Messier 14

Discovered by Charles Messier on June 1, 1764.

Messier: M14.

June 1, 1764. 14. 17h 25m 14s (261d 18' 29") -3d 05' 45"
Nebula without star, discovered in the garb which dresses the right arm of Ophiuchus, & situated on the parallel of Zeta Serpentis: This nebula is not large, its light is faint, one can see it nevertheless in an ordinary telescope of 3.5-foot [FL]; it is round, near it is a small star of 9th magnitude; its position has been determined by comparison with Gamma Ophiuchi, & M. Messier has reported its position on the chart of the comet of 1769. Memoirs de l'Academy, year 1775, plate IX. Seen again March 22, 1781. (diam. 7')

[Mem. Acad. for 1771, p. 441-442 (first Messier catalog)]
In the same night of June 1 to 2, 1764, I have discovered a new nebula in the garb which dresses the right arm of Ophiuchus; on the charts of Flamsteed it is situated on the parallel of the star Zeta Serpentis: that nebula is not considerable, its light is faint, yet it is seen well with an ordinary [non-achromatic] refractor of 3 feet & a half [FL]; it is round, & its diameter can be 2 minutes of arc; above it & very close to it is a small star of the nineth magnitude. I have employed for seeing this nebula nothing but the ordinary refractor of 3 feet & a half with which I have not noticed any star; maybe with a larger instrumentone could perceive one. I have determined the position of that nebula by its passage of the Meridian, comparing it with Gamma Ophiuchi, it has resulted for its right ascension 261d 18' 29", & for its declination 3d 5' 45" south. I have marked that nebula on the chart of the apparent path of the Comet which I have observed last year [the comet of 1769].
[p. 455] 1764.Jun.1. RA: 261.18.29, Dec: 3. 5.45.A, Diam: 0. 2. Nebula without stars in the garb which dresses the right arm of Ophiuchus, on the parallel of the star Zeta Serpentis.

Bode: Bode 37.

A nebula.

Caroline Herschel

Observed M14 on July 21 and 23, 1783.

William Herschel

[PT 1800 p. 74-75, reprinted in Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 45]
July 30, 1783. With a small 20-feet Newtonian reflector, I viewed the nebula in the hand of Serpentarius [Ophiuchus], discovered by Mr. Messier, in 1764 [M 14 = NGC 6402].
"With a power of 200, I see it consists of stars. They are better visible with 300. With 600, they are too obscure to be distinguished, though the appearance of stars is still preserved. This seems to be one of the most difficult objects to be resolved. With me, there is not a doubt remaining; but another person, in order to form a judgement, ought previously to go through all the several gradations of nebulae which I have resolved into stars.
May 25, 1791. I viewed the same nebula with a 20-feet reflector of my construction, having a penetrating power of sqrt(64*188|^2)/2 = 75.08.
"With a magnifying power of 157, it appears extremely bright, round, and easily resolvable. With 300, I can see the stars. It resembles the cluster of stars taken at 16h 43' 40" [M10], which probably would put on the same appearance as this, if it were at a distance half as far again as it is."

[PT 1814 p. 278, reprinted in Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 538]
Connoiss. 14 [M 14 = NGC 6402] is "Like an extremely bright, easily resolvable round nebula; but with a power of 300 I can see the stars of it. It resembles the 10th of the Connoiss. [M 10] which would probably put on the same appearance as this, were it removed half its distance farther from us. The stars are much condensed in the middle."

[PT 1818 p. 440, reprinted in Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 597]
The 14th of the Connoissance. [M 14 = NGC 6402]
"1783, 7 feet telescope.With 227, there is a strong suspicion of its consisting of stars."
"1783, 1784, 1791, 1799, 20 feet telescope. Extremely bright, round, easily resolvable; with 300 I can seethe stars. The heavens are pretty rich in stars of a certain size, but they are larger than those in the cluster, and easily to be distinguished from them. The cluster is considerably behind the scattered stars, as some of them are projected upon it."
From the observations with the 20 foot telescope, which in 1791 and 1799 had the power of discerning stars 75.08 times as far as the eye, the profundity of this cluster must be of the 900th order.

John Herschel (1833): h 1983.

h 1983 = M14.
Sweep 5 (May 21, 1825).
RA 17h 28m 42.3s:, NPD 93d 8' 25" (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
A globular cluster; vL; 8' or 10' diam; the stars so excessively minute as to be scarcely discernible. A striking object. Place probably very inacurate.
A globular cluster; very large; 8' or 10' diameter; the stars so excessively minute as to be scarcely discernible. A striking object. Place probably very inacurate.

Smyth: DCXXI [621]. M14.

DCXXI. 14 M. Ophiuchi.
AR 17h 29m 13s, Dec S 3d 09'.1
Mean Epoch of Observation: 1835.54 [Jul 1835]
[with drawing]
A large globular cluster of compressed minute stars, on the Serpent-bearer's left arm. This fine object is of a lucid white colour, and very nebulous in aspect; which may be partly owing to its being situated in a splendid field of stars, the lustre of which interferes with it. By diminishing the field under high powers, some of the brightest of these attendants are excluded, but the cluster loses its definition. It was discovered by Messier in 1764, and thus described: "A small nebula, no star; light faint; form round; and may be seen with a telescope 3 1/2 feet long." The mean apparent place is obtained by differentiation from Gamma Ophiuchi, from which it is south-by-west about 6deg 1/2, being nearly midway between Beta Scorpii and the tail of Aquila, and 16deg due south of Rasalague [Alpha Ophiuchi]. Sir William Herschel resolved this object in 1783, with his 20-foot reflector, and he thus entered it: "Extremely bright, round, easily resolvable; with [magnification] 300 I can see the stars. The heavens are pretty rich in stars of a certain size [magnitude, brightness], but they are larger [brighter] than those in the cluster, and easily to be distinguished from them. This cluster is considerably behind the scattered stars, as some of them are projected upon it." He afterwards added: "From the observations with the 20-foot telescope, which in 1791 and 1799 had the power of discering stars 75-80 times as far as the eye, the profundity of this cluster must be of the 900th order." "It resembles the 10th Connoissance des temps [M10], which probably would put on the same appearance as this, were it removed half its distance farther from us." For this 10 M., see No. DXCV.

John Herschel (1847): h 3698.

h 3698 = M14 = h 1983.
Sweep 608 (July 15, 1835).
RA 17h 28m 41.0s:, NPD 93d 7' 55" (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
A most beautiful and delicate Glob. Cl.; not v B, but of the finest star-dust; all well resolved, especially with the left eye; v g m b M ; diam in RA = 15 sec ; excessively rich. All stars = and 15 or 16 m.
A most beautiful and delicate Globular Cluster; not very bright, but of the finest star-dust; all well resolved, especially with the left eye; very gradually much bbrighter toward the middle; diameter in RA = 15 sec [3.75']; excessively rich. All stars equally bright and of 15th or 16th magnitude.

John Herschel, General Catalogue: GC 4315.

GC 4315 = h 1983 = h 3698 = M14.
RA 17h 30m 16.0s, NPD 93d 9' 25.0" (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
!; Glob. Cl.; B; vL; R; eRi; vgmbM; rrr; st 15...16. 7 observations by W. & J. Herschel.
Remarkable; globular cluster; bright; very large; round; extremely rich; very gradually much brighter toward the middle; mottled; stars from 15th to 16th magnitude.

Huggins

[Further Observations on the Spectra of some Nebulae, with a Mode of determining the Brightness of these Bodies. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., Vol. 156 (1866), p. 381-397; here p. 390]
[No. [GC] 4315. 14 M. R.A. 17h 30m 16s. N.P.D. 93d 9' 25". Cluster; bright; well resolved.]
Spectrum continuous.

Dreyer (1877)

M. Tempel, of the Observatory at Arcetri, near Florence, has made a considerable number of drawings of Nebulae with the two fine Amici telescopes at his disposal, which it is to be hoped may soon be published. The following Nebulae have, for the first time, been carefully drawn ar Arcetri: - GC .., 1949 [M 81], 1950 [M82], 2318 [M108], .., 4315 [M 14], ..

Dreyer: NGC 6402.

NGC 6402 = GC 4315 = h 1983 = h 3698; M 14.
RA 17h 30m 15s, NPD 93d 9.5' (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
! Glob. Cl., B, vL, R, eRi, vgmbM, rrr, st 15; = M14
Remarkable globular cluster, bright, very large, round, extremely rich, very gradually much brighter toward the middle, well resolved, stars of 15th magnitude.

Curtis

[Descriptions of 762 Nebulae and Clusters photographed with the Crossley Reflector. Publ. Lick Obs., No. 13, Part I, p. 9-42]
NGC 6402, RA=14:32.4, Dec=- 3:11. Bright globular cluster, diameter 6'. 0 s.n.