Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 1303 on 28 Oct 1865 with an 11" refractor at Copenhagen. His single position matches MCG -01-09-029 = PGC 12527 and his comment that "two or three stars are involved" refers to a star right along the eastern edge and probably the nucleus.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/12/02): faint, small, slightly elongated N-S, 30"x25". The halo suddenly brightens to a sharp 5" nucleus. A mag 15 star is just off the southeast side 20" from center. Forms the northern vertex of an isosceles triangle with mag 9.7 SAO 130433 6' SSE and mag 10.1 SAO 130427 6' WSW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb