Andrew Cooper
Nov 29, 2021    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

A very large glowing region that fills much of the 1° field, the glow is brighter to the center around the 8th magnitude star HD 5005, the dark rift that spawns the name Pacman Nebula is visible just south of the star

Andrew Cooper
Dec 8, 2018    Kaʻohe, Mauna Kea, HI (map)
51cm f/4 Newtonian, Obsession #004 @ 58x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

A round region of nebulosity in a rich starfield, about 20' across, brighter to the center fading slowly in all directions, no distinct edges

Andrew Cooper
Jan 13, 2018    Kaʻohe, Mauna Kea, HI (map)
28cm f/10 SCT, NexStar 11" GyPSy @ 127x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

A faint nebula surrounding a modest cluster of stars, large, faint, a diffuse glow about 15' in diameter, better with a skyglow filter

Harold Corwin

IC 11 = NGC 281. IC 11 is one of Barnard's discoveries that he sent directly to Dreyer; it is not, as far as I know, in any of Barnard's published papers. Though included in Cederblad's catalogue of bright diffuse nebulae (and thus plotted in several atlases), it is not on the sky in Barnard's position. I have not found it on the POSS, nor on plate 89 of Barnard's own collection of comet and Milky Way photographs (Lick Publ. XI; 1913).

However, the triple star mentioned in the description suggests the identity with NGC 281, and makes the RA just 30 minutes of time too small. I suspect a simple transcription error on Barnard's part.

Brian Skiff suggests that the triple, HD 5005, be taken as representing the nebula. Even though it is not exactly at the geometric center of the nebula (which I put 10 seconds of time further east), I have adopted the star's position to represent the entire object.

Note that the components of the triple are blended on the DSS plates. All three are easily visible in the 2MASS images.

― IC Notes by Harold Corwin

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

A complete list of credits and sources can be found on the about page