Johnstone and Bindon Stoney, LdR's assistants, discovered NGC 186 on 6 Dec 1850. It was noted "much smaller than alpha (NGC 194), and is sbM and I think a nova." Heinrich d'Arrest independently found this nebula on 23 Sep 1862 with the 11" refractor at Copenhagen. d'Arrest's position is accurate.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/8/88): faint, small, elongated SW-NE, stellar nucleus. Located between mag 6.4 SAO 109315 15' W and mag 7.4 SAO 109348 11' E. Member of the large NGC 182 group.

600/800mm - 24" (12/12/17): at 375x; bright, moderately large, elongated 2:1 SSW-NNE, 40"x20". Sharply concentrated with a very bright round core and bright stellar nucleus. Situated just north of the line connecting a mag 6.4 star 14' W and a mag 7.4 star 12' E. Located on the west side of the NGC 182 group. LEDA 212560, situated 2.8' SW, was barely seen as extremely faint and small, round, 10" diameter.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb