R; the field is full of the nebulous light of the Nubecula Minor."

NGC 222
ESO029-SC004
RA 00:40:43
Dec -73°23.2'
Open cluster

h: "vF, R, outlying." He wrote of it as the second of an irregular string of nebulae and stars. Refer to NGC 220 for more detail.

Lindsay, E. M. “Note on NGC and IC objects in the Small Magellanic Cloud” IAJ, Vol 6. p 2-3. From 30-minute 103a-O ADH plates: “Position should be 4’N of NGC position, lying between NGC 220 and 231.”

NGC 231
ESO029-SC005
RA 00:41:05
Dec -73°21.2'
Open cluster

h: "an irregular train of stars and nebulosity in the Nubecula Minor." He notes that it may be equivalent to Dunlop 2. The latter object was discovered by James Dunlopfrom Paramatta, New South Wales, and included in his catalogue of 1827. Using a 9-inch f/12 telescope, he described it as "a faint nebula, about 1.5' long, irregular figure, rather branched. This is involved in the margin of the Nebula minor."

NGC 241
NGC 242, ESO029-SC006
RA 00:43:31
Dec -73°26.6'
Open cluster

h: "a vF, R, nebula or group (We are now fairly in the Nubecula Minor, and the field begins to be full of a faint perfectly irresolvable nebulous light.)"

Number 241 is a re-observation of NGC 242, according to the ESO/Uppsala Survey of the ESO(B) Atlas. The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a nonexistent object. Their coded description reads =242 LINDSAY.

NGC 248
ESO029-EN008
RA 00:45:24
Dec -73°22.8'
Bright nebula

h: "very faint. Below the pole, and the sweep otherwise irregular." His second observation recorded it as "faint, elongated or binuclear, small, very gradually a little brighter in the middle."

Henize (Catalogues of Hydrogen Alpha Emission Stars and Nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds, Astrophysical Journal Supplement 2, 1956, p315) notes that his nebulae LH N 115-13A and 115-13B "make up NGC 248 = Nail 19." Nebula 13A measures 35 x 27 arcseconds, is slightly elongated, has a smooth edge and shows no structural detail. 13B measures 59 x 42 arcseconds and has the same appearance.

NGC 249
ESO029-EN009
RA 00:45:31
Dec -73°04.8'
Bright nebula

h: "faint, large, round; very gradually brighter in the middle; 2' across. Here begins a starry region of the Nubecula Minor." The second observation reads: "pretty bright, pretty large, oval, resolvable, 2' diameter." The last observation recorded it as "faint, round, 30 arcseconds." Herschel notes that this entry could refer to either Dunlop 19 or Dunlop 20.

Henize (Catalogues of Hydrogen Alpha Emission Stars and Nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds, Astrophysical Journal Supplement 2, 1956, p315) notes that his nebula LH N 115-12B is "NGC 249 and Nail 18." The nebula measures 2.1' x 1.7', appears round with slightly irregular edges, and shows considerable structural detail.

NGC 256
ESO029-SC011
RA 00:45:52
Dec -73°30.4'
Open cluster

h: "not vF, S, R, has a star 9th mag Nf."; "F, S, R, gbM, 40 arcseconds south of a star 8th mag. (In Nubec.Minor)."; "F, lE, 30 arcseconds, precedes a star 9th mag."; "F, S, R, 18 arcseconds; a star 9th mag Nf."

Kron ("Star Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", PASP, Vol. 68, 1956) describes it as a blue cluster (Kron 23), noting the presence of nebulosity in the cluster as well as the presence of bright blue giant stars. He notes that it is concentrated towards the centre and exhibits emission nebulosity. Van den Bergh and Hagen ("UBV photometry of star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds", Astronomical Journal, Vol. 73, 1968) find that the integrated V magnitude through a 60'' diaphragm is 12.4. Lindsay ("Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", Irish Astronomical Journal, Vol. 4, 1956) classifies it as an open cluster (Lindsay 30).

NGC 261
ESO029-EN012
RA 00:46:26
Dec -73°06.2'
Bright nebula

h: "vF, R, gbM, 2' across, resolvable."; "pB, R, 60 arcseconds. Has a star 13th mag in centre. Occurs in a field illuminated by the Nubecular Minor and many stars."; "pF, R, 90 arcseconds." Herschel notes that this could be either Dunlop 3, 4 or 21.

Henize (Catalogues of Hydrogen Alpha Emission Stars and Nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds, Astrophysical Journal Supplement 2, 1956, p315) notes that his nebula LH N 115-12A is "NGC 261 = Nail 25." The nebula is ring-shaped and measures 1.9' across. It has smooth edges and shows no structural details.

NGC 265
ESO029-SC014
RA 00:47:36
Dec -73°29.0'
Globular cluster

h: "vF; situated on the edge of the Nubecula Minor." On a second occassion he called it "F." His third observation was recorded as "vF, R, 30 arcseconds." His final observation was recorded as "F, S, R, 40 arcseconds."

Kron ("Star Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", PASP, Vol. 68, 1956) describes it as a red cluster, noting the absence of blue giant stars and nebulosity. He notes that it is a globular cluster, and has a star nearby.

Lindsay ("Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", Irish Astronomical Journal, Vol. 4, 1956) classifies it as a globular cluster on the basis of appearance only. He notes that Kron classified it as a globular cluster, whereas Haffner, on the basis of appearance, called it an open cluster.

NGC 267
ESO029-SC015
RA 00:48:01
Dec -73°16.5'
Open cluster

h: "a faint, pretty large, cluster of very small stars. It is the preceding knot (or centre of condensation) of the resolvable portion of the Nubecula Minor which fills the subsequent field and consists of irregularly scattered clusterd stars 12..20th mag."

Henize (1956) notes that his nebula LH N 115-22 which is "Nail 28, contains the cluster NGC 267." His nebula measures 2.5' x 2', appears round with slightly irregular boudaries and shows some structural detail.

NGC 269
ESO029-SC016
RA 00:48:30
Dec -73°32.0'
Globular cluster

"vF, S, R, 30 arcseconds."

NGC 290
ESO029-SC019
RA 00:51:14
Dec -73°09.7'
Open cluster

Discovered by Sir John Herschel at the Cape of Good Hope with an 18-inch f/13 speculum telescope. He recorded it only as "eF."

NGC 294
ESO029-SC022
RA 00:53:03
Dec -73°22.8'
Open cluster / Bright nebula

Dunlop 5: "a small faint nebula, about 10 or 12 arcseconds diameter."

h: "extremely faint. In a sweep below the pole." His second observation was recorded as "pretty faint, pretty large, round, very gradually a little brighter in the middle; resolvable."

Lindsay, E. M. “Note on NGC and IC objects in the Small Magellanic Cloud” IAJ, Vol 6. p 2-3. From 30-minute 103a-O ADH plates: “Nothing found here. Herschel noted that his opbservation gave 1m more in RA but ‘the earlier minute is preferred’.

Lindsay also notes: “N 20 -- omitted from the NGC and G.C. It has the same declination as NGC 294 byt is 1m east. This shoudl be NGC 294 with Herschel’s observation correct.”

Henize (1956) notes that his stellar nebula LH N 115-47 is "possibly NGC 294." Lindsay ("Clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud", Irish Astronomical Journal, Vol. 4, 1956) lists it as a possible open cluster

NGC 339
ESO029-SC025
RA 00:57:41
Dec -74°29.0'
Globular cluster

h: "vF, L, R, vgbM, 3' or 3.5' diameter."

IC 1626
ESO029-SC030
RA 01:06:13
Dec -73°17.8'
Open cluster

ESO013-G012

RA 01:07:00
Dec -80°18.4'
Galaxy

IC 1644
ESO029-EN035
RA 01:09:11
Dec -73°11.5'
Bright nebula