William Herschel's objects are catalogued in the Historic WH. The dataset it too large to be presented here. He found 2475 NGC- and 8 IC-objects; 2459 NGC- and 7 IC-objects were new. Most objects were found with the standard 18.7" reflector ("large 20ft"), erected in autumn 1783. Based on the author's study of the Herschel observations, it is now clear that 11 objects were found earlier with smaller telescopes, the 6.2" reflector (the "7ft" with which Uranus was discovered in 1781) and the 12" reflector ("small 20ft"). Herschel's first discovery dates back to 24 August 1780, when the globular cluster NGC 6535 in Serpens was seen in the 7ft; a month later the open cluster NGC 1857 in Auriga followed. Incorrectly, NGC 7009 (Saturn Nebula) is often presented as his first discovery, moreover, with the "large 20ft"! Though Herschel made some sweeps with the 48" reflector ("40ft"), no object was discovered with the cumbersome instrument.

D

N

NI

Disc/Obs

Y

M

D

Ap

I

T

Discoverer

Observer

Name

Con

Type

S

ID

Author

Title

Source

List

N

752

Herschel W.

1783

8

24

6,2

Rl

v

Hodierna 1654

Herschel C. 29.9.1783

AND

III1m

4

Herschel W.

Catalogue of a second Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 79, 212-255 (1789)

VII 32

1

N

1857

Herschel W.

1780

9

30

6,2

Rl

v

AUR

II2m

4

Herschel W.

Catalogue of a second Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 79, 212-255 (1789)

VII 33

N

1904

Herschel W.

1783

3

4

6,2

Rl

v

Mechain 26.10.1780

M 79

LEP

V

5

Herschel W.

Fixt Stars

RAS Archive W. Herschel 4/1.4

N

2244

Herschel W.

1783

1

13

6,2

Rl

v

Flamsteed 17.2.1690

12 Mon

MON

II3p

4

NGC 2239 (Herschel J. 3.1830)

Herschel W.

Catalogue of one Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 76, 457-499 (1786)

VII 2

N

2362

Herschel W.

1783

3

4

6,2

Rl

v

Hodierna 1654

CMA

I3p

4

Herschel W.

Catalogue of one Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 76, 457-499 (1786)

VII 17

N

2447

Herschel W.

1783

3

26

6,2

Rl

v

Messier 20.3.1781

Herschel C. 26.2.1783

M 93

PUP

IV1p

4

Herschel W.

Fixt Stars

RAS Archive W. Herschel 4/1.4

1

N

6426

Herschel W.

1781

7

15

6,2

Rl

v

Stephan 13.7.1876

OPH

IX

5

Herschel W.

Catalogue of a second Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 79, 212-255 (1789)

II 587

1

N

6535

Herschel W.

1780

8

24

6,2

Rl

v

Hind 26.4.1852

SER

XI

5

Herschel W.

Fixt Stars

RAS Archive W. Herschel 4/1.1

1

N

6802

Herschel W.

1783

9

22

6,2

Rl

v

VUL

III1m

4

Herschel W.

Catalogue of one Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 76, 457-499 (1786)

VI 14

1

N

7009

Herschel W.

1782

9

7

6,2

Rl

v

Struve W. 1825

Saturn Nebula

AQR

PN

3

Herschel W.

Catalogue of one Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 76, 457-499 (1786)

IV 1

1

N

1980

Herschel W.

1783

9

20

12,0

Rl

v

ι Orionis Nebula

ORI

*

9

Herschel W.

Catalogue of a second Thousend new Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

Phil. Trans. 79, 212-255 (1789)

V 31

6.2" and 12" Reflectors

18.7" and 48" Reflectors

Bath House & Slough House