Harold Corwin

NGC 4512 is probably NGC 4521. Steve Gottlieb has questioned the identity of NGC 4512 as given in the modern catalogues. CGCG, UGC, and MCG all point to UGC 7700 at 12 32 32.9 +63 52 47 (J2000) as N4512. However, this object is a pretty faint, low surface brightness spiral, and does not at all match John Herschel's description, "pB, R, psbM; 20[arcsec]".

Reinmuth (1926) suggested that this may be the same as NGC 4521. I looked at the field, and at all the objects which John Herschel found in Sweep 412 (N2909, 3231, 3392, 3394, 3622, 3682, 4108, 4210, 4221, 4332, and 4441, as well as 4512; there are no significant systematic offsets in Sir John's positions from the true positions), and only see one other possible candidate for N4512: N4510 (curiously, d'Arrest calls this a very small cluster; his position is accurately on the galaxy, though). This is just 30 arcmin north of John Herschel's position, and a bit preceding. However, John Herschel calls the object "pB", the same as N4521 which is 1.2 mag brighter than N4510. Aside from that, though, John Herschel's description fits N4510 pretty well. But the magnitude difference makes me cautious about accepting the identity. In addition, N4521 is closer to John Herschel's position for N4512. Everything considered, N4521 is the better match, so is the object that I've adopted as N4512.

― NGC Notes by Harold Corwin

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