Reply To: LaPalma December 2022

[Hakann]

Från Steve Gottlieb om NGC496.

I recorded it once nearly 30 years ago with a 17.5-inch in the California Sierras (elevation 7050 ft):

“Extremely faint, very small, round, low even surface brightness.  A mag 14 star is 1′ SE.  Located 5′ WSW of two mag 10/11.5 stars.”

William’s Herschel’s description is interesting (his 18.7-inch speculum reflector, equivalent with at most a modern 15-inch):

“Extremely faint, 240x left a doubt, though it rather confirmed it. I perceived it in counting a field, otherwise I should never have suspected it.” “Counting a field” refers to taking a star count or “star gauge” of the eyepiece field.  He performed these all over the sky.