Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 1263 = LM 1-100 on 31 Dec 1885 with the 26" refractor at the Leander McCormick Observatory, recoerding it as "mag 14.0, 0.7' dia, lE 0?, sbM." His very rough RA (nearest min of RA) is 0.7 min west of MCG -03-09-015 = PGC 12114. Herbert Howe measured an accurate position in 1899-00 using the 20" refractor at Chamberlin Observatory (repeated in the IC 2 notes).

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/30/99): extremely faint and small, round, 15" diameter. Requires averted to glimpse. Once or twice the small halo disappeared and an extremely faint stellar nucleus was momentarily visible.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb