Sherburne Wesley Burnham discovered IC 259, along with IC 258, on 3 Sep 1891 while observing double stars with the 36-inch refractor at Lick Observatory. He measured the offsets for both objects correctly with respect to 10th magnitude BD +40°608. But he applied his RA (time) offset in the wrong direction for the western object, which he described as double. So the computed position for IC 258 is east of IC 259, placing these objects out of RA order in the sky. As a result, the identifications of IC 258 and IC 259 are reversed in UGC, CGCG, PGC, HyperLeda, WikiSky, etc. NED has the correct identifications.

600/800mm - 24" (1/1/16): at 375x; faint, very small, round, 15" diameter, stellar nucleus. A star (close double on the DSS) is at the northwest edge [17" from center]." Forms a close pair with IC 258 1.0' ESE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb