Max Wolf discovered IC 2857 = W. VII-229, along with IC 2850 and 2853, on a Heidelberg plate taken on 27 Mar 1906. He reported "F, pL, 2' x 1/4' in PA 160°, bM." Rudolph Spitaler missed this galaxy when he went through the field visually on 31 Mar 1892 with the 27-inch refractor at the Wien Observatory.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/28/87): extremely faint, edge-on NNW-SSE, visible only part of time with averted. A mag 14.5 star is off the north end 1.3' from center. Sixth brightest in the IC 698 group with IC 2853 4.8' NW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb