Andrew Cooper
Feb 20, 2022    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Very bright and obvious, a coarse group of 6th to 9th magnitude stars, 5' in diameter, resolved, arranged in two distinct groups southeast and northwest, the eponymous 37 is obvious and rather remarkable

Andrew Cooper
Dec 3, 2004    Sentinel, AZ (map)
46cm f/4.5 Deep Violet

Bright cluster, like the outline of a triangle, coarse, not rich, a dozen or more stars in a rich winter galactic star field beside Orion

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

Triangular cluster, containing Σ848: 7.5, 8.5: 2".4: lucid w., 1° s of Nu. 'These gatherings, occurring indifferently upon the Via Lactea and off it, awaken still more our admiration of the stupendous richness of the Universe, in every department of which there appear such a profusion of creation, if we may express ourselves of the works of the Almighty, in which our upmost ken has yet never detected any redundancy much less anything made in vain' (Sm.).

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

Captain William Henry Smyth
Jan 8, 1837    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

[from entry CCXXXVIII for the double star 24 ♅ Ori] A close double star in a small cluster, on Orion's left hand. A 7½, and B 8½, both lucid white. This elegant little triangular group, has many glimpse stars thronging about the two lower angles. The cluster was discovered by ♅. in 1784; but the very neat pair here measured, was first enrolled by Σ., No. 848, as lucida acervi, and the following measures have been obtained:

    S. Pos. 109° 33' Dist. 2".75 Ep. 1825.10
    H.      108° 15'       2".86     1830.92
    D.      107° 20'       2".59     1831.13
    Σ.      108° 50'       2".35     1833.19
   [WDS     108°           2".60     2019   ]

This, therefore, must be merely an optical object. A line from the central star of Orion's belt passed close over Betelgeuze, and prolonged 7° —or rather more than as far again—beyond, picks it up between the Pleiades and Procyon.

These gatherings occurring indifferently upon the Via Lactea and off it, awaken still more our admiration of the stupendous richness of the Universe, in every department of which there appears such a profusion of creation, if we may so express ourselves of the works of the ALMIGHTY, in which our utmost ken has yet never detected any redundancy, much less anything made in vain.

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

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