E.E. Barnard discovered IC 455 on 20 Sep 1890 with the 12-inch refractor at Lick Observatory. While comet hunting in the north, Barnard found NGC 2276, 2300 and IC 455. He was confused on his pointing direction this far north, but made a field sketch including nearby stars and labeled the nebulae A NGC 2276), B (NGC 2300) and C (IC 455, outside the 150x field). He noted "C is 10' S and 3' foll B. A is 2' diameter, faint, vglbM." The sketch clearly identifies the three galaxies. William Denning independently discovered IC 455 less than a month later on 17 Oct 1890 with his 10-inch reflector. Denning is credited with the discovery in the IC as Barnard never published his discovery or notified Dreyer.

400/500mm - 18" (8/2/11): fairly faint, fairly small, slightly elongated, ~30"x25", fairly sharply concentrated with a small bright core that increases to a stellar nucleus. Located 11' SSE of NGC 2300 in a group of far northern galaxies near +85° declination.

18" (3/13/04): fairly faint, small, round, 25" diameter, weak concentration to a slightly brighter core. With direct vision, a sharp stellar nucleus is intermittently visible. Located 16' ESE of NGC 2276 and 11' SSE of NGC 2300. This galaxy is the 5th closest to the celestial pole in the NGC or IC (2nd in the IC) and 3 of these 5 are visible in the same low power field!

Notes by Steve Gottlieb