NGC 2359

NGC 2359 = Thor's Helmet = LBN 1041 = Sh 2-298 = Gum 4 = RCW 5
07 18 31 -13 13.5
Size 8x6

17.5" (12/28/00): "Thor's Helmet" is a remarkably bright, detailed nebulosity at 
100x using an OIII filter.  The central region is a 5' bubble (illuminated by a 
Wolf-Rayet star) with a brighter rim along the west side giving a "C" appearance 
with irregular knots, filamentary wisps of nebulosity and areas of thinner 
nebulosity in the interior.  A number of fainter stars are superimposed in the 
central region along with some brighter mag 11 stars on the north portion of the 
rim.  Attached at the south end is a brighter 4' extension elongated towards the 
west with a  mag 9 star at its SE side.  This section then thins out into a long 
10' streamer which precedes the main section and forms the southern "horn" of 
the helmet.  A second long, thicker streamer is attached at the north end of the 
central mass and extends out to the NW (this piece is also catalogued as IC 
468). A fainter strip of nebulosity also begins on the north end and extends 10' 
due east while weak nebulosity is also east of the central helmet off the south 
side.  Illuminated by the Wolf-Rayet star HD 56925 = WR 7.

13" (1/28/84): unusual emission nebula, fairly bright, fairly large, about 
7'x5'.  A thinner section elongated at a right angle (E-W) extends W of a mag 10 
star on the S end.  A few fainter stars are superimposed on the N side.  A very 
faint section, IC 468, is attached at the NW end extending towards the NW.

- by Steve Gottlieb

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NGC 2361 = N2359: = Thor's Helmet = LBN 1041 = Sh 2-298
07 18 23.8 -13 12 34

See observing notes for N2359 (this is the elongated knot along the west side).

- by Steve Gottlieb

NGC 2361 is a knot in NGC 2359.  JH's description and sketch from his Cape
Observations is very appropriate for the larger object.  Bigourdan's 
descriptions of N2361 make it clear that he was seeing only a small part of
JH's object.  Dreyer's IC1 note suggesting that N2361 is a reobservation of
N2359, suggests that he had not seen Bigourdan's observations. - Dr. Harold G. Corwin, Jr.

As with all corrections to the NGC and IC Catalogues, there is a certain margin
for error, even though the evidence supporting the correction may be strong and
compelling. It is with this in mind that we ask the user to use this information
as 'Most Probable', but never to assume the correction is 'Absolute'.  All
published corrections are based on an exhaustive 'paper chase' of the historical
record back to the original discoverer's published notes/papers, and are
therefore based upon the historical accuracy (or inaccuracy) of those particular
notes/papers. In short, Caveat Emptor! - Robert E. Erdmann, Jr.