Andrew Cooper
Apr 19, 2012    Hale Pohaku, HI (map)
46cm f/4.5 Newtonian, Deep Violet @ 175x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Bright! Big! 10'x5' east-west, a bright stellar core highlighted by a dark void on the north side of the nucleus, beside the core and the void there are only traces of spiral structure

Andrew Cooper
Apr 16, 1999    Organ Pipe National Monument, AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

Bright oval with some structure visible. Elongated along P.A. 130

Rev. T.W. Webb
May 19, 1885    Hardwick, Herefordshire, England (map)
94mm f/18 Tully Achromat

Magnificent large bright nebula blazing to a nucleus. h., resolvable, nucleus probably a double star, with a vacuity below it. E. of Rosse, circular shaped, with dark and light spot on one side, around which is a cluster of well-defined little stars. Rather faint in 3-7/10 in. L.P., spiral.

― Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, T. W. Webb, 1917

Charles Messier
Jan 1, 1780    

Nebula discovered in Coma Berenices, which is about half as apparent as that which is below the hair [M53]. M. Messier has reported its position on the Chart of the Comet of 1779. Observed again March 17, 1781.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781

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

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