Note: this identification is very unlikely and the number should probably be classified as "lost".

Julius Schmidt discovered NGC 1396 on 19 Jan 1865 with the 6.2-inch refractor at the Athens Observatory during his survey of the Fornax Cluster (nebula "i" in his table). There is nothing at his position of 03 38 01 -35 40 17 (2000), and the RNGC classifies NGC 1396 as nonexistent. The Southern Galaxy Catalogue and RC3, though, identify PGC 13398 as NGC 1396. This galaxy is 14' due north of Schmidt's location and places NGC 1396 just 5' WNW of the bright elliptical NGC 1399.

But I'm not convinced that Schmidt could have picked up this galaxy with a 6" refractor as it was extremely faint in my 18-inch. Harold Corwin took another look at the SGC galaxy in September 2017 and is now also skeptical this is the object seen by Schmidt. See Harold Corwin's historical notes and my RNGC Corrections #6.

400/500mm - 18" (12/17/11): extremely faint, small, slightly elongated, ~20" diameter, low surface brightness. Requires averted vision and no details were visible. Located just 4.7' W of NGC 1399 (second brightest galaxy in the Fornax cluster).

18" (12/30/08): extremely faint, very small, slightly elongated, 20"x15". Required averted to glimpse though the observation may have been affected by clouds or contrails. Located 4.7' W of NGC 1399 in the Fornax I cluster.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb