At 100x using an OIII filter, Abell 31 appeared as a faint, huge, roundish glow encompassing a mag 10 star which is southeast of center. With averted vision it spanned ~8' in diameter with a very low but irregular surface brightness. The edge of the halo was not crisply defined. The bright star is part of a distinctive parallelogram with sides roughly 9'. The PN doesn't reach the mag 10 star 8' W although on photographs it extends this far.

Stephane Javelle discovered IC 523 = J. 2-627 on 13 Apr 1893 with the 30-inch refractor at the Nice Observatory. His position is a little too far north as the offset star is slightly misplaced in declination.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/14/99): extremely faint, small, round, 25" diameter, low surface brightness, very weak concentration. The view was perhaps hindered by mag 8.4 SAO 117225 3.3' NW and dew on my secondary. Located 20' NW of the giant PN Abell 31. Nearby are MCG +02-23-008 and CGCG 061-020.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb