Lewis Swift discovered IC 312 = Sw. VIII-29 on 3 Nov 1888 and recorded "eeF; pS; R; nearly bet. 2 stars." His position is accurate though MCG doesn't doesn't equate MCG +07-07-051 with IC 312.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/7/89): faint, small, oval NW-SE. A mag 13 star is 1.2' E of center. Forms a pair with PGC 12288 1.9' SE within AGC 426. The companion appeared very faint, very small, elongated SW-NE. A mag 15 star is just off the NE edge.

17.5" (8/12/88): faint, small, elongated NW-SE, brighter core.

600/800mm - 24" (1/28/17): at 282x; moderately bright, fairly small, oval 3:2 NW-SE, 0.6'x0.4', small bright core. PGC 12288, just 1.9' SE, appeared faint, small, elongated ~3:1 SSW-NNE, ~20"x7". A mag 14-14.5 star is at the northeast end. NGC 1265, a low surface brightness galaxy with a bright star superimposed, lies 6' NNE of IC 312.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb