E.E. Barnard discovered IC 2104, and found NGC 1730, on 6 Dec 1888 with the 12-inch refractor at Lick Observatory. He described it as "F, moderate size, bM, elongated" and his position (offset from mag 8.4 HD 32077 near NGC 1730) is accurate. The discovery was communicated directly to Dreyer.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/26/00): extremely faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 E-W, 1.0'x0.5', low even surface brightness. Clouds compromised this observation.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb