Messier 74

Discovered by Pierre Méchain at the end of September 1780.

Messier: M74.

October 18, 1780. 74. 1h 24m 57s (21d 14' 09") +14d 39' 35"
Méchain: (21d 17' 00") +14d 36' 00"
`Nebula without stars, near the star Eta Piscium, seen by M. Méchain at the end of September 1780, & he reports: "This nebula doesn't contain any stars; it is fairly large, very obscure, and extremely difficult to observe; one can recognize it with more certainty in fine, frosty conditions". M. Messier looked for it & found it, as M. Méchain describes it: it has been compared directly with the star Eta Piscium.'

William Herschel

[PT 1800 p. 70, SP2 p. 43]
Sept. 20, 1783, I viewed the nebula between Flamsteed's 99th and 105th Piscium, discovered by Mr. Mechain, in 1870. [M 74 = NGC 628]
"It is not visible in the finder of my 7-feet telescope; but that of my 20-feet shews it."
Oct. 28, 1784, I viewed the same object with the 7-feet telescope.
"It is extemely faint. With a magnifying power of 120, it seems to be a collection of very small stars: I see many of them."

[PT 1818 p. 448, SP2 p. 600]
The 74th of the Connoissance. [M 74 = NGC 628]
"1783, 1784, 7 feet telescope. With 100 and 120 it its a collection of very small stars; I see many of them."
"1799, 1801, 10 feet telescope. Several of the stars are visible; it is a very faint objects."
"1784, 20 feet telescope. Some stars are visible in it; the edges are not resolvable."
"1805, 1810, large 10 feet telescope. With 108 it consists of extremely small stars, of an irregular figure; a very faint object of nearly 12 minutes diameter."
"1799, December 28, 40 feet telescope. Very bright in the middle, but the brightness confined to a very small part, and is not round; about the bright middle is a very faint nebulosity to a considerable extent. The bright part seems to be of resolvable kind, but my mirror has been injured by condensed vapours."
By the observations of the 7 feet telescope, the profundity of the nearest part of this cluster must be of the 243d order, but most probably a susscession of more distant stars was seen in the larger telescopes.

John Herschel (1833): h 142.

h 142 = M74.
Sweep 319 (January 11, 1831)
RA 1h 27m 34.8s, NPD 75d 4' 46" (1830.0) [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
eF; 5' with a brighter mass = 1' in the centre, and this again p s b M to a suspected *. Several v s st near.
Extremely faint; 5' diameter with a brighter mass of 1' diameter in the centre, and this again pretty suddenly brighter toward the middle to a suspected star. Several very ssmall [faint] stars nearby.

Sweep 173 (September 7?, 1828)
RA 1h 27m 34.8s, NPD 75d 5' 17" (1830.0)
B; L; R; pgmbM ; 90" diam; resolvable.
Bright; large; round; pretty ggradually much brigher toeard the middle; 90" diameter; resolvable [mottled].

John Herschel, General Catalogue: GC 372.

GC 372 = h 142 = M74.
RA 1h 29m 11.1s, NPD 74d 55' 46.4" (1860.0). [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
Glob. Cl.; F; vL; R; vg; psmbM; rr. 11 observations by W. & J. Herschel.
Globular cluster; faint; very large; round; very gradually, then pretty suddenly much brighter to the middle; partially resolved [some stars seen].
Remark: Woodcut diagram in Lord Rosse, 1861.

Dreyer: NGC 628.

NGC 628 = GC 372 = h 142; Méchain, M 74.
RA 1h 29m 11s, NPD 74d 56.0' (1860.0). [Right Ascension and North Polar Distance]
Glob. Cl., F, vL, R, vg, psmbM, rr; = M74
Globular cluster, faint, very large, round, very gradually, then pretty suddenly much brighter to the middle, partially resolved [some stars seen].
Remark: Woodcut diagram in Lord Rosse, 1861.

Lick VIII

[Photographs of Nebulae and Clusters, Made with the Crossley Reflector, by James Edward Keeler, Director of the Lick Observatory, 1898-1900. Publications of the Lick Observatory, Vol. VIII, 1908]
[Plate 4. The Spiral Nebula M74 Piscium]
[p. 30] NGC 628, RA= 1:31:19, Dec=+15:16 (1900.0), M74
[p. 42) NGC 628, RA= 1:31:24.8, Dec=+15:16:22 (1900.0)
[p. 45] No. 4, NGC 628, 1899 Oct 31, exp. 4h 00m, Enl. 3.4, Top S, M74.

Curtis

[Descriptions of 762 Nebulae and Clusters photographed with the Crossley Reflector. Publ. Lick Obs., No. 13, Part I, p. 9-42]
NGC 628, RA= 1:31.3, Dec=+15:16. Messier 74 Piscium; [Publ. Lick Obs.] Vol. VIII, Plate 4. Nearly round, 8' in diameter. An unusually beautiful and symmetrical spiral, showing numerous almost stellar condensations. Nucleus bright and small, but not stellar. 34 s.n.