Rudolph Spitaler discovered IC 399 = Spitaler 35 on 25 Feb 1892 with the 27-inch refractor at the Vienna Observatory. His micrometric position is accurate. The MCG and NGC 2000 incorrectly equate IC 399 with NGC 1741. See Malcolm Thomson's IC identification notes.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/8/97): very faint, very small, round, 15" diameter, low even surface brightness. This galaxy is located just 2.3' SE of NGC 1741 = HCG 31A and 2.5' SE of a mag 12 star on a line, although it was not listed as a group member. Nevertheless, it is part of the same group, with a similar redshift as HCG 31A, 31B and 31C.

900/1200mm - 48" (11/2/13): at 375x appeared moderately bright, fairly small, round, 18", fairly high surface brightness with a very small bright nucleus. Located 2.3' SE of the HCG 31 quartet. A mag 11.4 star lies 1.5' NW, between IC 399 and the quartet.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb