William Herschel discovered NGC 1357 = H II-290 = h2548 on 1 Feb 1785 (sweep 364) and recorded "F, pL, R, bM, about 5 or 6' south preceding of a pretty large star." JH logged it twice from the Cape of Good Hope and noted on 8 Dec 1835 "pF, pL, R, 40", near three stars, two of which are 10th mag." Sir Robert Ball, observing with the 72" at Birr Castle on 13 Nov 1866, remarked "cB, pL, bM, either double or with a star [correct] very closely preceding. Observations interrupted by the superb display of shooting stars." According to Wikipedia, the 1866 Leonids produced hundreds per minute and a few thousand per hour in Europe.

300/350mm - 13.1" (12/7/85): fairly bright, moderately large, round, bright core. Forms the vertex of an isosceles right triangle with mag 8.1 SAO 149035 4' NNE and mag 9.2 SAO 149028 4' WNW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb