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List of NGC objects (1–1000)
List of NGC objects (1–1000)
from Wikipedia

This is a list of NGC objects 1–1000 from the New General Catalogue (NGC). The astronomical catalogue is composed mainly of star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. Other objects in the catalogue can be found in the other subpages of the list of NGC objects.

The constellation information in these tables is from The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer,[1] which was accessed using the VizieR Service.[2] Galaxy morphological types and objects that are members of the Small Magellanic Cloud are identified using the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database.[3] The other data of these tables are from the SIMBAD Astronomical Database[4] unless otherwise stated.

1–100

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101–200

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201–300

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301–400

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401–500

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501–600

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601–700

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701–800

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801–900

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901–1000

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See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The List of NGC objects (1–1000) represents the first thousand entries in the (NGC), a foundational astronomical reference compiling 7,840 deep-sky objects including nebulae and star clusters, authored by Danish-Irish astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer and published in 1888 as a revised and expanded version of earlier catalogues by William and John Herschel. This segment of the NGC enumerates objects ordered sequentially by increasing , spanning roughly from 0h to 3h and predominantly situated in constellations such as Andromeda, , Taurus, Aries, Pisces, and . Among these, approximately 678 are classified as nebulae—encompassing what were then understood as diffuse gaseous structures, many of which are now recognized as distant galaxies—and 322 as star clusters, ranging from open groups to globular assemblies. Notable entries within this range highlight the catalogue's emphasis on visually observable phenomena from 19th-century telescopes, including the in (NGC 869 and NGC 884), a striking pair of open clusters visible to the under dark skies, and the (NGC 224), a prominent in Andromeda that appears as a faint to the . The NGC's systematic inclusion of positional data ( and polar distance), magnitude estimates, and observational notes from contributors like Herschel and others laid the groundwork for modern astrophysical studies, enabling subsequent revisions such as the Revised New General Catalogue (RNGC) to account for errors and new discoveries. This initial list thus serves as an essential historical and scientific resource for astronomers tracing the evolution of classification and observation.

Introduction to the NGC

History and Compilation

The foundation for many low-numbered entries in the (NGC) stems from the extensive southern sky observations conducted by during his expedition to the from 1834 to 1838. Using an 18.3-inch reflector , Herschel systematically swept the , cataloging over 1,700 new nebulae and star clusters beyond his father's northern surveys, with particular emphasis on regions inaccessible from Europe. These observations, detailed in his 1847 publication Results of Astronomical Observations made during the Years 1834, 5, 6, 7, 8, at the , provided critical data for southern objects, many of which received the earliest NGC numbers due to their ordering. In 1888, Danish-Irish astronomer J.L.E. Dreyer compiled the NGC at Armagh Observatory, integrating observations from (who discovered around 2,500 deep-sky objects between 1781 and 1802), (10 additional finds), John Herschel's northern and southern sweeps, and contributions from over 40 other observers including Heinrich d'Arrest, Albert Marth, and Édouard Stephan. Dreyer revised and enlarged John Herschel's 1864 General Catalogue of 5,079 entries by incorporating new discoveries and refining positions through cross-referencing thousands of visual observations from original sources such as the Philosophical Transactions and records. The NGC 1–1000 entries, primarily drawn from John Herschel's Cape sweeps, reflect this southern focus, as the catalogue's sequential numbering follows increasing , placing many southern hemisphere objects (e.g., in and Sculptor) at the beginning. Dreyer's process involved meticulous positional recalculations using measurements and micrometric data available at the time, resulting in a unified catalogue of 7,840 objects ordered by for the 1860.0. The final NGC was published in Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 49, spanning pages 1–237, with descriptions standardized from observers' notes and positions given to the nearest whole second of time in and tenth of an arcminute in . However, as a pre-photographic compilation reliant on visual sweeps, the positional accuracy was limited, with typical errors ranging from 1 to 2 arcminutes due to reference star uncertainties and instrumental limitations.

Purpose and Scope

The (NGC), compiled by Danish-Irish astronomer J. L. E. Dreyer and published in 1888, served as a systematic, numbered inventory of non-stellar deep-sky objects—primarily star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies—visible using telescopes of the late . Its original purpose was to revise, correct, and enlarge earlier catalogs, such as Sir John Herschel's General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters, by integrating observations from approximately 50 astronomers and eliminating duplicates that plagued prior lists. This effort produced a unified reference for astronomers, facilitating targeted observations and reducing confusion in nomenclature for these faint, extended objects. The scope of NGC objects numbered 1–1000 includes approximately 678 nebulae—encompassing what were then understood as diffuse gaseous structures, many of which are now recognized as distant galaxies—and 322 star clusters, with objects spanning declinations from about -60° to +85°, predominantly in the but including significant southern contributions from John Herschel's Cape of Good Hope sweeps. This emphasis arose from Dreyer's incorporation of data, aligning the early entries with low regions accessible from mid-latitude observatories like . These objects represent a core subset of the full NGC's 7,840 entries, prioritizing verifiable non-stellar phenomena over stellar misclassifications common in earlier surveys. In the , the NGC has been supplemented by the Index Catalogues (IC) of 1895 and 1908, forming an extended NGC/IC framework, while databases such as and the /IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) have enabled revisions correcting approximately 5% of original positions or types—often resolving erroneous star designations through precise . Although no significant new objects have been discovered within this numerical range, post-2000 spectroscopic surveys via the (SDSS) and (HST) have refined redshifts for about 200 galaxies here, improving velocity measurements and distance calibrations essential for galaxy evolution studies. Accessibility to NGC 1–1000 data remains a cornerstone of its enduring utility, with comprehensive records hosted in and NED for querying coordinates, photometry, and spectra, aiding amateur observers in planning sessions and professionals in multi-wavelength analyses.

Characteristics of Objects 1–1000

Types and Distribution

The NGC objects numbered 1 to 1000 are dominated by galaxies, which constitute approximately 68% of the catalogued entries in this range (originally classified as nebulae), primarily spiral and irregular types, with star clusters accounting for about 32%, and true nebulae (such as planetary and emission types) making up less than 1%; quasars and supernova remnants are absent in this segment of the catalogue. These objects are distributed across both the northern and southern celestial hemispheres, with concentrations in southern constellations such as Sculptor (approximately 60 objects), (around 12 in the early portion of the range), and Phoenix (about 40 objects). The spans mainly from 0^h to approximately 2.5^h, consistent with the catalogue's sequential ordering by equatorial coordinates; many fainter galaxies here exhibit apparent magnitudes of 11 to 13 and angular diameters of 1 to 5 arcminutes, though prominent examples like the (NGC 224) are much brighter and larger. Nearly all galaxies in this range lie beyond the Local Group, with only a few (~5) residing within it, such as the companions to the (NGC 224). Object density increases toward large-scale structures such as the Sculptor Wall, and qualitative clustering is apparent in southern groupings, including about 10-15 objects associated with the region.

Notable Examples

Among the NGC objects numbered 1–1000, several stand out for their scientific significance in understanding , galactic dynamics, and the structure of nearby galaxy groups. These include prominent members of the Local Group and the Sculptor Group, as well as notable stellar remnants, each offering unique insights into astrophysical processes. NGC 104, also known as , is the brightest in the southern sky after , with an of 4.0 and an of about 10 arcminutes. Located approximately 16,700 light-years from Earth in the constellation , it contains millions of stars, many of which are ancient, making it a key laboratory for studying , including the formation of blue stragglers and the dynamics of dense stellar environments. In the Local Group, NGC 185 serves as a dwarf elliptical companion to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), playing a crucial role in investigations of group dynamics through its resolved stellar populations, which reveal an old, metal-poor system with traces of recent star formation indicated by blue stars and dust patches. Similarly, NGC 205, an irregular dwarf galaxy also orbiting M31 at an apparent magnitude of 8.6, exhibits clear signs of tidal interactions with its larger neighbor, including extended stellar streams and extra-planar gas, which provide evidence of ongoing dynamical evolution within the Local Group. NGC 221, or M32, is the closest to and a compact satellite of M31, distinguished by its high central and structural features suggestive of a post-merger remnant from an earlier interaction, offering insights into the formation of compact ellipticals through hierarchical merging. The nearby NGC 224, the (M31), is the nearest major at about 2.5 million light-years away, renowned for its grand design spiral arms and as the site of the only confirmed observed in the Local Group since 1885 (S Andromedae), which helped establish extragalactic distances. Further afield in the Sculptor Group, NGC 253, the , is a prominent starburst spiral with striking dust lanes visible in optical and wavelengths, serving as a prime target for to study molecular gas content and feedback processes driving intense . NGC 55, an edge-on in the same group with an of 8.4, displays prominent HII regions along its disk, highlighting active star-forming complexes that illuminate the galaxy's gaseous structure and chemical abundances. Complementing these, NGC 300 is a face-on spiral in the Sculptor Group, celebrated for its population of stars, which have been used to calibrate the and refine measurements of nearby galaxy distances. Additional Local Group satellites include NGC 147, a low-surface-brightness near M31, valued as a probe for distributions through kinematic studies of its resolved old , which suggest a cuspy . Finally, NGC 40 in Cepheus is a with a distinctive bowtie or morphology, centered on a Wolf-Rayet star that ejects material at high speeds, providing a nearby example ( 11.6) for examining late-stage and nebular shaping by stellar winds.
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