For a higher resolution images please visit NOAO's NGC 1999 website .
North is to the top and east is to the left in both images.
To learn more about the NOAO image please visit their NGC 1999 website . Two centuries ago the observational science of astronomy was advancing rapidly, mostly through the efforts of the musician turned astronomer, Sir William Herschel, who explored the sky with telescopes of his own construction. Together with his sister Caroline, he discovered many new objects and kept records of their appearance and position. Apparently Herschel noted NGC 1999 as one of the most spectacular of the thousands of objects he discovered. Our knowledge of this object has of course improved in the ensuing time and we now have a refined picture of what it is.