Messier 56

Discovered on January 23, 1779 by Charles Messier.

Messier: M56.

January 23, 1779. 56. 19h 08m 00s (287d 00' 01") +29d 48' 14"
"Nebula without stars, having little light; M. Messier discovered it on the same day as he found the comet of 1779, January 19. On the 23rd, he determined its position by comparing it with the star 2 Cygni, according to Flamsteed: it is near the Milky Way; and close to it is a star of 10th magnitude. M. Messier reported it on the chart of the comet of 1779."

[From: Memoir on the Comet of 1779, Mem. Acad. for 1779, p. 318-372 + Pl. XIV. Discovery announce of M56, p. 320]
On the 19th [of January, 1779], when observing the Comet [C/1779 A1 Bode, Messier's 17th comet], I saw at little distance of it, & on its parallel, a very faint nebula, which one cannot perceive without a refractor, the dusk then prevented me to determine its position: In the morning of the 23rd, I have compared it directly with the second star of Cygnus of the fifth magnitude; I have reported it in the Chart, & here is its position.

  Nebula                     Right         Northern
  near the head of Cygnus.   Ascension     Declination
  

  January 23, 1779           287d 0' 1"    29d 48' 14"
  

[p. 352]
RA: 287. 0. 1, Dec: 29.48.14 N, No. 12. Between Lyra and the head of Cygnus, discovered January 19, determined January 23, 1779.

Caroline Herschel

Observed it on April 7 and May 4, 1783.

William Herschel

[PT 1814, p. 275, reprinted in: Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 536]
January 5, 1807. 20 feet telescope. Space penetrating power 75.08. Magnifying power 157.3. "The 56th of the Connoiss. [M 56 = NGC 6779] is a globular cluster of very compressed and very small stars. They are gradually more compressed towards the centre."

[PT 1818, p. 444-445, reprinted in: Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 599]
The 56th of the Connoissance. [M 56 = NGC 6779]
"1783, 7 feet telescope. A strong suspicion of its being stars."
"1783, 1799, 10 feet telescope. 120 will not resolve it; 240 wants light: 350 however shows the stars, but they are so exceedingly close and small that they cannot be counted."
"1784, 1807, 20 feet telescope. A globular cluster of very compressed small stars about 4 or 5 minutes in diameter."
"1805, 1807, large 10 feet teelscope. With 171 it is 3' 36" in diameter."
The profundity of this cluster, by the observation of the 10 feet telescope, must be of the 344th order. It is near the preceding branch of the milky way.

John Herschel (1833): h 2036.

h 2036 = M56.
Sweep 8 (September 7, 1825)
RA 19h 9m 46s +/-, NPD 60d 6' 6s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
A * 9m precedes, about 1' diam. (The RA in these early sweeps is liable to great errors).
A star of 9m precedes, about 1' diameter. (The RA in these early sweeps is liable to great errors).

Sweep 197 (July 31, 1829)
RA 19h 9m 52.1s::, NPD 60d 6' 37s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
Fine; v compressed; m b M; stars 11m; a * 9 m precedes. Clouds interferred.
Fine; very compressed; much brighter toward the middle; stars of 11m; a star of 9 m precedes. Clouds interferred.

Sweep 159 (July 6, 1828)
RA 19h 9m 55.8s, NPD 60d 7' 8s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
p rich; S; irreg R; g b M but not to a nucleus; 2 1/2' to 3 diam; stars 13 and 14m, well seen in full illumination of field. A few scattered stars.
Pretty rich; small; irregularly round; gradually brighter toward the middle but not to a nucleus; 2 1/2' to 3' diameter; stars of 13m and 14m, well seen in full illumination of field. A few scattered stars.

Sweep 7 (September 4, 1825)
RA 19h 9m 56.6s, NPD 60d 7' 10s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
L; R; v g b M. I see the stars which are v S and of different sizes. It fades gradually away to the borders.
Large; round; very gradually brighter toward the middle. I see the stars which are very small [faint] and of different sizes [magnitudes]. It fades gradually away to the borders.

Sweep 199 (August 5, 1829)
RA 19h 9m 57.1s, NPD 60d 6' 50s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
no description.

Sweep 198 (August 1, 1829)
RA 19h 9m 58.3s, NPD 60d 6' 49s (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
Fine comp cluster; R, inclining to triangular form; b M; stars 12...14m. A fine object, diam 3'.
Fine compressed cluster; round, inclining to triangular form; brighter toward the middle; stars of 12th to 14th magnitude. A fine object, diameter 3'.

Smyth: DCLXXXVIII [688]. M56.

DCLXXXVIII. 56 M. Lyrae.
AR 19h 10m 19s, Dec N 29d 54'.2
Mean Epoch of Observation: 1835.66 [Jul 1835]
A globular cluster, in a splendid field, between the eastern joke of Lyra's frame and the Swan's head: it is 5 1/4 deg distant from Beta Lyrae, on the south-east line leading to Beta Cygni, which is about 3 1/2 deg further. This object was first registered by M. Messier in 1778, and, from his imperfect means, described as a nebula of feeble light, without a star. In 1784, it was resolved by Sir William Herschel, who, on gauging, considered its profundity to be of the 344th order.

John Herschel, General Catalogue: GC 4485.

GC 4485 = h 2036 = M56.
RA 19h 11m 7.2s, NPD 60d 3' 41.6" (1860.0). [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
Glob. Cl.; B; L; iR; gvmCM; rrr; st 11...14. 14 observations by W. & J. Herschel.
Globular cluster; bright; large; irregularly round; gradually very much compressed toward the middle; well resolved; stars from 11th to 14th 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] 4485. 2036 h. 56 M. R.A. 19h 11m 7s.2. N.P.D. 60d 3' 41".6. Cluster; bright; well resolved.]
Spectrum continuous. Suspicion of unusual brightness in the middle part of the spectrum.

Dreyer: NGC 6779.

NGC 6779 = GC 4485 = h 2036; M 56.
RA 19h 11m 8s, NPD 60d 3.7' (1860.0). [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
Glob. Cl., B, L, iR, gvmCM, rrr, st 11...14; = M 56
Globular cluster, bright, large, irregularly round, gradually very much compressed toward the middle, well resolved, stars from 11th to 14th magnitude.

Curtis

[Descriptions of 762 Nebulae and Clusters photographed with the Crossley Reflector. Publ. Lick Obs., No. 13, Part I, p. 9-42]
NGC 6779, RA=19:12.7, Dec=+30: 0. M. 56. Rather bright, condensed cluster 3' in diameter. Probably globular. 0 s.n.