Lewis Swift discovered IC 1189 = Sw. VII-73 on 7 Jun 1888 and recorded "eeeF; pS; iR; bet. 2 st." His RA is 5 seconds too small, but the comment "bet 2 st[ars]" clinches the identification.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/14/96): extremely faint and small, round, 10" diameter. Can almost hold steadily with averted vision. Located 1.2' S of a mag 10 star in AGC 2151. Brighter NGC 6061 is 4' N and MCG +03-41-115 3.5' WNW.

600/800mm - 24" (8/1/19): at 324x; fairly faint, small, slightly elongated N-S, 25"x20", very small brighter nucleus. A mag 10.5 star is 1.3' N with three other galaxies (UGC 10195, CGCG 108-139 and NGC 6061) are within 6'.

24" (6/14/15): faint to fairly faint, small, elongated 3:2 N-S, ~21"x14", very small bright nucleus. Located 4' S of brighter NGC 6061 and between a mag 10.6 star 1.3' N and a mag 11 star 2' SSW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb