Harold Corwin

IC 14 is a double star about 35 seconds north of Bigourdan's single estimated position. He saw it only once, and then just barely: "Several times I suspected a nebulous object at the given position; it is at the extreme limit of visibility." He could not find it again (twice) a decade later.

Bigourdan found this double star while measuring NGC 95; indeed, it is at nearly the same declination just 17 seconds of time to the east. I don't think that the fainter star could have been seen in Bigourdan's 31-cm telescope, but it may have added an impression of nebulosity to the brighter one.

This has once in a while been suggested as a part of JH's nebulosity that became NGC 56 (which see). But Bigourdan's observation is similar to many others of his of similar stars and double stars near the limit of his optics. I keep in mind, too, that he was observing with an F17.2 refractor which would not have been good for large, diffused nebulosity. It was, however, ideally suited to small compact objects, as most of his "novae" are.

So, I have no doubt that the double star is the object that he saw.

― IC Notes by Harold Corwin

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