All modern sources (except for NED) misidentify IC 897 as UGC 8544, a thin edge-on located 10' SW. Bigourdan, who discovered IC 897, unfortunately misidentified his offset star and when his offsets are applied to the star he noted, the position falls close to UGC 8544. But when the correct offset star is used, the identification of IC 897 = CGCG 102-20 is matched. This identification also agrees with his offsets for IC 897 from NGC 5217.

Guillaume Bigourdan discovered IC 897 = Big. 180 on 20 May 1890 and noted "Magnitude 13.5; situated from NGC 5217 at a PA of 105, Dist. = 3.5 arcmins." His published position in Comptes Rendus (used by Dreyer in the IC) happens to fall near UGC 8544 = CGCG 102-016 and modern catalogues have taken this galaxy as IC 897. Malcolm Thomson sorted out the correct identification (see "The True Identity of IC 897" in Deep Sky Observer #136) as well as Harold Corwin's identification notes.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/30/92): extremely faint, very small. I could only glimpse this object for moments with averted vision but it appeared very elongated 3:1 SW-NE and extremely thin. Forms a pair with NGC 5217 3' WNW. Observation verified on the POSS.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb