Wilhelm Tempel discovered NGC 2258 = T IX-4, along with NGC 2256, with the 11" refractor at the Arcetri Observatory. Tempel just gives a rough RA, but his position is about 6' south of UGC 3523 = PGC 19622 and his description "together with two nearby stars mag 10-11 forms a triangle" clinches the identification. Bigourdan measured an accurate RA on 22 Dec 1891 (repeated in the IC 2 Notes). MCG lists the NGC designation as uncertain.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/19/91): moderately bright, small, round, small bright core, stellar nucleus. A mag 11 star is just 0.8' NE of center and a mag 12 star is 1.2' SSE. NGC 2256 lies 15' SSW and IC 451 is 20' E.

600/800mm - 24" (2/18/20): at 375x; fairly bright, moderately large, slightly elongated NNW-SSE,~1.0'x0.8', fairly high surface brightness. A mag 11.1 star is close off the NE edge, 0.8' from center and a mag 12 star is 1.2' SSE. A mag 15 star is right at the south edge. IC 450 and IC 451 lie 18' ESE and 20' E, respectively.

CGCG 330-013, located 4' NW, appeared fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 SSW-NNE,~25"x 18", bright core, faint halo. A mag 11 star is 3' WSW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb