E.E. Barnard discovered NGC 1728, along with NGC 1721 and 1725, on 10 Nov 1885 with the 6-inch Cooke Refractor at Vanderbilt Observatory. See historical notes for NGC 1721.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/3/88): last of a trio with NGC 1725 1.3' SW and NGC 1725 2.5' W. Fairly faint, fairly small, very elongated 3:1 N-S, small bright core.

600/800mm - 24" (12/28/13): moderately to fairly bright, elongated 5:2 or 3:1 N-S, 0.6'x0.2', sharp concentration with a small bright core and bright stellar nucleus. Third in a close trio (KTS 28) with NGC 1721 and 1725. MCG -02-13-031, a very thin edge-on, lies 9.5' SSE and NGC 1725, a barred spiral, lies 8.5' N.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb