Notes on the Abell Catalog of Planetary Nebulae

The original Abell Catalog included 86 entries, of which four subsequently proved to be erroneous:

ABELL PK# COMMENT
11 196-12.1Reflection Nebula?
32 227+33.1 Plate Fault?
76 50-36.1 Ring Galaxy
85 na Supernova Remnant (CTB1)

The erroneous entries have been included here, both for completeness and because at least two are interesting in their own right. Abell 76 (IRAS F21274-0301), a ring galaxy in Hydra, is not extremely difficult in a 17.5" scope, and Abell 85 (CTB1) is a very challenging target that has been observed by amateurs in Germany. Of the remaining 82 entries in the Abell Catalog, all but three are included in the main tables of the Strasbourg - ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae (SEC), the standard reference source. The excluded three are identified in the auxiliary tables of the SEC as follows:

ABELL PK# COMMENT
09 172+0.1Possible PN
17 221-4.1 Non-Existent
64 44-9.1 Possible PN