Williamina Fleming discovered IC 420 = HN 63 on 27 Jun 1888 on a Harvard College Observatory photographic plate. She noted "very faint nebulosity preceding and a little south of DM -4°1162. Not confirmed by Plate 2414." Edward Pickering announced the discovery in the 1890 Harvard Annals publication (1890AnHar..18..113P). Photographs taken with the Bache telescope, a photographic 8-inch f/5.5 doublet, covering 10 degrees square, were examined by Fleming with a magnifying glass.

400/500mm - 18" (2/19/09): large, extremely faint reflection nebula surrounding mag 8.2 HD 36540. Appears roughly 6' in diameter. The surrounding field seems weakly luminous, but the glow surrounding the star is slightly more evident and extends roughly to mag 8.8 HD 36559 located 4.5' SE. Located 45' W of the bright, scattered cluster NGC 1981 and 50' NW of the bright nebulous cluster NGC 1977 (north of M42).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb