John Herschel discovered NGC 1784 = h2719 on 11 Dec 1836 and recorded "pB, pL, irregularly round, or vlE, vgbM, 80", among pB stars." His position is accurate. Joseph Turner, observing with the 48" GMT on 6 Dec 1877, sketched it as very elongated E-W (p. 156 in logbook) and Ralph Copeland, observing with 72" on 19 Dec 1873 called it "pB, L, irr E. The brighter part is much elongated 90?." The elongated part is the central bar.

200/250mm - 8" (10/13/81): faint, moderately large, diffuse. A mag 7 star is in the field to the NW.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/3/88): moderately bright, moderately large, oval 3:2 ~E-W, bright core. Situated in a group of brighter stars including a mag 11.5 star 3.0' E and a mag 12.5 star 1.3' N of center. Located 14' SE of mag 7.5 SAO 150123.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb