Koehler's Deepsky Catalog

Johann Gottfried Koehler's Deepsky Catalog

On December 17, 1778, Johann Gottfried Koehler communicated to Bode a list of 20 nebulous objects, which was published in the "Astronomisches Jahrbuch" for 1782 (Koehler and Bode, 1779). The original list contains one original discovery (of M67), the article in the Jahrbuch two further apparently original findings, of M59 and M60. In addition, an apparent independent finding by Koehler of M3 was announced in the "Jahrbuch" for 1785 (Koehler and Bode, 1782).

We also have the original Koehler catalog online.

No.     ID

 1      M22
 2      M28
 3      M8
 4      M10
 5      M12
 6      M27
 7      M71
 8A     M81
 8B     M82
 9      Asterism? (Sigma1, Sigma2 and Rho UMa)
10      M36
11      M38
12      Asterism (63, 64, 65 and 66 And)
13      M5
14      M2
15      M15
16      ?
17A     ?
17B     ?
18      M13?
19  !   M67
20      M11?

    !   M59
    !   M60

        M3   (addition of June 17, 1782)

The descriptions and drawings of Koehler's numbers 9, 12, 16, 17A and 17B are too inacurate for a safe identifiation of these objects; most of the drawings are completely useless for this purpose. Kenneth Glyn Jones (1969) identified No. 9 and 12 as probable asterisms, states that No. 16 is too unsafe for identification (the position is near the star 3 Vul in the Milky Way). No. 17 is left unclear, but he gives the speculation that this might perhaps be M51, a speculation the present author rates as extremely doubtful.

In addition to the objects listed, Bode announces that on May 5, 1779, Koehler had found "three other somewhat nebulous stars in the area of the northern shoulder of Virgo, at quite a distance of each other;" i.e., in the region of the Virgo Cluster. However, these are not specified to any detail, and therefore cannot be identified.

References

Johann Gottfried Koehler and Johann Elert Bode, 1779. Beobachtung des Kometen vom Jahr 1779 und Entdeckung einiger neuer Nebelsterne, vom Hrn. Inspector Koehler, vom Hr. Bode mitgetheilt [Observation of the comet of the year 1779 and discovery of some new nebulous stars, by Mr. Inspector Koehler, communicated by Mr. Bode]. Astronomisches Jahrbuch oder Ephemeriden für das Jahr 1782. nebst einer Sammlung der neuesten in die astronomischen Wissenschaften einschlagenden Beobachtungen, Nachrichten, Bemerkungen und Abhandlungen [Astronomical Yearbook or Ephemerides for the Year 1782, besides a collection of the newest observations, news, remarks and treatises impacting into the astronomical sciences]. Berlin, 1779, p. 151-157 (here: p. 155-7).
Johann Gottfried Koehler and Johann Elert Bode, 1782. Beobachtung eines Nebelflecks beym Bootes, von Herrn Inspector Köhler. Aus einem Schreiben desselben vom 17. Jun. 1782 [Observation of a nebulous patch at Bootes, by Mr. Inspector Koehler. From a letter of the same of Jun. 17, 1782]. Astronomisches Jahrbuch oder Ephemeriden für das Jahr 1785. nebst einer Sammlung der neuesten in die astronomischen Wissenschaften einschlagenden Abhandlungen, Beobachtungen und Nachrichten Berlin, 1782, p. 230-231.
Kenneth Glyn Jones, 1969. The Search for the Nebulae -- VI. Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Vol. 79, No. 3 (1969), p. 213-222. Here p. 219-222.

More Deepsky Observing lists

History of the Discovery of the Deepsky Objects

Some other historical catalogs

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: September 12, 2006