Lewis Swift discovered IC 520 = Sw. VIII-49 on 29 Aug 1888 and recorded "pB; pL; R; bM; nearly bet a nr and a distant *; nf of 2 [with IC 511]; another suspected." Swift's position is accurate. It's unusual that the Herschels, d'Arrest and Tempel examined this area and missed this galaxy.

300/350mm - 13" (1/11/86): fairly faint, small, round. A faint star is near the south end.

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/20/93): this is an unusually bright IC galaxy and appears moderately bright, slightly elongated 4:3 N-S with a prominent small bright core and stellar nucleus. A mag 13.5 star is at the SE edge 46" from the center. NGC 2646 lies 14' W.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb