Upcoming important NGC/IC anniversaries for 2012 (see here for a full list)

22. Februar - 500 years ago, on 22.2.1512, Amerigo Vespucci (discoverer of the Small Magellanic Cloud, NGC 292) died in Sevilla. 225 years ago, on 22.2.1787, William Herschel discovered the "Spindle Galaxy" NGC 3115 (8.9 mag) in Sextans with his 18.7" reflector in Slough.

4/5 March - 150 years ago, on 4./5.3.1862, Heinrich d'Arrest discovered the galaxies NGC 4324 (11.6 mag, Virgo) and NGC 2749 (11.8 mag, Canes Venatici), respectively, with the 11" refractor in Copenhagen; on 5.3.1862 Arthur Auwers discovered the galaxy NGC 4402 (11.8 mag, Virgo) with the Königsberg 6" heliometer.

May - 150 years ago, in May 1862, Arthur Auwers published his "List of New Nebulae" in Königsberg. 

150 years ago Eduard Schönfeld's "Beobachtungen von Nebelflecken und Sternhaufen; Erste Abtheilung" (Mannheim) were published. 100 years the "Scientific Papers of William Herschel",edited by J.L.E. Dreyer, where published by the Royal Society.

The enhanced, English version of my comprehensive study on the history of the NGC has been published in August 2010 by Cambridge University Press. The 660-page book is titled Observing an Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters - from Herschel to Dreyer's New General Catalogue. Look here for more details.

Historic M - Historical data of Messier's catalogue (M)

Historic WH - Historical data of William Herschel's three catalogues (H)

Historic JH - Historical data of John Herschel's Slough and Cape catalogues (h)

Historic Au - Historical data of Arthur Auwers' list of 50 new nebulae (Au)

Historic GC - Historical data of John Herschel's General Catalogue (GC) and Dreyer's "Supplement" (GCS)

Historic NGCIC - Historical data of Dreyer's New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index catalogue (IC) - NOW MERGED IN ONE FILE!

NGC/IC Observers - Biographical information of all NGC/IC observers

Revised NGC/IC - Revised data and modern identifications for all NGC/IC objects

These data will be found only here - and not on the website of the NGC/IC project! Particularly the "Historically Corrected NGC" (HCNGC, Bob Erdmann), presented there, is a mere copy of an outdated version of my "Historic NGC" (without giving any acknowledgment).

My "Revised NGC/IC" is used in the NGC-IC Photographic Catalogue by Numazawa and Wakyia. The large-format, 720-page book shows DSS-images of all NGC/IC objects!

The German book Sternwarten. 95 astronomische Observatorien in aller Welt on observatories was published by Oculum-Verlag in 2008. I'm responsible for the text, Stefan Binnewies and Jens Moser, both eminent astrophotographers, contributed large format pictures. 95 places throughout the world are presented with their instruments, history and astronomical work.

Paper about William & John Herschel's problems in cataloguing M 81 and M 82 (pdf).

A short biography of John Louis Emil Dreyer with family tree (pdf).

Please note a remarkable new work by Gerard Bodifee: Catalogue of Named Galaxies (CNG). Here Latin names are given for many interesting galaxies from various catalogues.