Messier 104 (original) (raw)

I.43. May 9, 1784. E. vBM. 5 or 6' l.
Extended [elongated]. Very bright toward the middle. 5 or 6' long.

[From: Notes to Sir W. Herschel's First Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters, by J.L.E. Dreyer, in: Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 295]
Second obs., Sw. 819, Mar. 11, 1788. mE, from about 20d sp. to nf., BN., 4 or 5' long, 49 Virg. p. 27m 45s s. 0d 51'. In 1784 "the B. place in the middle is pL., but breaks off abruptly."
Second observation, Sweep 819, Mar. 11, 1788. Much elongated, from about 20d south preceding [SW] to north following [NE], brighter toward the nucleus, 4 or 5' long, 49 Virg. preceding [W] 27m 45s, south 0d 51'. In 1784 "the bright place in the middle is pretty large, but breaks off abruptly."

h 1376 = I.43.
Sweep 129 (March 9, 1828)
RA 12h 31m 10.9s, NPD 100d 40' 19" (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
vB; vmE, in pos 2deg np to sf, vsmbM to a nucleus; 5' l, 30" br, a B * sp. There is a faint diffused oval light all about it, and I am almost positive that there is a dark interval or stratum separating the nucleus and general mass of the nebula from the light above (s of) it. Surely no illusion. (See fig 50).
Very bright; very much elongated, in position angle 2deg north precedint [NW] to south following [SE]; very suddenly much brighter toward the middle to a nucleus; 5' long, 30" broad, a bright star south preceding. There is a faint diffused oval light all about it, and I am almost positive that there is a dark interval or stratum separating the nucleus and general mass of the nebula from the light above (south of) it. Surely no illusion. (See fig 50).

[Appendix]

[Figure on Plate XIV, Figure 50, No. 1376, I. 43, RA 12h 31m 11s, NPD 100d 40']
Fig. 37. V. 24 [NGC 4565], and Fig. 50. I. 43 [M104]. - The strong suspicion of a parallel appendage to the latter of these, is almost converted into certainty by its undoubted existence in [H] V. 24 [NGC 4565], in which it was seen by two other observers as well as by myself. But what are we to make of such an appendage? Must we consider it as an extreme exaggeration of the case of M. 64 (fig. 27), in which the vacancy is extended up to almost the very extremities of the elliptic outline, - in which case the nebula would come to be regarded as a flat annulus seen at a great obliquity, and having very unequal breadth and densities in its two opposite semicircles? Or must we admit the appendage to be a separate and distinct nebula, dependent, by some unknown physical relation, on its brighter neighbor?
Plate XIV. Figs. 50 .... 67. [includes I.43 (M104), V.8 (NGC 3628), V.1 (NGC 253), M65,h 875 (M66?), V.43 (M106), I.156 (NGC 1023), I.210 (NGC 4346), IV.42 (NGC 676), I,109 (NGC 1201), II.600 (NGC 7640), II.280 (NGC 2695), IV.30 (NGC 4861), I.55 (NGC 7479), IV.2 (NGC 2261), IV.66 (NGC 2701), III.602 (NGC 4571), and I.143 (NGC 4900)] - Long nebulae. The general form of elongated nebulae is elliptic, and their condensation towards the centre is almost invariably such as would arise from the superposition of luminous elliptic strata, increasing in density towards the centre. [..]