E.E. Barnard discovered IC 4601 on a plate taken 23 Mar 1895 with the 6" Willard lens at Lick Observatory. He noted two bright BD stars (the latter is HD 147103) "to be strongly involved in diffused nebulosity which is slightly elongated np and sf." DeLisle Stewart found the nebulosity again on an Arequipa plate taken in 1898 and reported D.S. 431 as "B, eL, nebulous wisps, involves AGC 22138-39 and 22150-1; extends 1m in RA and 12' in Dec."

300/350mm - 13.1" (7/5/83): appears as a large, slightly milky and starless region involving two pretty double stars (SHJ 225 = 7.4/8.1 at 47" and SHJ 226 = 7.6/8.3 at 13") and a single star to the west. This triangular region appears "lighter" than the surrounding background with a Deep Sky filter. The north side has a more definite edge.

400/500mm - 18" (7/12/10): immediately noticed at 108x while viewing Barnard 41 (about 15' NE). This large reflection nebula (part of Rho Ophiuchi complex) contains two bright, striking pairs at 47" (SHJ 225 = 7.4/8.1) and 13" (SHJ 226 = 7.6/8.4). Both of these pairs are encased within a large, obvious hazy glow with an irregular, elongated shape oriented NW-SE. The glow was faintly visible in my 80mm finder at 13x.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb