George Johnstone Stoney discovered NGC 1622 = GC 881 on 16 Jan 1850 using LdR's 72". His sketch shows NGC 1618, 1622 and 1625 in their correct orientation. Heinrich d'Arrest independently found this galaxy on 1 Jan 1862 near NGC 1618. John Herschel included both observations in the GC assuming they were different nebulae (881 for Stoney and 878 for d'Arrest) but accidentally placed GC 881 three degrees too far north. Dreyer caught this error and added a note that GC 881 = GC 878 in his observation on 1 Dec 1874 at Birr Castle, so the two GC entries were combined into NGC 1622.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/12/85): faint, elongated SW-NE, small bright core, stellar nucleus, faint elongated halo. This is the second the of three edge-on systems with similar NGC 1618 8' WNW (also similar position angle) and NGC 1625 10' SE. Located 11' NNE of Nu Eridani. HCG 30 lies 22' N.

900/1200mm - 48" (11/2/13): very bright, large, elongated 9:2 SW-NE, 2.8'x0.6', well concentrated with a very bright, elongated core that increases to the center. This is the thinnest of three striking edge-ons, just 11' NE of mag 3.9 Nu Eridani. NGC 1618, 8' WNW, is roughly parallel in orientation and NGC 1625, 10' SE, is perpendicular! MCG -01-12-037 lies 9' NNE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb