Herschel 400 Catalogue

The Herschel 400 catalogue is a subset of William Herschel's original Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, selected by Brenda F. Guzman (Branchett), Lydel Guzman, Paul Jones, James Morris, Peggy Taylor and Sara Saey of the Ancient City Astronomy Club in St. Augustine, Florida, United States 1980. They decided to generate the list after reading a letter published in Sky & Telescope by James Mullaney of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.

In this letter Mr. Mullaney suggested that William Herschel's original catalogue of 2,500 objects would be an excellent basis for deep sky object selection for amateur astronomers looking for a challenge after completing the Messier Catalogue.

The Herschel 400 is a subset of John Herschel's General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters published in 1864 of 5,000 objects, and hence also of the New General Catalogue.

The catalogue forms the basis of the Astronomical League's Herschel 400 club. In 1997, another subset of 400 Herschel objects was selected by the Rose City Astronomers of Portland, Oregon as the Herschel II list, which forms the basis of the Astronomical League's Herschel II Program.

Basic facts

The catalogue contains 400 objects. All objects are from the NGC. All objects are visible in mid northern latitudes, since they were all observed by Herschel from England. All objects are visible in 150 mm (6") or larger telescopes.

Distribution of Herschel 400 objects

Herschel 400 objects that are also Messier objects

The Herschel 400 contains 17 objects that are part of the Messier catalogue:

Messier NGC Common name Notes M20NGC 6514Trifid Nebula M33NGC 598Triangulum Galaxy M47NGC 2422 M48NGC 2548 M51bNGC 5195companion to the Whirlpool Galaxy M61NGC 4303Swelling Spiral Galaxy M76NGC 651Little Dumbbell Nebula, Barbell Nebula (northern portion) M82NGC 3034Cigar Galaxy M91NGC 4548 M102?NGC 5866Spindle Galaxyuncertain Messier object designation M104NGC 4594Sombrero Galaxy M105NGC 3379 M106NGC 4258 M107NGC 6171Crucifix Cluster M108NGC 3556Surfboard Galaxy M109NGC 3992Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy M110NGC 205

Herschel 400 objects that are also Caldwell objects The Herschel 400 catalogue pre-dates the Caldwell catalogue by about 15 years. The Caldwell catalogue contains 44 objects that are members of the Herschel 400:

Caldwell NGC Common name C2NGC 40Bow-Tie Nebula C6NGC 6543Cat's Eye Nebula C7NGC 2403 C8NGC 559 C10NGC 663 C12NGC 6946Fireworks Galaxy C13NGC 457Owl Cluster C14NGC 869Double Cluster C15NGC 6826Blinking Planetary C16NGC 7243 C18NGC 185 C20NGC 7000North America Nebula C21NGC 4449 C22NGC 7662Blue Snowball C23NGC 891Silver Sliver Galaxy C25NGC 2419 C28NGC 752 C29NGC 5005 C30NGC 7331 C32NGC 4631Whale Galaxy C36NGC 4559 C37NGC 6885 C38NGC 4565Needle Galaxy C39NGC 2392Eskimo Nebula, Clown Face Nebula C40NGC 3626 C42NGC 7006 C43NGC 7814 C44NGC 7479 C45NGC 5248 C47NGC 6934 C48NGC 2775 C50NGC 2244Satellite Cluster C52NGC 4697 C53NGC 3115Spindle Galaxy C54NGC 2506 C55NGC 7009Saturn Nebula C56NGC 246Skull Nebula C58NGC 2360Caroline's Cluster C59NGC 3242Ghost of Jupiter C60NGC 4038brighter of two Antennae Galaxies C62NGC 247 C64NGC 2362Tau Canis Majoris Cluster C65NGC 253Sculptor Galaxy, Silver Coin Galaxy C66NGC 5694

Number of objects by type in the Herschel 400

Type of object Number of objectsGalaxies231Globular clusters 34Nebulae 6Star clusters 100Star clusters and nebulae 5Planetary nebulae 24Total 400

Number of Herschel 400 objects in each constellation

ConstellationNo. of objects Andromeda 6 Aquarius 4 Aquila 3 Aries 1 Auriga 6 Boötes 5 Camelopardalis 5 Cancer 1 Canes Venatici 17 Canis Major 4ConstellationNo. of objects Cassiopeia 16 Cepheus 7 Cetus 13 Coma Berenices 24 Corvus 3 Crater 1 Cygnus 10 Delphinus 3 Draco 5 Eridanus 3ConstellationNo. of objects Gemini 10 Hercules 2 Hydra 5 Lacerta 3 Leo 23 Leo Minor 10 Lepus 1 Libra 1 Lynx 3 Monoceros 14ConstellationNo. of objects Ophiuchus 15 Orion 8 Pegasus 5 Perseus 10 Pisces 2 Puppis 13 Pyxis 2 Sagittarius 18 Scorpius 2 Sculptor 3ConstellationNo. of objects Scutum 2 Serpens 1 Sextans 4 Taurus 2 Triangulum 1 Ursa Major 46 Ursa Minor 1 Virgo 50 Vulpecula 6

Herschel 400 objects

Key

1–100 Messier or Caldwell IDNGC numberCommon name ImageObject typeDistance (kly)ConstellationApparent magnitude C2 NGC 40 Bow-Tie Nebula Planetary Nebula 3.5 Cepheus 11 – NGC 129   Open Cluster 6.0 Cassiopeia 6.5 – NGC 136   Open Cluster 18.6 Cassiopeia 11 – NGC 157   Galaxy 75,000 Cetus 10.4 C18 NGC 185   Galaxy 2,300 Cassiopeia 9.2 M110 NGC 205   Galaxy 2,200 Andromeda 8 – NGC 225   Open Cluster 2.1 Cassiopeia 7 C56 NGC 246 Skull Nebula Planetary Nebula 1.6 Cetus 8 C62 NGC 247   Galaxy 6,800 Cetus 8.9 C65 NGC 253 Sculptor GalaxySilver Coin Galaxy Galaxy 9,800 Sculptor 7.1 – NGC 278   Galaxy 38,500 Cassiopeia 10.9 – NGC 288   Globular Cluster 28.7 Sculptor 8.1 – NGC 381   Open Cluster 3.8 Cassiopeia 9 – NGC 404   Galaxy 10,000 Andromeda 10.1 – NGC 436   Open Cluster 13.0 Cassiopeia 8.8 C13 NGC 457 ET ClusterOwl Cluster Open Cluster 9 Cassiopeia 6.4 – NGC 488   Galaxy 90,000 Pisces 10.3 – NGC 524   Galaxy 90,000 Pisces 10.6 C8 NGC 559   Open Cluster 3.7 Cassiopeia 9.5 – NGC 584   Galaxy 60,000 Cetus 10.4 – NGC 596   Galaxy 65,000 Cetus 10.9 M33 NGC 598 Triangulum Galaxy Galaxy 2,590 Triangulum 5.7 – NGC 613   Galaxy 67,000 Sculptor 10 – NGC 615   Galaxy 70,000 Cetus 11.5 – NGC 637   Open Cluster 7 Cassiopeia 8.2 M76 NGC 650/651 Little Dumbbell NebulaCork Nebula Planetary Nebula 3.4 Perseus 12 – NGC 654   Open Cluster 7.8 Cassiopeia 6.5 – NGC 659   Open Cluster 8.2 Cassiopeia 7.9 C10 NGC 663   Open Cluster 7.2 Cassiopeia 7.1 – NGC 720   Galaxy 80,000 Cetus 10.2 C28 NGC 752   Open Cluster 1 Andromeda 5.7 – NGC 772   Galaxy 130,000 Aries 10.3 – NGC 779   Galaxy 59,000 Cetus 11 C14 NGC 869 Η Persei of Double Cluster Open Cluster 7.3 Perseus 4 C14 NGC 884 χ Persei of Double Cluster Open Cluster 7.4 Perseus 4 C23 NGC 891   Galaxy 31,000 Andromeda 10 – NGC 908   Galaxy 56,000 Cetus 10.2 – NGC 936   Galaxy 60,000 Cetus 10.1 – NGC 1022   Galaxy 65,000 Cetus 11.4 – NGC 1023   Galaxy 30,000 Perseus 9.5 – NGC 1027   Open Cluster 3.1 Cassiopeia 6.7 – NGC 1052   Galaxy 63,000 Cetus 10.6 – NGC 1055   Galaxy 52,000 Cetus 10.6 – NGC 1084   Galaxy 65,000 Eridanus 10.6 – NGC 1245   Open Cluster 9.8 Perseus 8.4 – NGC 1342   Open Cluster 2.2 Perseus 6.7 – NGC 1407   Galaxy 75,000 Eridanus 9.8 – NGC 1444   Open Cluster 3.8 Perseus 6.6 – NGC 1501 Oyster Nebula Planetary Nebula 5.8 Camelopardalis 13 – NGC 1502   Open Cluster 2.7 Camelopardalis 5.7 – NGC 1513   Open Cluster 4.9 Perseus 8.4 – NGC 1528   Open Cluster 2.5 Perseus 6.4 – NGC 1535   Planetary Nebula 6.5 Eridanus 10 – NGC 1545   Open Cluster 2.3 Perseus 6.2 – NGC 1647   Open Cluster 1.8 Taurus 6.4 – NGC 1664   Open Cluster 3.9 Auriga 7.6 – NGC 1788   Nebula 1.3 Orion 9.0 – NGC 1817   Open Cluster 6.4 Taurus 7.7 – NGC 1857   Open Cluster 4.5 Auriga 7 – NGC 1907   Open Cluster 4.5 Auriga 8.2 – NGC 1931   Open Cluster and Nebula 7 Auriga 11.3 – NGC 1961   Galaxy 175,000 Camelopardalis 11.1 – NGC 1964   Galaxy 65,000 Lepus 10.8 – NGC 1980   Open Cluster 1.4 Orion 6 – NGC 1999   Nebula 1.5 Orion – – NGC 2022   Planetary Nebula 6.1 Orion 12 – NGC 2024 Flame Nebula Nebula 0.9 – 1.5 Orion 10 – NGC 2126   Open Cluster 4.4 Auriga 10 – NGC 2129   Open Cluster 7.2 Gemini 6.7 – NGC 2158   Open Cluster 11 Gemini 8.6 – NGC 2169 37 Cluster Open Cluster 3.6 Orion 5.9 – NGC 2185   Nebula 2.9 Monoceros – – NGC 2186   Open Cluster 7.3 Orion 8.7 – NGC 2194   Open Cluster 10 Orion 8.5 – NGC 2204   Open Cluster 8.6 Canis Major 8.6 – NGC 2215   Open Cluster 3.1 Monoceros 8.4 – NGC 2232   Open Cluster 1.3 Monoceros 3.9 C50 NGC 2244 Satellite Cluster Open Cluster 4.9 Monoceros 4.8 – NGC 2251   Open Cluster 5.5 Monoceros 7.3 – NGC 2264 Christmas Tree ClusterCone Nebula Open Cluster and Nebula 2.6 Monoceros 3.9 – NGC 2266   Open Cluster 11 Gemini 10 – NGC 2281   Open Cluster 1.8 Auriga 5.4 – NGC 2286   Open Cluster 7.6 Monoceros 7.5 – NGC 2301   Open Cluster 2.8 Monoceros 6 – NGC 2304   Open Cluster 13.6 Gemini 10 – NGC 2311   Open Cluster 7.4 Monoceros 10 – NGC 2324   Open Cluster 17.2 Monoceros 8.4 – NGC 2335   Open Cluster 5.6 Monoceros 7.2 – NGC 2343   Open Cluster 3.7 Monoceros 6.7 – NGC 2353   Open Cluster 4.1 Monoceros 7.1 – NGC 2354   Open Cluster 4.3 Canis Major 6.5 – NGC 2355   Open Cluster 5.4 Gemini 10 C58 NGC 2360 Caroline's Cluster Open Cluster 4 Canis Major 7.2 C64 NGC 2362 Tau Canis Majoris Cluster Open Cluster and Nebula 5.1 Canis Major 4.1 – NGC 2371/2372   Planetary Nebula 4.4 Gemini 13 C39 NGC 2392 Eskimo NebulaClown Face Nebula Planetary Nebula 4 Gemini 10 – NGC 2395   Open cluster 1.3 Gemini 8 C7 NGC 2403   Galaxy 14,000 Camelopardalis 8.4 C25 NGC 2419   Globular Cluster 275 Lynx 10.4

101–200