Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 1185 = LM 2-353 in 1886 with the 26" refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory and reported "mag 15.7, 0.8' dia, pE 15?.". His position is just 8 tsec west of MCG -02-08-041 = PGC 11488 and the description applies.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/28/00): faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 SSW-NNE, 0.8'x0.4', weak concentration. A mag 15 star is close SSE [56" from center].

Notes by Steve Gottlieb