Harold Corwin

IC 2959 = NGC 3871. Javelle must have been confused by Dreyer's NGC notes on this (see NGC 3871 for more). His RA is about 17 seconds off the NGC RA, but given that Dreyer had the position sorted out and the correct RA given in the IC 1 notes, I'm slightly surprised that Javelle did not notice the identity. He does comment in a footnote that he also measured NGC 3878, 3880, and 3881, so he, too, saw all four of the brighter members of the group. (He found a fainter one, too, IC 2858, which see.)

― IC Notes by Harold Corwin

Harold Corwin

NGC 3871 = IC 2959 is an edgewise Sa or Sab, the western-most of a group of four first seen by John Herschel in April of 1827. Curiously, he saw only three of the four then, those forming "... an unequally divided line of 3." These three are NGC 3878, 3880, and 3881. Four years later in April of 1831, he saw "... 3 forming an equilateral triangle." These three are NGC 3871, NGC 3880, and NGC 3881.

Considering the extremely crude positions he measured in 1831 (given to only a full minute of time, and a full arcmin, all marked +- with the exception of the NPD for NGC 3880), he sorted out the area remarkably well, recoginizing that he had actually seen all four of the brighter galaxies here. Fortunately, his earlier positions are very good so led not just him, but later micrometric observers to the correct objects. Spitaler saw all four in 1892 and measured positions for three of them.

In March 1856, Lord Rosse saw only the three forming the equilateral triangle, so Dreyer was understandably puzzled by John Herschel's note for N3871: "1 minute added to the R.A.; it is evidently the first of the group of 4."

In any event, the confusion was sorted out in time for a clarifying note in the first IC. Unfortunately, Javelle seems to have not seen that, so NGC 3871 picked up an IC number in IC2 from his observation in June of 1896.

― NGC Notes by Harold Corwin

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