Andrew Cooper
Nov 19, 2023    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

A small ovoid patch of nebula with two embedded stars, bright and obvious, visible in the 50mm finder, both stars about 10th magnitude with 1' separation, the nebula's margin is much more defined on the northern edge while fading gradually to the south, 3' x 3' in size, no color noted, the region surrounding the nebula is a notably spare starfield while appearing slightly hazy and slightly brighter than nearby regions, pan 1° west and the field is crisp and dark

Andrew Cooper
Nov 25, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 5 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

A small nebula fanning out to the southeast from a pair of 10th magnitude stars, roughly round, 5' in diameter, the northwest edge is quite distinct near the two stars while gradually fading to the southeast, the similar faint glow of NGC 2017 is visible 16' northeast

Andrew Cooper
Feb 7, 2018    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 56x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

A small round patch of nebula, brighter at the north side where it envelops two stars of 10th magnitude, small, round, distinct, bright

Andrew Cooper
Nov 2, 2008    Hale Pohaku, HI (map)
12x36 Canon Image Stabilized Binoculars @ 12x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Modest in both size and brightness, small patch of nebula with a point source in the center, easy to find 2½° north and a bit east of δOri

Andrew Cooper
Oct 22, 2006    TIMPA, Avra Valley, AZ (map)
12x36 Canon Image Stabilized Binoculars

Small, faint, a round hazy patch above Delta Ori, occupies an empty patch of sky in otherwise rich starfields

Andrew Cooper
Sep 19, 1998    NASP, Chino Valley, AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

Easily found, just a fuzzy area around two stars

Rev. T.W. Webb
May 19, 1885    Hardwick, Herefordshire, England (map)

Singular 'wispy' nebula, easily found by sweeping 14m f δ, 20' n. Best defined n, E. of Rosse spiral? D'A., 6' or 7', enclosing pair, β, 9.5, 9.5: 201°.8: 50".7. Sm., stars much smaller, '50, '56, '64. D'A., 9, 10, '55; 10, 10, '64. Fr., 11, 12, '79. β, n star double, 9, 11.5: 85°.3: 1". h., 3rd star. D'A., var. 11-12? 4m p, 3' s is Σ782: 7.8, 8.3: 309°.4: 36".2: w. Lick Photo not spiral, but with two other nebulous masses in field.

― Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, T. W. Webb, 1917

Captain William Henry Smyth
Oct 16, 1836    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

Two stars in a "wispy" nebula, just above Orion's left hip; where a ray from Rigel carried between the centre and last stars of the belt, and extended 2° farther, picks it up. A 8½, and B 9, both white. This object was first fixed by Messier in 1780; and described as "two bright nuclei surrounded by nebulosity." It is a singular mass of matter trending from a well defined northern disc into the sf quadrant, where it melts away. The nebula lies equatoreally between two small stars, which are nearly equidistant from it, in a blankish part of the heavens; and in its most compressed portion is the wide double star. This was beautifully drawn by H., and is figure 36 of his Catalogue of 1830.

― A Cycle of Celestial Objects Vol II, The Bedford Catalogue, William Henry Smyth, 1844

Charles Messier
Dec 17, 1780    

Cluster of stars, with much nebulosity in Orion & on the same parallel as the star Delta in the belt, which has served to determine its position; the cluster follows the star on the hour wire at 3d 41', & the cluster is above the star by 27'7". M. Méchain had seen this cluster at the beginning of 1780, & reported: "On the left side of Orion; 2 to 3 minutes in diameter, one can see two fairly bright nuclei, surrounded by nebulosity".

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781

Drawings, descriptions, and CCD photos are copyright Andrew Cooper unless otherwise noted, no usage without permission.

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