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Type: galaxy (in cluster), SBb
Mag: B=10.8, V=?
Size: 7.585′ x 3.715′
PA: 13°
Synonyms: H V-045
Discovered in 1789 by William Herschel with an 18.7-inch f/13 speculum telescope. He called it "cB, iF, E nearly in merdian, LBN with faint branches, 7 or 8' long, 5 or 6' broad."
The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a 11.0 mag galaxy. Their coded description reads S,EL,INTDKLNSTR, MUCH PERIPH FILDIF SSTR.
G. de Vaucouleurs ("Galaxies and the Universe", Chapter 14 - Nearby Groups of Galaxies) notes that the five brightest members of the Ursa Major I (N) Group are NGC 3992, NGC 3953, NGC 3631, NGC 3898 & NGC 3718.
Tom Lorenzin, in the electronic version of "1000+ The Amateur Astronomers' Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing", notes: "11.1M; 6' x 3' extent; fairly bright, NE-SW-oriented mass with brighter center and non-stellar nucleus; looks like distant globular cluster; 80' due S of Phecda (Gamma UMA); 40' to SW is faint SP GAL N3917 (12.2M; 3' x 1' extent), a slashy glow; both are !good supernova prospects!."
Observing site: Little Bennett Regional Park
Telescope: C-11
[11h 53m 48s, 52° 20m 0s] A faint, uniform smudge. The transparency was not good tonight. Heavy dew. This might have looked better in darker skies.
Lacaille's catalogue
The Messier objects
Dunlop's catalogue
The Bennett objects
The Caldwell list
Named DSOs
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