E.E. Barnard discovered IC 492 = Spitaler 15 = J. 1-150 on 5 Feb 1891 with a 12-inch refractor at Lick Observatory while searching the Winnecke's Comet. He reported "13m; R; vgbM; *13.5m 1/4' sf [south-following]." and measured an accurate micrometric position with respect to HD 66662. Rudolph Spitaler found it again 4 nights later with the 27-inch refractor at Vienna (presumably while also searching for the comet). He called it a fairly bright comet-like nebula northeast of BD +26°1713. Finally, Stephane Javelle found it a third time on 2 Mar 1892 (along with several others) with the 30-inch refractor at Nice, France. All three are credited in the NGC.

600/800mm - 24" (3/28/17): at 260x; fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 N-S, ~30"x20", slightly brighter core. A mag 14.5 star is close off the southeast edge, 30" from center. Situated just 3.4' NNE of mag 8 HD 66662.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb