NGC 1559 is a member of the NGC 1672 Group in the Dorado Cloud complex that includes NGC 1672, NGC 1688, NGC 1796 and NGC 1703. Images reveal a number of HII knots, though other than some mottling I didn't note these.

James Dunlop discovered NGC 1559 = D 264 = h2634 on 6 Nov 1826 with his 9" reflector and described a "faint round nebula, about 40" diameter, slightly bright to the centre; this is north preceding Theta Rhomboidis". His position, though, is 18' too far south (accurate in RA). John Herschel observed the galaxy twice but didn't mention an equivalence with D 264, so Dunlop is not credited with the discovery in the GC or NGC. On his first sweep of 9 Dec 1836, Herschel noted "B, L, mE, vg pmbM; 90" l; 40" br; has a * 14m at the southern edge."

Pietro Baracchi sketched the galaxy on 7 Dec 1885 using the 48" Melbourne Telescope. His sketch shows the galaxy fading and narrowing at the northeast end and an apparent tiny knot on the south side.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): moderately bright, fairly large, elongated 2:1 WSW-ENE, 3.0'x1.5', broad weak concentration, slightly mottled. A mag 13.5 star is off the southwest end, 2' from center, and a brighter mag 12 star is 4.7' from center. Located 30' SE of mag 3.3 Alpha Reticulum and 28' N of the mag 6.1/7.8 double star Theta Reticulum.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb