NGC 2327

History and Accurate Positions for the NGC/IC Objects (Corwin 2004)

NGC 2327 is a compact HII region, or part of one, in the large, sinuous nebula found by Max Wolf south of IC 2177, which see.

Historical observations

William Herschel (c.1784)

Synonyms: H IV-025

Discovered in 1785 by William Herschel with an 18.7-inch f/13 speculum telescope. He called it "A pcst with vF and vS milky chevelure of an irregular figure." In the Philosophical Transactions, 1791, Herschel wrote: "January 31, 1785. A pretty considerable star, with a very faint and very small irregular, milky chevelure; other stars of the same size are perfectly free from such appearance. I can have no doubt of the connection between the star and its chevelure."

Birr Castle/Lord Rosse

Observations with the 72-inch f/8.8 speculum telescope at Birr Castle noted "Feb 1, 1856. vF fan-shaped nebula involving 3 stars."

Published comments

Wood, H.E. (1911)

Notes on southern nebulae. Transvaal Observatory Circular, No.7, 76.

Helwan Obs. Bulletin No 21 (1920)

pF neb. around three stars; a star 85'' following is also involved.

Cederblad, S. (1946) [VII/231]

Ced 89b (NGC 2327)

Position (1900): RA 6 59.4, Dec - 11 10

Star: Anon (Mp=10.2, V=10. :)

Spectrum of nebula: (not classified)

Classification: Neb associated with mainly one star (which may be multiple) - Fan-shaped object (eg. IC 59)

Size: (not given)

Notes: "Ced 89 The nebulous region of IC 2177. Ced 89 b = NGC 2327 = GC 1487 = h 428 = H IV 25. Disc. 1785. (114, 228, 232, 296, 578, 630 Pl 37, 631, 829). R. This is a part of the nebula described by Wood in (829)."

Gum, C.S. (1955)

Gum, C.S. (1955) A survey of southern HII regions. Mem.RAS, 67. [1955MmRAS..67..155G]

Colin S. GumA Survey of Southern H II Regions published in the RAS Memoirs, Vol. LXVII, tentatively identifies his No. 2 with NGC 2327. Gum's Notes for this object read: "Apparently associated with the nebulosity is HD 54662, also possibly HD 53367. The identification with NGC 2327 is not very certain, as the NGC positions are hardly accurate enough to prevent confusion with IC 2177." He gives the size of the nebula as 180' x 150', and the intensity, or "visibility in the particular section of the Milky Way in which the object occurs" is rated as "faint" on a scale of vf - f - mb - b - vb. In his scheme of classifying the large-scale structural features of nebulae, the nebula is rated a "IV?", which corresponds to "fainter objects in which the emission is concentrated in a ring or in a incomplete ring." He notes that it corresponds to No. 89 in Sven Cederblad's 1946 catalogue.

Rodgers, Campbell and Whiteoak (1960)

The catalogue of southern emission regions by Rodgers, Campbell and Whiteoak (1960) lists as RCW 1 a moderately bright nebula, 150' x 150' large, which they identify with NGC 2327 and Gum 2. They describe it as a "horseshoe-shaped bright region two degrees in diameter, with an 8' x 5' concentration at RA 07h 05.3m Dec -12 16'. Fainter region 150' diameter, centred on RA 07h 10.4m Dec -9 34'."

Dorschner & Gürtler (1963)

Untersuchungen uber Reflexionsnebel.

DG 115

= NGC 2327, Ced 89b

Pos (1950.0) 07:01.7, −11:14

Size: 9x8 (blue), 8x8 (red).

Sulentic & Tifft (1973)

The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a diffuse nebula.

Bernes, C. (1977)

Bernes, C. (1977) A catalogue of bright nebulosities in opaque dust clouds.

= Bernes 133

Bernes, in A Catalogue of Bright Nebulosities in Opaque Dust Clouds (Astronomy & Astrophysics Supplement, Vol 29) identified his No. 133 with NGC 2327. He states this reflection nebula spans 2' x 3' measured north-south by east-west. On the blue plate it appears very bright on a scale faint - very bright. He notes that it lies in a part of the opaque dust cloud No. 1657 which appeared in Lynd's catalogue Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 1962, Volume 7.

Magakian T. Yu. (2003)

= DG 115, Bernes 133, N2327, GN 07.01.8, Ced 89b, Other designations: RNO83,LkHa221

Class: C,CN? (reflection neb, cometary neb?)

Comments: several stars in common nebula. BD number refers probably to whole group

Burnham's Celestial Handbook

Burnham calls it "pretty bright, large, irregular. 20' diameter with large, faint extensions North-South."

Photo index

by Jim Lucyk: Sky&Tel. 9/85 p210, Deep Sky Monthly 3/81 p5, Vehrenberg's Atlas of DS Splendors (3ed) p82, 83, Vehrenberg's Atlas of Galactic Neb-1 p112, 115.

Modern observations

Sanford (1989) Observing the Constellations

Sanford calls it "a large nebula at the south end of a great complex which stretches north across the border with Monoceros. This is a conspicuous object in a rich-field telescope, especially with a nebular filter added. It is an interesting photographic subject, and a detached portion resembles an eye with a star for the pupil." He gives the size as 20'

Tom Lorenzin

Tom Lorenzin, in the electronic version of "1000+ The Amateur Astronomers' Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing", notes: "20' diameter; irregular mass forms the head of the "Eagle" - large, faint extensions to N and S designated as I.2177."

Brian Skiff

& A0702-12

15cm - not much for either neb. BS, 6Nov1980, Anderson Mesa.

- nothing at U2000 pos, though pair at center is res @ 80x. 45' due S is another m8 * w/vclearly vis neb around it (not enhanced by UHC, but not reduced much) 5' diam. BS, 20Mar1988, Anderson Mesa.

25cm - N2327 only 1'.5 diam, surrounds m10 *, mostly NW of *. fairly rich fld. some other indef nrby (=I2177) [?]. unnumbered obj about 1 deg S surrounds m9 *. circ, 3' diam, fades smoothly from *. BS, 6Nov1980, Anderson Mesa.

30cm - A0702: 3' diam, fading evenly away from *, lying mostly W and SW of *. white.

Steve Coe

Steve Coe, using a 17.5" f/4.5, notes: "Faint, Round, Knob on one end seen at 100X, not much"

Contemporary observations

Magda Streicher

(no date)

Alldays (22.50S, 20.12E, 770m).

12-inch f/10 SCT (218x)

Little nebula surrounding a star. Show a very slight fuzziness around a star that other stars nearby don't display.