NGC 1512

Historical observations

Dunlop, James (1828)

Dunlop, J. (1828) A Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars in the Southern Hemisphere, Observed at Paramatta in New South Wales. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 118, 113-151. [1828RSPT..118..113D]

James Dunlop observed it from Paramatta, New South Wales, and included it as No. 466 in his catalogue of 1827. Using a 9-inch f/12 telescope, he described it as "a small faint round nebula, about 25 arcseconds diameter, a little brighter in the centre: a star of 10th or 12th magnitude preceding the nebula."

John Herschel

John Herschel recorded it as "bright, large, slightly elongated, pretty suddenly brighter in the middle, 3' diameter; it is just north of a great group of large stars 6, 7 and 8th mag, scattered over two or three fields." On a second occasion he called it "bright, pretty large, round, 3' diameter. Resolved into stars barely perceptible."

NGC/IC Dreyer (1888, 1895, 1908)

See also the entry for NGC 1510. The NGC calls it a globular cluster, that is bright, considerably large, round, brighter in the middle, and resolved into stars. Stewart, examining photographic plates, says that it is not a globular cluster, but an "extremely faint ring nebula." It is, in fact, a moderately bright galaxy.

Published comments

Stewart (1908) Ann.Harv.Coll.Obs., 60 (6)

Table IV: identifeid as eF ring neb. Long exp. needed.

Hinks, A.R. (1911)

Hinks, A. R. (1911) On the galactic distribution of gaseous nebulae and of star clusters. MNRAS, 71(8), 693-701.

List 6: "NGC numbers of clusters classed as globular, not in Bailey's catalogue"

Bailey, S.I. A catalogue of bright clusters and nebulae. Ann.Harv.Coll.Obs., 60(8), 199.

Helwan Obs. Bulletin No 21 (1920)

F, 3'x2.5', l E 50deg, vB stellar nucleus, psi-type spiral.

Reynolds, J.H. (1921)

Reynolds, J.H. (1921) The spiral nebulae in the zone -40° to -90° (from the Franklin-Adams Plates). MNRAS, 81, 598.

p 600: "There is some confusion as to the two objects appearing in the NGC under the numbers 1510 and 1512. The latter is described therein...." [comments continue in paper]

3x2.5, "! resembles 1433"

Charlier, C.V.L. (1931)

Charlier, C V L (1931) "Stellar clusters and related celestial phaenomena", Lund Annals 2, 14, No. 19. Charlier examined prints from the Franklink-Adams atlas; "Table 6 gives a list of those objects in Bailey's catalogue for which the globular character is uncertain or not probable..."

NGC 1512 Remarks: "hazy *, pB, R, mbM, r."

de Vaucouleurs, G. (1956)

"Survey of bright galaxies south of -35° declination", Mem. Mount Stromlo, No. 13. (photographic study, plates taken with the 30-inch Reynolds reflector, 20-inch diaphragm).

Sulentic & Tifft (1973)

(Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a 11.5 mag galaxy. Their coded description reads SB,BM,DIFARMS&BAR DKLNS.

de Vaucouleurs, G. (1975) NGC 1433 group

de Vaucouleurs, G. (1975) Nearby groups of galaxies. In: Kuiper, G. (ed) Stars and Stellar Systems. Volume 9: Galaxies and the Universe. Chapter 14, p557.

Part of the Dorado cloud complex (NGC 1566, NGC 1433, NGC 1672 groups).

Brightest members: 1433 ( B(0) = 10.9), 1512 ( B(0) = 11.58), 1448 ( B(0) = 11.67), 1493 ( B(0) = 12.10), 1411 ( B(0) = 12.16).

("Galaxies and the Universe", Chapter 14 - Nearby Groups of Galaxies) notes that the five brightest members of the NGC 1433 Group, a part of the Dorado Cloud complex, are NGC 1433, NGC 1512, NGC 1448, NGC 1493 & NGC 1411.

Photo index

by Jim Lucyk: Universe Guide to Stars & Planets (Ridpath & Tirion) p152, Cat.of South.Peculiar Gal.and Ass. Vol 2 (Arp&Madore, 1987) p1.3.

Modern observations

Steve Gottlieb

04 03.9 -43 21

13: faint, small, slightly elongated. Forms a pair with N1510 5' SW. Very

far south for viewing from Northern California.

Brian Skiff

Canterbury: pa53. core looks circ.

15cm - lg fairly br gx w/diffuse texture @ 80x. 140x: 3'x2' elong NE-SW with

wk even concen in halo then mod-sharp in vsm core rising to sub*ar nuc.

m14 * sup in NW side. BS, 14Nov1993, LCO.

30cm - in the dirt: pretty nice. pa45, 2'.2x1'.5. little concen. 30" core seems

elong E-W. br sub*ar nuc.

Contemporary observations

Magda Streicher

1997 Jul 4

Location: Pietersburg South 23o 53. East 29o 28.

Sky conditions: Clear.

Date: 4 Julie 1997.

Field of view: 52.7 arc minutes.

ASSA-DSO - Report J

NGC 1512 Mag 10 size 4

Extremely faint, small galaxy. Just about a shadow of light, brighter to the middle, and nestled in a delicate starfield. Close to NGC 1510.

(no date)

8-inch f/10 SCT (EP: 1.25-inch 26mm SP 77x 41' fov; 1.25-inch 18mm SW 111x 36' fov) and 12-inch f/10 SCT (EP: 2-inch 32mm SW 95x 42' fov; 2-inch 14mm UW 218x 23' fov; 2-inch 8.8mm 346x 15' fov)

Extremely faint, relatively large galaxy with a somewhat elongated shape in a northwest and southeast direction. Just a glimmer of light that slowly getting brighter to the nucleus. Nestling in a delicate star-field. It is positioned northeast and very close to NGC 1510 with an absolute 13.4 magnitude (218x). Outside the field of view to the east the area is been scattered with stars. Dunlop called it a small faint round nebula, a little brighter in the centre. Herschel noted that it is slightly elongated.

Tom Bryant

2010 11 5 3:48:51

Observing site: Fall Star Party

Telescope: C-11

[4h 3m 54s, -43° 21' 0"] A large galaxy, with a large nucleus, surrounded by a bar and a complex halo, all very faint. B: S0/SB.

Richard Ford

2013 March 9th, Saturday

Location:Perdeberg.

Time:8:47pm.

Sky Conditions:The fainter parts of the Milky Way are barely visible.Haziness only visible on the horizon.Atmosphere stable with little interference.

Instrument:12-inch Dobsonian.

This galaxy has an almost oblong shape which looks like a bean and that this galaxy's oval-like structure is visible at both 57x and 75x.This galaxy is seen as a faint smudge of light which gently glows in the starry background and that the galactic nucleus of this galaxy is moderately condensed as an out of focus glow of light.This galaxy measures 4'x 3.3'.Chart No.152,NSOG Vol.3.