Lewis Swift discovered IC 1271 = Sw. VIII-94 on 5 Aug 1888 and recorded "eeeF, vL, N6523 nr p, ee diff; B* inv or is a neb *; discovered 2 years ago." His position is about 5' southeast of a mag 7 star at 18 05 10.6 -24 23 55 which is embedded in the eastern wing or extension of the Lagoon nebula. Corwin notes that John Herschel discovered and sketched this extension and considered it part of the M8 complex.

Dreyer states in the 1912 update of WH's catalogues that IC 1271 is identical to NGC 6526 = H V-9 (also part of M8). See Corwin's identification notes on NGC 6526.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/14/96): the brightest mag 7.5 star at the east end of M8 illuminates a bright 2' halo of nebulosity. This star is symmetrically placed on the following side of the cluster with respect to the two mag 7.5 stars on the west side of the Lagoon.

17.5" (6/8/96): this is the mag 7.5 star (SAO 186247) embedded in the southeast portion of the Lagoon nebula, which is surrounded by a locally brighter halo of nebulosity at all powers.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb