Messier 63

Discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1779.

Messier: M63.

June 14, 1779. 63. 13h 04m 22s (196d 05' 30") +43d 12' 37"
"Nebula discovered by M. Méchain in Canes Venatici. M. Messier searched for it; it is faint, it has nearly the same light as the nebula reported under no. 59 [M59]: it contains no star, & the slightest illumination of the micrometer wires makes it disappear: it is close to a star of 8th magnitude, which precedes the nebula on the hour wire. M. Messier has reported its position on the Chart of the path of the Comet of 1779."

William Herschel

[PT 1811, p. 310, SP2, p. 482]
Number 63 of the Connoissance des Temps is "A very bright nebula, extending from north-preceding to south-following 9 or 10' long, and near 4' broad; it has a very brilliant nucleus." Fig. 27.

[Unpublished Observations of Messier's Nebulae and Clusters. Scientific Papers, Vol. 2, p. 658]
1787, March 18 (Sw. 717). E. npsf. [Elongated north preceding (NW) to south following (SE)], 5 ot 6' long and near 4' broad, bright nucleus, very brilliant.
1787, April 9 (Sw. 725). vB. [Very bright], 9 or 10' long, considerably broad, the brightness confined to a small place.

John Herschel (1833): h 1570.

h 1570 = M63.
Sweep 151 (May 6, 1828)
RA 13h 8m 10.9s, NPD 47d 4' 12" (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
B; p m E; v s m b M, almost to a * pos 30deg n p to s f. The s f end more diffused. Has a B * n p and a D * f.
Bright; pretty much extended; very suddenly much brighter toward the middle, almost to a star [starlike nucleus], position angle 30deg north preceding [NW] to south following [SE]. The south following [SE] end [is] more diffused. Has a bright star north preceding [to the NW] and a double star following [to the East].

Smyth: CCCCLXXVI [476]. M63.

CCCCLXVII. 63 M. Canum Venaticorum.
AR 13h 08m 38s, Dec N 42d 52'.7
Mean Epoch of Observation: 1836.63 [August 1836]
An oval nebula on the chest of Asterion, the northern dog; discovered by M. Méchain in 1779. This object is of a milky-white tint, and brightens to the centre, where the nucleus resembles a small [faint] star. It is placed between two telescopic stars which cross the parallel vertically, while closer to it in the sp [south preceding, SW] is a third. Sir W. Herschel figured this object in the Philosophical Transactions for 1811, and describes it as very bright, extending from np [north preceding, NW] to sf [south following, SE], 9' or 10' long, and near 4' broad, with a very brilliam nucleus. The mean apparent place was differentiated from Cor Caroli, from which it bears north-north-east 5deg 1/2, on the line indicated from Denebola through Charles's Heart [Cor Caroli, Alpha Canum Venaticorum].

Lord Rosse

John Herschel, General Catalogue: GC 3474.

GC 3474 = h 1570 = M63.
RA 13h 9m 31.9s, NPD 47d 13' 45.3" (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
vB; L; pmE 120deg +/- ; vsmbMBN. 3 observations by W. & J. Herschel.
Very bright; large; pretty much extended in position angle about 120 degrees +/-; very suddenly much brighter toward the middle where there is a bright nucleus.

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. 389]
[No. [GC] 3474. 1570 h. 63 M. R.A. 13h 9m 31s.9. N.P.D. 47d 13' 45".3. Very bright; large; very suddenly much brighter in the middle; bright nucleus.]
"Spiral? darkness south floowing nucleus." - Lord Rosse
Spectrum continuous.

Dreyer: NGC 5055.

NGC 5055 = GC 3474 = h 1570; Méchain, M 63.
RA 13h 9m 32s, NPD 47d 13.7' (1860.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
vB, L, pmE 120deg +/- , vsmbMBN; = M63
Very bright, large, pretty much extended in position angle about 120 degrees +/-, very suddenly much brighter toward the middle where there is a bright nucleus.

Curtis

[Descriptions of 762 Nebulae and Clusters photographed with the Crossley Reflector. Publ. Lick Obs., No. 13, Part I, p. 9-42]
NGC 5055, RA=13:11.3, Dec=+42:34. [Publ. Lick Obs.] Vol. VIII, Plate 46. A bright, beautiful spiral 8'x3' in p.a. 98deg. Has an almost stellar nucleus. The whorls are narrow, very compactly arranged, and show numerous almost stellar condensations. See Abs. Eff. 33 s.n.