John Herschel discovered NGC 1773 = h2721 on 3 Jan 1837 and described as "pF, pL, irregularly R with two or three bright stars." His position is accurate.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/17/04 - Costa Rica): this HII region is the furthest NE in a group of HII regions and clusters. Appears fairly faint, fairly small, 1'-1.5' diameter with a couple of stars or a knot near the center. Located 9' ENE of NGC 1763 and a similar distance NNE of NGC 1769.

600/800mm - 30" (11/4/10 - Coonabarabran): NGC 1773 is located at the northeast end of the Bean Nebula complex with NGC 1763 centered 9' SW, NGC 1769 7' SSW and NGC 1776 5' SSE. At 264x it appeared as a fairly large, bright glow, oval 3:2 ~N-S, ~2.2'x1.5'. Two brighter mag 12/13 stars (17" separation oriented SW-NE) are involved, slightly southwest of the geometric center. On close inspection the northeastern component (mag 13 0-type supergiant SK -66?43) resolved into a very close double. In additional a couple of fainter mag 15/15.5 stars are superimposed on the north side of the glow. The nebulosity (LMC-N11E) is slightly irregular in surface brightness and brighter along the rim, particularly on the southwest side.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb