Rudloph Spitaler discovered IC 226 = Spitaler 2, along with IC 227, on 31 Dec 1891 with the 27" refractor at the Wien Observatory. His micrometric position is accurate. His description (summarized in the IC) is "pF, S, R, bM, 2 F st n."

600/800mm - 24" (2/7/16): fairly faint, fairly small, very sharply concentrated with a small, round bright core embedded in a very low surface halo perhaps 0.6' diameter (no distinct edge). Two mag 14/15 stars (15" separation) are just off the northwest side. A mag 9.6 star is 1.8' NNW and mag 8.6 HD 15271 is 6.2' WNW. The two stars are collinear with the galaxy. IC 226 forms a 4.4' pair with IC 227 to the southeast.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb