John Herschel discovered NGC 1596 = h2648 (along with NGC 1602 = h2649) on 5 Dec 1834 and recorded "B, mE, pL, psmbM, 60" long. The preceding of two [with NGC 1602]." His position (2 consecutive sweeps) is very accurate. Joseph Turner sketched the pair on 17 Jan 1877 with the Great Melbourne Telescope (p. 130 of his logbook). NGC 1596 is shown as a thin edge-on, sharply concentrated with a very small bright nucleus. A lithograph was prepared (plate II, figure 15) but never published.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/19/04 - Costa Rica): bright, moderately large, very elongated 7:2 SSW-NNE, 1.8'x0.5', contains a slightly bulging core and tapering extensions. Sharply concentrated with a very small bright core. Paired with NGC 1602 2.9' SE in the Dorado Group of galaxies. NGC 1617 lies 43' NE. Located 55' due west of mag 3.3 Alpha Doradus.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb