Bode  Location             Description              Position 1780  Ident.
                                                    EcL (1780) EB

  1   East of Pi at the    A star cluster             3:23 +57:30  = IC 1434 (?)
      tail of Cygnus      
  2   Near Sth of the      A small nebula            23:25 +32:24  = M32
      following           
  3   Near Nu in the belt  Nebula visible to the     24:48 +33:22  = M31
      of And               naked eye, 15' diameter
  4   At head of Cas near  A star cluster            29:37 +45:55  Asterism of some faint stars
      Zeta & Lambda   
  5   West of d in the     A small dim nebula        29:53 +18:30  = M33
      Large Triangle      
                      
  6   In And west of       A nebulous star           38:25 +27:05  55 And; Fla 217
      Alamak              
  7   Between Algol and    A star cluster            48:56 +25:36  = M34
      Alamak              
  8   Alcyone in the       A wellknown cluster of    56:55 +04:01  = M45
      Pleiades in Tau      small stars
  9   In Aur above the     A star cluster            79:05 +12:55  = M38
      most N(st) of Tau   
 10   Around mid st. 1,2   Is the most remarkable    79:49 -28:39  = M42,
      Theta in sword Ori   nebula in sky, 6' large                 with M43
                      
 11   W, little N Zeta in  A small nebula without    81:01 -01:23  = M1
      Sth horn of Tau      stars
 12   In Aur below No. 9   A cluster of small        81:05 +10:20  = M36
                           stars
 13   In Aur below Theta   A nebula                  83:27 +08:56  = M37
      and Nu
 14   Slightly above Eta   A nebula between small    89:17 +00:40  = M35
      at foot of Castor    stars
 15   At neck of CMa       A star cluster            98:49 -43:00  = M41


 16   Below belly of Mon   A star cluster on a      104:27 -30:36  = M50
      near CMa             nebula
 17   East near star b at  Two small nebulae 0.75   116:19 +52:15  = M81
      the ear of UMa       degrees separated 
 18           "                       "             116:48 +51:21  = M82

 19   in Argo Navis below  A star cluster           118:29 -55:13  = Lac II.2, Cr 140 ?
      Eta CMa
 20   in Cnc between       the wellknown star       124:21 +01:06  = M44
      Gamma and Delta      cluster Praesepe

 21   In Argo Navis bet-   A nebula visible to the  130:12 -57:59  = Lac I.3, NGC 2477
      ween Zeta, b and c   naked eye
 22   In Argo Navis E      A collection of small    136:04 -54:20  = Lac II.4, NGC 2546
      above Zeta           stars
 23   Closely above Delta  2 small closely neigh-   147:59 +53:03  = M40 (Winnecke 4)
      UMa                  bored nebulous stars
 24   Between Delta and    A nebulous star          148:52 +53:59  = Hev 1496, 74/75 UMa,
      Epsilon UMa                                                  Hevelius' position of M40
 25   At neck of Asterion  A small nebula           171:36 +51:06  = M51
      below Eta UMa

 26   Closely E of star    A rather conspicuous     186:43 +23:36  = M53
      42 Com               nebula
 27   Near head of Cen     A small misshapen        210:32 -18:20  = Lac I.6, M83
                           nebula
 28   South of Delta Lib   A nebulous star          221:39 +05:52  = Hev 953, asterism formed by
                                                                   Theta1, Theta2, 17, 18 Lib
 29   At Mons Maenalus     A nebula without stars   223:30 +19:39  = M5

 30   In Her, between Eta  A rather vivid nebula    236:24 +57:55  = M13
      and Zeta 

 31   In Sco between       A nebula like the        245:23 -04:50  = M4
      Sigma and Antares    nucleus of a comet
 32   In Oph at the west.  2 nebulae without stars  247:56 +20:06  = M12
      arm near 30 Oph      close together
 33           "                       "             250:20 +18:35  = M10

 34   At the head of Her   A nebulous star          250:30 +35:29  = Hev 804, asterism formed by
      W of Alpha                                                   60 Her, 32, 33, 34 Oph
 35   In Oph E of Sco      A nebula                 254:05 -03:28  = M19


 36   Below Eta at the     A nebula                 257:13 +04:38  = M9
      knee of Oph
 37   Below Beta, Gamma    A nebula                 260:58 +20:05  = M14
      at E sholder of Oph
 38   At the foot of Her   A nebulous star          261:45 +71:50  = Hev 794, asterism
      near x and y                                                 around 88 Her
 39   Below Gamma in Sgr   A cluster of small       262:40 -08:49  = M6
                           stars
 40   At the thigh of Her  A nebulous star          264:00 +63:28  = Hev 795, 90 f Her
      above Theta

 41   Between tail of Sco  A star cluster           265:38 -11:25  = M7, Lac II.14
      and the bow of Sgr
 42   West and below the   A star cluster           266:09 +04:38  = M23
      8th star of Sgr
 43   West of the bow of   Small stars close toge-  266:53 -00:20  4 Sgr, near M8
      Sgr                  ther in a nebula
 44           "                       "             266:59 -00:48  < M8

 45   Between Ea. heel of  A nebula                 267:11 -01:30  = M8
      Oph and bow of Sgr                                           (Le Gentil's position)

 46  /Ea. near bow of Sgr  Like a small comet's    /267:27 -10:04  = Lac I.11, M69
     *Above Epsilon Sgr    nucleus                 *273:50         (corrected position)
 47   Close above b, i,    A star cluster           267:31 +00:27  = M20
      a, near Sgr
 48   Closely near No. 43  A star with a nebula     267:35 -00:48  7 Sgr, near M8
      and 44
 49  /Northwest of 29 Sgr  3 small stars with a     267:48 -00:53  = M8
      Near a in Sgr        nebula                                  (Messier's position; near 9 Sgr)
 50   Closely above b, i,  A star cluster           267:56 +00:56  = M21
      a near Sgr

 51   Above Mu at the bow  A nebulous star cluster  270:39 +05:02  = M24
      of Sgr
 52   At the western rim   Star cluster with        271:26 +09:35  = M16
      of Sct               nebula
 53   East and above Mu    Star cluster with        271:45 +06:15  = M18
      Sgr                  nebula
 54   North above the bow  A nebula                 271:46 +07:06  = M17
      of Sgr
 55   Below the western    A star cluster           274:09 +09:05  = Hev 1259
      rim of Sct

 56   NE in triangle with  A nebulous star cluster  274:25 +04:19  = M25
      Mu and Lambda Sgr
 57   NE, above Mu and     A rather vivid nebula    275:15 -00:42  = M22
      Lambda Sgr
 58  /West and above       A Nebula                /277:54 -01:43
      Lambda Sgr
      Close above Lambda   = . . . .               =272:30 -01:30  = M28 ?
      Sgr
 59   At Sct               Star cluster with        278:25 +13:36  = M26
                           nebula
 60   At the eye of Sgr,   Two small nebulous       279:24 +00:09
      1st Nu               stars

 61   Closely near the                "             279:37 +00:12
      previous, 2nd Nu
 62   West of the foot of  A nebulous star cluster  280:12 +16:30  = M11
      Antin. bet. k,l Sct  near a nebula
 63   At the back of the   Like a dark cometary     288:30 -09:20  = M55
      horse of Sgr         nucleus
 64   Below the eye of     3 small stars which Ba-  299:39 +00:31  = Hev 380
      Cap, Sigma           yer&Hevel saw nebulous
 65   At head of Cap, Rho              "            301:40 +00:59  = Hev 383


 66   The following,                   "            302:09 +00:29  = Hev 382
      Omicron
 67   At the neck of Vul   A nebula                 305:21 +42:15  = M27

 68   Below the tail of    A nebula                 316:38 -08:48  = M30
      Cap
 69   Below Gamma at the   A star cluster           321:04 +55:28  = M29
      breast of Cyg
 70   At the head of Aqr   Like a comet without     322:20 +13:09  = M2
      west of 24           tail

 71   Between Epsilon Peg  A small nebula           326:13 +25:30  = M15
      and Delta Eql
 72   At the foot of Cyg,  Nebulous stars           333:06 +61:06  = Hev 618? (pos deviates)
      2nd Nu
 73   At the ear of Peg                "            337:24 +13:23  = Hev 1113; 34, 35, 36 Peg

 74   North at Cyg                     "            349:10 +67:37  = Hev 619? (pos deviates)

 75   West near Pi at the  A star cluster           349:13 +57:30  = M39
      tail of Cyg

[76]  At SE of star in     A nebula. More or        251:00 +66:00  = M92 (27 Dec 1777)
      foot of Her          less round w/ pale glow
[77]  About 1 deg NE of    A small nebulous star    181:00 +26:00  = M64 (4 Apr 1779)
      35 Com

Bode's publication and observations

The entries No. 76 (M92) and No. 77 (M64) were first announced in 1779 on the occasion of the publication of the Koehler Catalog in the "Astronomisches Jahrbuch" for 1782 (see below).

Bode gives the following introduction, before his descriptions:

The nebulous stars belong to the most remarkable celestial bodies and deserve the interest of the astronomers. The discovery of a larger number than were known previously will perhaps offer a closer opportunity to obtain conclusions from their distribution on the apparent celestial sphere on their actual position in space, and consequent acurate observations of their changes with time will bring light onto their nature and condition. Moreover a complete catalog of all hitherto known nebulous stars can now become excellently useful, because since some years, astronomers also follow the small comets only visible to the aided eye, in order not to mistake a discovered comet for a nebulous star, or this one with that one. Meanwhile, the lookup for nebulous stars has not yet been undertaken by most astronomers with the effort they would actually deserve. In most cases they were satisfied with a list of 16, delivered by Hevel in his Prodomus Astronomiae, which also Mr. Maupertuis gives in his 'Discours sur les differentes figures des astres', p.65. Meanwhile, Cassini, Halley, Kirch, le Gentil and others had discovered some new ones, the descriptions of which have been scattered in the memoirs of the academies. Some 25 years ago, La Caille found 42 nebulous stars in the Southern skies alone, and consequently it could be easily assumed that also in our Northern hemisphere, there should be a much larger number of them than are contained in previous star catalogs. This caused me to look for the nebulous stars with effort, and as I had the pleasure to discover several new ones, of which at least I didn't previously know from other astronomers, I want to announce them here. I have made these observations with a Lambertinian star meter and a seven-foot telescope with a heliometer which was equipped for it.

Bode's descriptions

Bode 25, M51.

On January 5, 1774, I found below (S) the last star Eta in the tail of the Great Bear (UMa), or at the neck of Asterion [the northern Hunting Dog, Canis Venaticus], west and in a triangle with the 23rd and 24th star (after Flamsteed), a small, faintly luminated nebulous patch of slightly oblonged shape. It was only visible with the 7-foot (FL) telescope, and forms a trapezium with 3 small stars west of it, the separation to which I measured with the heliometer, as shown in the first figure of table IV (*).

Bode 32, M12 and Bode 33, M10

On August 14 [1774], I discovered in Ophiuchus two new nebulae not far from each other. One of them is situated south of 14, 16, 19 and 21 Oph near the western arm, the other below this one and eastward, closely west of 30 Oph. These nebulae appear very pale, and because of this, I found not very reliably the separation to Lambda as 6deg 7', to the star 14 as 3deg 50', and to 21 as 3deg 32'. The other one is separated from the 21st star by 5deg 32', and by 1deg 4' from the 30th, as shown in the second figure.

Bode 7, M34

On September 2 [1774], I undertook a closer determination of the position of the star cluster which shows up to the naked eye between Algol in the Medusa's head and Alamak at the foot of Andromeda, and found its separation from Algol as 5deg 18', from Alamak as 7deg 6', and from Pi in the Medusa's Head as 4deg 27', and from p there as 4deg 51'.

Bode 30, M13

On September 9 [1774], with the 7-foot telesope, I found a very distinguishable nebulous star in Hercules between Eta and Zeta, which shows up as a rather vivid and round nebulous patch, which has a bright nucleus in its center. Actually, it is situated between two small stars, and is separated from the Northern one by 17.25' and from the Southern one by 16.75', as the third figure shows. From the star Zeta, I find with the heliometer a separation of 4deg 59', from Eta 2deg 29', from Pi 6 deg 43', and from d 4deg 57'. It was only partially known to me at that time that Halley has observed a nebulous star in Hercules, and later I read in the Philosophical Transactions of the year 1716 that he had observed it in the year 1714 between Eta and Zeta at about 236 deg [ecliptical longitude] and 57 deg northern [ecliptical] latitude; therefore, it has to been assumed that this must be the same one. Meanwhile Halley writes that the nebula is a bit closer to the star Zeta than to Eta. As I now find that it is situated [much] closer to the star Eta than to Zeta, I don't know another reason responsible for this remarkable difference than a typing error at Halley, or his inacurate estimate of the position given by longitude and latitude.

Bode 71, M15

On September 23 [1774], I found a new nebulous star with the 7-foot telescope, northward between the stars Epsilon or Enif, at the mouth of Pegasus, and Delta and Gamma at the mouth og Equuleus. It shows up as well as of round shape and enveloped in a dense nebula, wherein no stars are recognizable. I determined its separation from Epsilon as 4deg 14' and from Delta as 4deg 28'. It has about three small stars which are not contained in Flamsteed's catalog, a position as shown in the fourth figure, the separation of which I have mutually determined with the heliometer.

Bode 62, M11

On October 8 [1774], I looked for the position of the already known nebulous star, west of the foot of Antinous, which actually forms a triangle with the stars k and l at Sobieski's Shield (Sct), and measured its separation from these stars, as shown in the fifth figure.

Bode 75, M39

On October 27 [1774], I found in a triangle west and east with the two stars Pi at the tail of Cygnus a small star cluster, the position of which relative to the given stars I determined with the heliometer, as shown in the 6th figure.

Bode 13, M37

On November 2 [1774], I discovered in Auriga, west and below the star Theta, a new nebulous star, which, observed through the 7-foot telescope, appeared as a vivid nebulous patch, in which no stars were recognizable, of uneven shape and slightly elongated in the north-south direction. Its distance from the star Theta is 4deg 58' end from Nu 4deg 53'. Mr. Le Gentil has discovered two new nebulous stars in Auriga (M36 and M38), which appear to the East of the previous as small clusters through telescopes. Around the new nebula there appeared many small stars in the 7-foot telescope, and chiefly it is situated in a position with the three brightest as shown in the 7th figure, where also the measured separations are shown.

Bode 11, M1

On November 8 [1774], I looked up the nebula which Mr. Messier has discovered in 1758 according to the French memoirs, situated obliquely north above Zeta at the southern horn of Taurus. I found this object soon with the 7-foot telescope, and in the position listed by Mr. Messier relative to the stars situated closest to it, as the 8th figure shows.

Bode 16, M50

On December 2 [1774], I wanted to look up the nebulous star which Mr. Cassini is said to have seen between the Large and the Small Dog [CMi and CMa], and of which I could nowhere find a closer description of its position. Eventually I found in this area, north of the stars Theta, Mu and Gamma at the head of CMa, or below the belly of Mon, a small cluster on a nebulous ground, with which 4 small stars to the west form the shape shown in the 9th figure. Its separation from the star Theta is 4deg 10' and from Gamma 7deg 29', after my measurements. I suppose that this may perhaps be the Cassinian nebulous star.

Bode 69, M29 and Bode 4

On December 5 [1774], I saw in Cygnus, south of the star Gamma at the breast, a nebulous star cluster, and in the same night in Cassiopeia a similar cluster with the stars Zeta and Lambda at the head west of it in an obtuse-angled triangle.

Bode 17, M81 and Bode 18, M82

On December 31 [1774], I found through the seven-foot telescope, closely above the head of UMa, east near the star d at its ear, two small nebulous patches separated by about 0.75 degrees, the positions of which relative to the neighbored small stars are shown in the tenth figure. The patch Alpha (M81) appears mostly round and has a dense nucleus in the middle. The other, Beta, on the other hand, is very pale and of elongated shape. I could determine the separation of Alpha to d as 2deg 7', to Rho as 5deg 2' and to 2 Sigma as 4deg 32' with some acuracy; Beta was too faint and disappeared from my eyes as soon as I shifted apart the halves of the objective glass.

Bode 26, M53

On February 3, 1775, early in the morning, I discovered a nebula north of the star Epsilon or Vindemiatrix at the northern wing of Virgo, about 1 deg east of the 42nd star of Coma Berenices, which appears through the telescope rather vivid and of round shape. The 11th figure shows its position relative to the 42nd star abd some smaller ones which don't appear in the sky charts, between which several separations have been measured.

Bode 5, M33

On August 18 [1775], I found between Alpha in the large triangle (Tri) and Mirach at the belt of Andromeda a faintly illuminated nebula in an unordered shape. It is actually situated west and about 2/3 of the distance of the star d from Alpha, at the first, somewhat north of the line through Alpha and d. The 12th figure shows its approximate position relative to small stars, which appeared first in the 7-foot telescope.

Bode 70, M2

On September 22 [1775], I discovered northward above the star Beta at the western shoulder and at the head of Aqr a new nebulous star. It appears through the 7-foot telescope in round shape, and exhibits a vivid nucleus involved in a nebula. Its actual position is west near the 24th star of Aqr, between which and the nebula another brighter star occurs, as the 13th figure shows. The 14th [figure] shows the relative position os this nebula to the closest smaller stars as seen with a 14-foot (FL) telescope.

Bode 10, M42

The location of the remarkable nebulous region at the sword of Orion is given very indefinite in most of the sky charts and astronomical scripts known to us. But the 15th figure depicts its actual location correctly. The star Theta, which is the one in the middleat the sword, and was described as double by Flamsteed, is situated in the middle of this nebula. 1. Theta appears fourfold in good telescopes, as it has 3 small stars close to it to the east; 2. Theta is close to the east near the previous one and has two small stars east and near it. These indicated seven stars are all involved ina vivid nebula or luminous glow, which appears inclined from evening to morning, in an elongated and curved tongue-shaped figure. Close to the north of this nebula, a small star appears which has something nebulous around it [M43]. About 32' north of 1 and 2 Theta are the stars 1 and 2 c Ori; and about equally south of them is the star Jota after Flamsteed.

Bode's remarks after this list of observations:

Of these new nebulous stars announced up to here, I have attempted to determine after my observations their [ecliptical] longitude and latitude with an acuracy which is at least completely sufficient to look them up in the sky, or register their positions in sky charts. To them I added those which I have already found at other astronomers, and equally those of Lacaille's Southern [objects] which rise at 52 deg [Northern geographical] latitude. After also Mr.Messier has recently delivered in the French memoirs his list of forty five partly hitherto known and partly originally nebulae and star clusters, which came to my face last year, I have had another opportunity to add various objects to my list which have been unknown to me previously. Therefore I have been put now into the position to deliver the following complete list of seventy five nebulae and star clusters, which all rise at us:

[catalog follows]

Bode's concluding remarks after the listing of the catalog:

Those who want to read about the nebulous stars listed in the preceding table, even closer circumstances, among others, at which time and by whom they were discovered, I point to the collection od astronomical tables, publisdhed last year under the supervision of the Royal Academy [in Berlin], wherein I have provided in the first volume, page 206 and following, a list of 58, and in a supplement inserted after the preface, still another list of 17 nebulous stars. These are now contracted in the preceding table, and all placed in the order as they follow each other in [ecliptical] longitude. Moreover, I have to indicate that I have not yet had occasion to look up all the nebulous stars discovered by other astronomers, or notice their potential changes. Meanwhile, I don't find any nebulosity around Sigma, Pi and Omicron Capricorni [Hevelius No. 380, 381 and 383]. Mr. Messier says just this, and also has not been able to find the nebulous stars No. 34, 46, 63, 72, 73 and 74 (according to the preceding table) which Hevel[ius] and la Caille have observed, and equally that found by Cassini between the Small and the Large Dog [Canis Minor and Canis Major].

Excerpt of Bode's announce of his discovery of M92 and M64, from the publication of the Koehler Catalog:

Bode 76, M92.

On this occasion, I also want to announce that on December 27, 1777 I have discovered a new nebula in Hercules, not known to me, southwest below the star s in his foot, which shows up in a mostly round figure with a pale glimmer of light. Its longitude is about 11 deg [Sgr] [251 d] and its latitude 66d north.Together with two small [faint] stars, which don't occur at Flamstead, it appears in the reversing telescope as shown in fig k (in the following volume).

Bode 77, M64.

Also, on April 4 of this year [1779], when I located the comet in the evening north above Vindemiatrix in the Virgin [Virgo], I have found a small nebulous star, about 1 deg to the northeast near the 35th star of Berenice's Hair [Coma Berenices], the longitude of which is about 1 deg [Lib] [181d] and the latitude is 26d north.

Notes

• We see that Bode apparently had only personally observed 19 objects before publishing his first list of 75, and cited the rest from other work.
• Bode later discovered (originally) two more, number 76 (M92) and 77 (M64); these were announced 1779 with the publication of the Koehler Catalog in the "Jahrbuch" for 1782. This brought the number of his original discoveries to 5 (after M81, M82, and M53).

Bode 1

The position of Bode 1, RA 22:09.1, Dec +52:55 (2000.0) is very close to the 9th magnitude open cluster IC 1434 (RA 22:10.5, Dec +52:50, 8' diameter); this indicates that this cluster might have been cataloged. Other nearby clusters include NGC 7226 (RA 22:10.5, Dec +55:25, 9.6 mag, 2' dia) and NGC 7243 (RA 22:15.3, Dec +49:53, 21' dia, 6.4 mag).

Bode 4

No notable cluster or object in this area (RA 00:22.9, Dec +53:57 (2000.0)). Probably an asterism of faint stars.

Translation of original Bode stuff: H. Frommert

Last Modification: August 23, 1999