Edward Swift discovered IC 1492 = Sw. X-53 on 17 Oct 1891 and recorded "eF; S; R; sp of 2 [with NGC 1496]." His position is accurate. This was Edward's last deep-sky discovery age 20, though he discovered a comet (first observed in 1844) at Lowe Observatory in southern California in November 1894. Parrish discovered IC 1496 the previous year.

600/800mm - 24" (11/24/14): moderately bright, fairly small, slightly elongated SSW-NNE, sharply concentrated with a bright 20" core and a thin very low surface brightness halo. A mag 12 star lies 1' SSW. Located 5.6' SE of mag 9.6 SAO 146743. IC 1496 lies 7.7' NNE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb