Harold Corwin

NGC 3217 = IC 606. The IC position, from Javelle, is good, but the NGC position, from David Todd's paper chronicling his search for "the trans-Neptunian planet", is over two minutes of time off. Fortunately, Todd has left us a sketch in his article, so we can positively identify the galaxy he saw. (See NGC 3604 for more about Todd's objects.)

Because he was searching for a new planet, Todd was concerned about observing possible motion across the sky. His note for this object (his number 29) is almost totally concerned about its motion, yet helps us to identify the galaxy, too. Here, for those interested, is the complete note from Todd's second observation ("a" is the object in question, "c" is a nearby star):

1878 Mar. 4.6, delta alpha (ac) = 5.2s +- 0.1s [the separation on the DSS is 5.5 seconds]. I feel quite sure that 'a' has not moved: the delta alpha (7.0s) [from the discovery night 28.5 Feb 1878] was put down from memory on March 2, without much hope of its being right. But, judging from the configuration, I say that 'a' has not moved appreciably.

― NGC Notes by Harold Corwin

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

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