Harold Corwin

NGC 4119 = IC 3011 (which see) is also probably NGC 4124 as suggested by Dreyer in William Herschel's Scientific Papers. William Herschel's final position is just 50 arcmin south of NGC 4124, and there are no other bright galaxies nearby that he might have picked up.

It is worth noting, too, that this is one of his early discoveries (18 Jan 1784). Many other of his nebulae and clusters found during the winter of 1783-84 (his first season of sweeping) have relatively poor positions (see e.g. NGC 4153 and NGC 6533). Dreyer notes that NGC 4124 already has two certain numbers in William Herschel's lists, I 33 and II 60. The positions for these observations are better, but are still enough different -- along with the differing descriptions "B, L, ..." and "F, S" -- that William Herschel listed them separately.

― NGC Notes by Harold Corwin

Harold Corwin

IC 3011 = NGC 4124 is also probably = NGC 4119 (which see for that story). The position given by Schwassmann for the galaxy is virtually identical to its NGC position. I do not know why he did not make the connection between the two, nor do I know why Dreyer also missed the identity. There are at least a dozen other NGC numbers that Schwassmann and Dreyer missed (e.g. NGC 4235 = IC 3098, NGC 4241 = IC 3115, NGC 4482 = IC 3427, NGC 4633 = IC 3688; all of which see).

In any event, the two numbers clearly refer to the same galaxy.

― IC Notes by Harold Corwin

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