The galaxy IC 2164 lies 9' NE and was seen as "faint, small, round, 30" diameter, fairly low surface brightness, no concentration. A mag 14 star is 1' SE."

John Herschel discovered NGC 2203 = h3035 on 23 Jan 1836 and recorded "pB; irreg R; vgpmbM; 2'; resolvable. His position from this single sweep is accurate. Joseph Turner observed this cluster on 5 Jan 1878 with the 48" Melbourne Telescope and reported "glimpses of a grannular or stippled appearance occasionally obtained, showing it to be resolvable." (p. 158 of logbook). Pietro Baracchi called it "pB; pL; R; vglbM. Soft undefined outline about 70" diameter." (9 Jan 1886, Melbourne).

DeLisle Stewart (based on a plate taken at Harvard's Arequipa station) called this object a "faint cluster, not a nebula" (given in the IC Notes).

300/350mm - 14" (4/3/16 - Coonabarabran, 178x): this LMC cluster (outside the Hodge-Wright Atlas) appeared fairly bright and large, round, ~1.4' diameter, unresolved but slightly patchy or mottled with a weak concentration. A mag 12.4 star is off the NW side [1.6' from center] and a mag 14.5 star is off the south side [1.6' from center]. Located 46' SSW of mag 5.1 Alpha Mensae.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb