William Herschel discovered NGC 2289 = H III-897 = h409, along with NGC 2290, on 4 Feb 1793 (sweep 1031). His description reads, "Two, eF and vS. The place is taken between them. They are about 4' asunder and northern one which is the largest precedes the other about 2 sec. 300x shows the same." Assuming Herschel observed the brightest two galaxies with the orientation NNW-SE, then H III-897 = NGC 2289 and H III-898 = NGC 2290 (Dreyer was confused on the identifications in the GC and NGC). His RA was 15 sec too large, but the NPD is in between the pair. John Herschel also observed the two galaxies and measured the same orientation and 3 or 4' apart. In the NGC, Dreyer incorrectly assigned H. III-898 to NGC 2289.

The RNGC reverses the identifications of NGC 2288 and NGC 2289. MCG also misidentifies this galaxy as NGC 2288. See my RNGC Corrections #1 and Malcolm Thomson's article in the Webb Society Quarterly Journal in 1/84.

300/350mm - 13.1" (12/22/84): faint, small, slightly elongated NW-SE. Forms a pair with NGC 2290 2.6' SSE.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/19/87): faint, fairly small, diffuse, slightly elongated, almost even surface brightness. A mag 13.5 star is just 0.7' N. Second of five in the NGC 2289/NGC 2290 group with NGC 2288 1.1' SSW and/NGC 2290 2.6' SSE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb