William Herschel discovered NGC 1309 = H I-106 = h2523 on 3 Oct 1785 (sweep 451), logging it as "cB, cL, iR, bM, 3' diameter." JH described it as "pF, R, glbM, pos from a * 7 mag = 31?, difference in RA 7.5 sec, * 4' S."

200/250mm - 8" (11/28/81): fairly faint, small, round. A mag 8 star is 4' SW.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/1/92): fairly bright, moderately large, halo gradually increases to brighter middle, faint almost stellar nucleus, well-defined halo slightly elongated SW-NE. Located 4' NE of mag 7.5 SAO 148921.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb