James Dunlop discovered NGC 1805 = D 233 = h2741 on 24 Sep 1826 and described "a small round well-defined nebula, 10" or 12" diameter". His position is 6' SSW of the cluster.

JH made 5 observations, the first on 2 Nov 1834 in which he recorded "a vS compact cluster of stars 11th mag with (?) nebulosity, 20"." On later sweeps he wrote "B, S, R, sbM, 25", has two stars very near, one N.p. one S.f." and "vB, vS, vsvmbM, a condensed knot of stars, two of which (one on either side) are exterior."

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/17/04 - Costa Rica): moderately bright, small, 25" diameter, sharply concentrated with a quasi-stellar bright nucleus. A mag 13 star is at the NW edge (24" from center). This is a well-studied young (40 million years old) LMC star cluster. Located 20' ESE of NGC 1783.

600/800mm - 30" (11/4/10 - Coonabarabran, 264x): very bright, fairly small, brilliant core, 30" diameter. A mag 13 star is situated just off the NW side, 25" from center. The core is oddly displaced off-center in the direction of this star. A few faint stars are resolved in the halo and a mag 13.5 star is at the south edge. NGC 1783 lies 20' WNW and NGC 1822 is 18' ESE (all three collinear).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb