John Herschel discovered NGC 2243 = h3053 on 19 Oct 1835 and recorded "pB, R, vglbM, all evidently resolved into stars, not very rich. Something between a cluster and a globular cluster. [This ob makes the RA 24m 8.9s, but it is pretty clear that this is a misreading of the chronometer.]" On a second sweep he logged "pB, R, gbM, 4' diameter, mottled or resolved, amongst bright stars." His mean position (two sweeps) matches this cluster.

James Dunlop possibly discovered the cluster earlier on 24 May 1826. His entry for D 616 reads "an ill-defined faint nebulosity of some considerable extent, with several small stars scattered in it." Although his description seems appropriate (though I don't believe he could have resolved stars in it), his position is 33' to the east-southeast.

300/350mm - 13.1" (1/18/85): fairly small faint cluster located just 8' SW of mag 7.4 SAO 196879. Consists of unresolved haze except for four stars on the west edge and a few stars on the east edge.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb